A Tradition of Collecting: Property from Cornelia Guest, Formerly the Collection of Winston & C.Z. Guest, Templeton

There is a lot of buzz about Stair Galleries' upcoming auction, A Tradition of Collecting: Property from Cornelia Guest, Formerly the Collection of Winston & C.Z. Guest, Templeton, which will take place on November 14.  Templeton, of course, was the Guest family's famed estate, located in Old Westbury, New York.  Having recently sold the estate, Cornelia is moving to Columbia County, New York, where she plans to build an animal rescue.  As many of us have experienced, a move often prompts a shedding of one's possessions, and that seems to be the case with Cornelia, who has consigned furniture, art, garden ornaments, and other decorative pieces to next week's sale at Stair Galleries, the venerable Hudson, New York auction house.  (Stair is also the auction house responsible for selling property from such notables as Brooke Astor, Albert Hadley, and Dominick Dunne.)

With my interest piqued by a number of the lots, I turned to my good friend, Christopher Spitzmiller, to gauge his thoughts on the auction.  Christopher is a longtime client of Stair and has furnished both of his homes from sales at the auction house.  He also had the privilege of spending a long-ago Thanksgiving at Templeton, a visit that made a lasting impression on him.  "As soon as you walked into the house, you saw that pair of elephant tusks and miles and miles of leopard-print carpet," remembers Christopher.  But for all of the home's rarefied décor (which included rooms with "layers and layers of one chintz,") Christopher says, "there was a comfortable feel to these sophisticated rooms.  There was an American sensibility to everything, including the Thanksgiving sweet potato and marshmallow casserole that was served to us in a silver tureen."  But as impressive as Templeton was, it is C.Z. Guest's gardening books that have greatly influenced Christopher.  "Her greatest legacy are her books, which are concise and to the point."

Although most of us never did have the opportunity to visit Templeton, we can now get a glimpse at what life was like there thanks to the Guest auction, which, to borrow Christopher's phrase, is "a remembrance of how magical Templeton was."  I got an armchair tour of the auction lots thanks to Christopher, who previewed the sale last week. (I have included photos of Christopher's tour in this post so that you, too, can get a sneak peek of the sale.)  So which lots caught Christopher's eye?  The gilt brackets, which Christopher believes are "quintessential C.Z. and Cornelia Guest," as well as a vermeil brush and compact set engraved with "C.Z." Also sparking his interest were the myriad garden ornaments and books, not to mention Guest's T. Anthony luggage.  It's this range of pieces that I believe makes this upcoming auction compelling, something with which Christopher concurs.  "Whether you're a gardener, a book collector, or a porcelain collector, there is something for everybody in this sale."

For more information on the sale, please visit Stair Galleries' website.

And a few of the lots that caught my eye:

Lot # 62
PAUL LELONG (1799-1846): STILL LIFE WITH FLOWER VASE; AND STILL LIFE WITH URN
Two gouache on paper, Flower Vase signed 'Lelong' lower right, Urn unsigned.
Both approx. 6 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. (sheet), 8 x 10 1/2 in. (frame).
$800-1,200

Lot # 89
SET OF FOUR CONTINENETAL PORCELAIN VEGETABLE DISH COVERS
Each with relief basket-weave border, floral clusters and sliced lemon knop; one restored.
5 x 9 3/4 in. diam.
$100-200

Lot #113
LOUIS XVI STYLE GREEN-PAINTED HALL RACK
The arched top above a central mirrored panel flanked by brass coat hooks, above the D-shaped console (lacking top), flanked by umbrella stands.
7 x 42 1/2 x 12 1/2 in.
$700-900

Lot #117
UPHOLSTERED BANQUETTE WITH A PAIR OF MATCHING PILLOWS
Upholstered in paisley fabric; with a loose rectangular cushion and bolster above the upholstered bench.
23 x 48 x 21 in.
$300-500

Lot # 235
GROUP OF FIVE PAINTED WOOD AND BAMBOO POLO MALLETS, USED BY WINSTON F. CHURCHILL GUEST
One with a painted label on the shaft; Gray's, Westbury, NY; two marked in the mallet head: J. Salter & Sons, Aldershot, England and each mallet numbered 50, 51 and 31, and stamped 'Made in England'.

Note: Winston F. C. Guest (1906-1982) an Anglo-American polo champion. Mr. Guest won the International Polo Cup in 1930, 1936, and 1939. His father was a British politician and the grandson of John Spencer-Churchill, the 7th Duke of Marlborough.

J. Salter & Sons are polo specialists, in Aldershot, England and manufactures and general sports outfitters. Established in 1884 by J. Salter, now owned by Sean Arnold Sporting Antiques.
$300-500



Photo of Cornelia Guest and lot photos used with permission from Stair Galleries.

Reflections on Iced Tea

Day after day after day the temperature here in Atlanta has reached well above 90 degrees, and all I can say for myself is that I've been drinking about as much iced tea as Don Meredith. On rare occasions I drink it plain, although usually I prefer it sweetened. I never order sweet tea at a restaurant as I never know what I'm going to get; I doctor mine up with Splenda instead. At the risk of being run out of town, there is nothing more sickening than sickeningly sweet tea. Arnold Palmers are okay, but I'm more of a purist. And I'm not a snob either when it comes to the brand of tea I brew. Luzianne or Lipton is fine by me.


Tiffany & Co. Chrysanthemum Iced Tea Spoon

A little bit like the Japanese tea ritual, serving iced tea can be done so with a few fancy flourishes. Of course there are sterling iced tea spoons, made long enough to stir the sugar crystals that accumulate at the bottom of a tall glass of tea.




There are also those silver sipper spoons that many people collect. I think they're cute, but I also think that they're not appropriate for all social occasions. It just seems silly to offer your 90 year old grandmother a glass of iced tea with a silver straw.



Wiliam Yeoward "Fern" pitcher

A nice heavy crystal or glass pitcher is nice to have on hand for serving iced tea and looks especially pretty when the tea is flecked with mint leaves.



Edwardian Antique Silver Punch Bowl from Daniel Bexfield Antiques


But for a party, a shower, or a luncheon, you have to go all out with your tea. You've got to mix it with all kinds of fruit juices and such to make it extra special. And by all means, it must be served in a pretty punch bowl with slices of fruit floating at the top. (I know this might sound awfully fruity to some of you, but hey, it's tradition!) Even C.Z. Guest served her guests her special Party Tea. In case you're interested:


C. Z. Guest Party Tea
6 tea bags
2 quarts water
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 cup orange juice
6 mint sprigs
1/2 lemon
1 orange
cloves

Make the tea: either steep the tea bags in boiling water for three minutes or set them in jars in the sun or in the refrigerator for several hours. Chill tea. Before serving, add the sugar, orange juice, and mint sprigs. Slice the lemon and orange and stick each slice with 3-4 cloves. Float fruit slices on top in a punch bowl.

Makes 10 cups.

Image at top from Martha Stewart.com; click here to see all of her iced tea recipes.

WASP Chic: C.Z. Guest

I have found an upcoming book release that has piqued my interest: Privileged Life: Celebrating Wasp Style by Susanna Salk (Assouline; February 28, 2007). Although I can find very little on the Internet about this book, I am hoping that it will focus on the colorful, traditional, and comfortable style of certain privileged Americans. Perhaps there will be photos of rooms by Sister Parish and McMillen?

In the spirit of WASP chic, I thought I would post some photos of the home of the ultimate WASP style icon- C.Z. Guest. Guest's estate on Long Island, Templeton, was designed by famed architects Carrere & Hastings. After a short time living in the manor house, the Guests moved to a "smaller" home on the property. This house, along with the manor house, were both decorated by Stephane Boudin of Maison Jansen. Guest, like so many other stylish individuals, did not continuously redecorate her home. She stuck with Boudin's work, only refreshing it over the years. The home was certainly stylish, but it was also quite warm and inviting. (Of course, if you were C.Z. Guest, you too could get away with thread-bare carpet and orchids sitting around in green plastic pots.)















(Photos from House & Garden, June 2004)

Classic Carpet

Have you ever noticed that there are design elements that pop up over and over in interior decoration? Certain books ("Cabinet of Natural Curiosities" and "Best of Flair" ), fabrics (Lulu DK's "Chant" and Clarence House's "Tigre Velours") and furniture (Frances Elkin's Loop Chairs and Billy Baldwin slipper chairs) have all joined the pantheon of classic design.

There are also classic carpet patterns, too, that are favored by many decorators. One such pattern (and also one of my favorites) is "Antelope" by Stark Carpet. The combination of the subtle animal print and the neutral colors makes it a winner. Todd Alexander Romano learned about the pattern from C.Z. Guest, who told him it was perfect for hiding muddy paw prints.

Room by Todd Alexander Romano



Room by Jan Showers

Leopard print carpet is another classic. Stark makes a great one, although other carpet companies have leopard prints as well. Makes me think of Elsie de Wolfe!

Worn leopard print in C.Z. Guest's estate.

And finally, no post about carpet would be complete without including David Hick's designs (such as those at top). These geometric prints have graced many a floor and are always the focal point of a room.

David Hicks rug in a Steven Gambrel room