Revisiting Verrieres

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As with most decorators- I have my favorites. This is my absolute favorite printed fabric. VERRIERES has a glorious history creating some of the most memorable rooms in print.

After seeing the Verrieres covered screen photographed by Horst, with model Verushka in the picture as well- I couldn't resist revisiting its past. Verrieres, is forever bound to Louise Vilmorin- heiress, author, paramour to the famous & the most noted chatelaine of her family Chateau de Vilmorin in Verrieres-le-Busisson. Though she lived many places the family home remained her domain- as six doting brothers saw to it. The main salon of the house was deliciously smothered in the cotton print now widely known at Verrieres. The salon remained unchanged for decades- a testament to the idea that if you get it right the first time- there is no need to make changes in the future. This should be the credo of any successful room-Yes, additions can be made, touches here and there-But leave a good thing as is.

Verushka by Horst, I think Vilmorin would approve

The life of Louise de Vilmorin is a book within itself-An Aesthete' Lament noted the French biography by Francoise Wagener Je suis nee inconsolable in this posting (here) called Jeez Louise. Do go and read this one-it brings the Salon Bleu with Verrieres to life and sweetens things by dishing about Louise de V.'s loves. The post features two wonderful-new to me- Verrieres Rooms. Enlarge the photographs and see the ceiling detail on the Jansen room. The edge of Verrieres has a small scalloped border that creates all the edging details and defines the print. The Aesthete says since posting he has discovered the room was decorated by Henri Samuel- making perfect sense, Henri Samuel's masterful design & the Aesthete's finding this out.

Louise de Vilmorin by Beaton in her Salon Bleu
image from An Aesthete's Lament

Louise was described by Evelyn Waugh to author Nancy Mitford "as an Hungarian countess who pretended to be a French poet. An egocentric maniac with the eyes of a witch. She is the Spirit of France. How I hate the French." With Mitford adding "Oh how glad I am you feel this about Lulu—I can't sit in a room with her she makes me so nervous. And vicious… She is much more like a middle European than a French woman." (Ivry 1996) The inevitable darts get thrown at women whose lives are lived in opposition to polite society and both of these writers had reason to be a bit green where Louise de V was concerned. Their acerbic comments were likely dead on however. The lady described her own passions-that is writing- by saying "Sexual conquest lights my lantern, that's what pushed me to write." Intrigued yet?

The lady and the fabric are inexorably linked. The original, batik inspired print was designed by Jacques de Luze in Switzerland and printed in 1810 in black, white & red on a red brown background. From Switzerland, the fabric made its journey to the fabric house, Le Manach, in France- and is known as "Batik." Brunschwig and Fils now prints the fabric under license in the States in several colorways - It's Vilmorin blue being THE color. Most successful are the rooms that use the fabric on every possible surface in the room full out- as done at the Chateau. Murray Douglas is heir to Brunschwig and Fils and She was niece to Zelina Brunschwig. Her Aunt Zelina took young Murray Douglas to the Chateau de Vilmorin advising her, "Don't Talk, Just Look." (How wonderful!) Douglas describes the experience of meeting the divine Louise and taking tea in the Salon- " I just sat there completely overwhelmed-I guess you could say I was scared blue." Murray Douglas used the Verrieres Blue in her own bedroom and dressing room-the room, the lady and the fabric must have made an indelible impression on Douglas, as it has on countless others.

Louise de Vilmorin photographed by Cecil Beaton, 1940
photo from & Apres

Designer Mario Buatta's Kips Bay room is probably my first exposure to Verrieres. Here, at the 1984 Kips Bay Showhouse, Buatta lavished the room in the B&F Verrieres and the results were stunning. I think this is Buatta's best published room hands down. It captures a mood, a spirit, an energy that makes a room timeless- of course Verrieres helps out loads. The Brunschwig motto " GOOD DESIGN IS FOREVER" echos in this beautiful room. The August 1984 issue of House Beautiful is filled with pages of the Buatta room & an interview with Buatta. Mario Buatta started with Verrieres-it is the room's inspiration. "This is a timeless room. There's no date on it because nothing is faddish. It's a forever kind of decorating."








Mathilde Agostinelli's Jacques Grange decorated Paris home was featured in House and Garden in May 2006. Mathilde Agostinelli planned her daughter's room with Pink Verrieres curtains from her own childhood room. Again Verrieres casts its life long spell. Agostinelli's apartment is one of my favorites in print from the House and Garden archives. Her own past is lined with luminaries in the design world. She is tied to the house of Miuccia Prada in promoting the Prada brand. Her half sister, Victoire de Castellane, is an artistic director at Dior, while uncle, Gilles Dufour is a fashion designer, noted for his stints as creative director at Balmain and he called Chanel home as Lagerfeld's go to guy for years. Matilde is also niece several times removed to the renowned architect and designer, Emilio Terry.

Agostinelli's Childhood Verrieres

photograph by Francois Halard

Another Pink Verrieres in Cawdor Castle, Scotland. Countess Cawdor picked the B&F fabric for one of the Guest Rooms in the Castle.

... and so the story goes on with Verrieres. Do let me know if you want to be added to the Verrieres legends list? I can assist.



Sources for this post- not mentioned in the text

Brunschwig & Fils Style By Murray Douglas & Chippy Irvine
Madame de by Louise de Vilmorin Seductress: Women Who Ravished the World & their Lost Art of Love by Elizabeth Stevens Prioleau

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