I could have made this a quiz, but it would be nearly impossible to guess unless you happened to remember this layout from House & Garden, August 1984. This is the Boston apartment of Apple Bartlett (as you can see, Gwyneth is not so avant guard.) Bartlett, while not avant guard, is old guard. The daughter of Sister Parish, you can see her mother's influence in her own home.
Always intrigued to see if rooms (and fiction) hold up, there are elements of these that definitely do. The striped dhurri could have come straight from Wisteria or Williams Sonoma Home. I do like the way the direction of the stripe changes at the edge; this is an easy alteration for any carpet professional. The curtains in the living room hold up nicely. I usually think these are the first elements to give away a vintage image, that and the flower arrangements. The fabric on the sofa pillows resembles the graphic Alan Campbell that we have been referencing this week. A subtle chintz, the bamboo Chippendale chair and the secretary would also be snatched up by the current generation.
The braided rug is from the house in Maine. Mrs. Bartlett made the sitting room curtains and decoupaged the living room table and the lampshade as well. Besides her now-in-the-news name, Apple Bartlett was working as a collage artist at the time her home was featured. Maybe old guard is avant guard after all. Labels: Designers