More Tony Duquette and out and about in L.A.

While we were visiting Hutton and Ruth Wilkinson's fabulous Casa Contessa we were treated to a peek at Tony Duquette's iconic and inimitable Dawnridge.

A 1960's portrait of Tony Duquette by Marion M Pike. Many notables sat for her including Coco Channel, Norton Simon, Zubin Mehta, Rosalind Russell, and Ronald Reagan.

 

The main reception room is magnificent theater. Abalone panels made by Duquette with spray paint and glue, signature sunburst lighting, corals, golds, and whimsical Duquettery conjures a lost temple hidden in a jungle.  Until you look up at the ceiling!

This Venetian murano glass masterpiece cascades a perennial bouquet of lilies and light over the drawing room. Ventian style inspired Duquette, as Venice epitomizes the confluence of grand European and opulent Eastern design.  Carnivale masks and fancy dress were the Duquette signature entertainment. Elizabeth Duquette, adored wife of Tony nick-named Beegle, painted the entry doors to the house, setting the stage. 

Industrial salvage columns anchor the torchieres flanking the doors,buffed and sprayed in gold.  Theater set people were the original smoke and mirrors preceeding the current DIY movement. Hutton Wilkinson, Tony's creative partner, and current president and creative director of Tony Duquette, laughingly calls them his ironic columns. 

 

Lavish passementerie trim detailing around the door moldings in the entrance halls are the non plus ultra. Talk about industrious bees, the house was their life, their workshop, and mad design laboratory.

 Duquette archives via Kohler/Baker

Loretta Young wears her Tony Duquette mask at the bal de tête in Los Angeles. Here Tony and

Loretta accept first prize for her mask. Friends, we so did miss cafe society.

 The famed "meuble" that Tony Duquette created for Elsie de Wolfe, who later became Lady Mendl, was returned to the Duquettes through her estate. This was the secretary that launched a thousand interior design jobs, as Elsie de Wolfe, grande dame that she was, promoted him internationally. 

Detail of the inset

Brilliant Hutton Wilkinson has turned it into a knock out fabric for Jim Thompson's Duquette line.

 

Stacy Kunstel of Stacy Style and Annie Selkie of Pine Cone Hill and author of Fresh American Spaces, dressed for the occasion. It was also great  to finally meet fellow blogger Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence, who has also published her take on the wonderful hospitality bestowed by the Wilkinsons. 

Thank you Hutton and Ruth for all your amazing hospitality to the bloggerati during the Design Bloggers Conference! And.. if you haven't seen Hutton's dazzling designs for Coach, you must be blind. Its hot, hot, hot and all over media town. 

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