Finally... the Vreeland Apartment

When we discuss iconic rooms and homes of the 20th century, a few seem to come up time and time again: Cole Porter's Waldorf Towers apartment, Brooke Astor's library, and Diana Vreeland's apartment. It's the Vreeland apartment that has both fascinated and frustrated me- the frustration part due to the lack of Vreeland images in my library.

Well, that issue has been remedied thanks to a few readers who know a great deal about this legendary home. Not only did they give me details about the decor, but they also told me where I could find additional images. And this is what led me to purchase a copy of Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes. I know most of us have seen photos of the Billy Baldwin designed "Garden in Hell" living room, and I remember seeing a photo of the dining room in one of DV's biographies, but have you seen the bedroom before? I hadn't, so that's why I'm showing the images here.

Now, I like Vreeland's living room as much as the next person, and there are certain elements in the room that I love. But could I live in this room? Probably not. The dining room, however, is a different story- j'adore. And the blue bedroom is a respite from the intense red of the other rooms. The twist is that the fabric on the walls and curtains is the same print as the Garden in Hell but in a different colorway. (I believe a reader said it was a Gastón y Daniela print).

So, what do you think???


The Garden in Hell living room


Another view of the living room with a red screen that separated it from the dining room


The striped dining room


A detail shot of the living room


The blue bedroom with a Syrie Maugham designed bed. Wondering what the scarf is doing placed on the coverlet? Why that was where her shoes and handbag were laid out in the evening. What? You don't do that too?