HG sans TV -- "First Principle: Fine & Mellow"

This was the cover of the newly reincarnated House & Garden.  With all the glowing promise of a long life, the "re-premiere" issue was fat with many advertising pages.  It was September, 1996.  And the lead feature series was called, "First Principle."

The new series commenced with a classically beautiful Manhattan apartment that captured what the magazine called "'the allure of restraint: a quiet elegance, a luxurious repose, a refined sensibility.'"   It was designed by the team of Jed Johnson and Alan Wanzenberg.  But just a month prior to the issue's publication, Jed Johnson died in a sudden and tragic accident.

He was on his way to Paris to shop for new clients.  He was taking TWA's Flight 800 that left JFK on July 17 and exploded 12 minutes after take-off, crashing into the Atlantic Ocean and instantly killing all 230 people on board.   Johnson was 47 years old and arguably at the top of his game.  And 15 years ago, House & Garden published one of his last completed projects.

The magazine proclaimed this as the "new look" of "traditional decorating."  And oh, what a look!  The living room brought tradition to its knees with its unpretentious luxury.  There's nothing stodgy about this room and one reason, according to Johnson, is because so much of the furniture has exposed legs.  
The antique Sultanabad carpet was practically wall-to-wall.  The Louis XVI-style suite of sofa and matching club chairs were vintage Jansen from Paris.  The mixed media print hanging above the French 40s library table is by Julian Schnabel.   

Here's a close-up of one of the seating areas.  In the background, through the doorway, you get a glimpse into the dining room, with its amazing pair of giant Irish urns.  They are prime examples of scagliola, a complex process by which plaster and pigments are worked together to resemble marble.

Another view of the living room shows the custom limestone mantle, designed by Johnson/Wanzenberg.  The spare quality of the mantle is carried through to the mirror above it, also designed by the team, and "loosely" inspired by Jean Michel Frank.

Another view of the living room, showing the Jansen chairs in profile.  The sofa is slipcovered (yes) but the fabric was hand blocked in France (yes.)  If you think "unpretentious luxury" is an oxymoron, think again!

Right photo shows a charming painted table, found in a Paris flea market.

Left photo features a grouping of Venini vases with a 1938 torso by Bruno Mankowski.

The dining room gets a little more opulent, with deeper colors and a mixture of periods and styles.    Starting at the top is the beautiful Venetian glass chandelier.  The carved wood/glass sconces flank a painting by Richmond Burton.  The dining table is an impressive 63" in diameter, and the chairs are Regency-style.  To the right, you get another view of one of the urns, framed by the striped silk draperies.

The library has a warm, clubby feeling with its rich wine tones and the patina of old leather.  The desk was designed by Johnson.  The chandelier appears to be bronze, perhaps Charles X.

In the master bedroom, Johnson designed both the bed and the bedside tables.  The bed hangings change with the seasons, a charming idea as shown above: summer and inset below:  winter, which matches the coverlet.

Also in the master bedroom is this magnificent verre églomisé (back-painted glass) dressing table.  Also from the venerable Maison Jansen, it dates from the 1940s.  The gilded bronze accents highlight the mirrored finish.

The master bathroom was carefully renovated to reflect the 1930s, the age of the apartment building.  The nickel sink and tub fixtures are by Barber Wilsons.  In 1996, virtually everything was finished in chrome --no myriad choices like we have today -- so polished nickel was hard to find although it, too, was true to the 30s.

Jed Johnson's death sent shock waves through the interior design community.  He was a quiet, unassuming man with abundant talent and tireless dedication.  Although fluent in diverse periods and vernaculars (which he combined with ease and assurance), with which style was the Johnson/Wanzenberg team most often associated?   The answer in just a few short days.

Thanks for reading, eveyone!