Syrie-ous Glamour! Syrie Maugham all white rooms.

Syrie Maugham designed her first all white room in 1927, near  the end of the Victorian era when rooms were small, dark and cluttered. She cleaned up the clutter , used all white  colors with mirrored folding screens, shagreen covered tables, pickled woods,  crackled and lacquered finishes; she revolutionized interior decorating and defined the glamour and luxury of the 1030′s.

She was one of the first decorators to strip down and re-finish charming antique furniture pieces, that had little value, in pickled , painted and lacquered finishes giving them a lighter more modern appeal.

Syrie had a penchant for geometric patterned area rugs that she used to ground her rooms and add another layer of texture. As you know, playing texture against texture is so important in a tone on tone interior ; she was a master at this.

Bushy moss fringe, plaster work floor lamps in the shape of palm trees, Dolphin table bases, fur carpets, white leather dining chairs and white velum covered books are just a few of the hallmarks that define the glamour of the Syrie Maugham white on white rooms. 

She has had a lasting influence on many designers since that time including one of my favorites, the notable California designer, Michael Taylor. I look at rooms he designed decades ago and they still look current and timeless today! His rooms combined neutral tone on tone colors with fabulous organic shapes and materials; exotic, glamorous, luxurious and most importantly, comfortable! Syrie-ous glamour indeed!