Any Friend of Mr. Hadley’s…

Seems that organizing tear sheets is on many people’s resolution lists this year. I don’t make resolutions. It’s not that I couldn’t use a little spit and polish, but I’ve just spent a lot of time focusing on what needs to be fixed and I’m a bit too old for the grand gesture. Still, I’m messy by nature and I do have to focus to keep the piles at a manageable level. It’s not that I can’t find things, I can. But I do think the visual clutter is wearing over time and, well, we could all use a little zen.


So, I’m working on a little filing myself. Sorting and shifting and wondering what needs to be really handy, what can go into binders, and what can hit the external hard drive.

And while I wasn’t really going to do a top ten, I have to say, when I ran across this New York apartment by Brian McCarthy from the December 07 issue of Elle Decor, it made me a bit wistful. This was one of my favorites from last year.



For one thing, it had a lot of red, and I’ve had red coming on for a while now.

I don’t know that much about McCarthy, so I went poking around.

McCarthy’s living room courtesy of New York Social Diary.

Brian McCarthy worked as a personal assistant to Albert Hadley after graduating from Pratt, then eventually became a full-fledged designer for the firm. He adored working for Mr. Hadley and reports that he is “a gentleman,” which I believe to be the ultimate compliment.


You can certainly see that he’s been influenced by Hadley. I like a room that looks modern at first glance, but, upon dissection, reveals itself to be a fresh composition of classic pieces.

Mr. McCarthy, who started his own firm in 1991, is also very comfortable with color, which I admire.


The seamless addition of contemporary art shows finesse as well.

Wouldn’t it be a toss up to decide between the Gracie paper and the painted mural? It’s win/win with McCarthy. The leather upholstery on the chairs, below, is a chic and practical choice. Form and function.


I did not know if he could top that red lacquer dining room, but this leaves my mouth agape. I have a couple of pieces of vintage jewelry that are turquoise and gold and I love them. Who knew how well the combination would translate into an entire room. I’m looking forward to 2008. I can’t wait to see what Mr. McCarthy shows us next. A gentleman never disappoints.


Elle Decor images from www.pointclickhome.com, others courtesy of Mr. McCarthy’s web site.

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12 thoughts on “Any Friend of Mr. Hadley’s…

  1. It’s odd how similiar so many of our tastes are in this world. Every single image that you showed I have in my clipping files!!! When I saw that last image of the turquoise and gold room it literally took my breath away! I remember reading though that it took insane amounts of money to do that wall treatment though 🙁

  2. Mrs.B,
    You’re part of my morning ritual-coffee, newspapers, and Mrs. Blandings!
    I always read your posts with a smile on my face. Your blog reminds me of my favorite books and magazines. I hate when they end and wish there was more.
    Thanks so much for your fabulous blog. You’re a true delight.
    Penny

  3. Change – great minds, and all that. I will say, I’m not surprised at the expense. There is a lot of labor in that room. My guess is the ceiling is gold leaf which would be scaffolding, talent and time. The lacquer itself is no easy task – layer and layer and layer. And the fillet (what does one call that jazzy gold trim?) I was just discussing with the Peak of Chic not too long ago – I don’t even know how to find someone to do that. In each case, you would not want “Joe, I’ve never done this before, but I think I can, Workman.” It all adds up. At least we can sit back and enjoy it.

  4. I’m a HUGE fan of McCarthy. When you see his work, it’s no surprise that Mr. Hadley hired him!

  5. Patricia, you keep raising the bar with your posts. Turquoise, gold and zebra — what a fab mix.

  6. Drop dead gorgeous, I can only imagine that is exactly what that zebra must have done when he walked into that heavenly room. He must have thought he’d died and gone straight to heaven.

  7. I loved the Elle Decor Dec./I07 rooms too, and I remember the article mentioning that they went with patchwork hide instead of sisal. The fab turquoise room has patchwork hide, too. Any info on the practicality/durability of said covering? I am really thinking about stealing the idea….

  8. Reilly – while I cannot say for certain, my guess would be pretty durable. I did an ottoman for a client’s family room and she was worried about staining. I called Edelman (my leather of choice) and my rep said, “Cows don’t stain.” Good point. They don’t “wear out” much either. I would talk to the rep., but I bet it’s pretty durable. Even on my ottoman, which takes a lot of wear from the boys (but no food) the nap still looks new. Good luck! Send a pic if you do it – I’d love to see.

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