The Colorful Exuberance of Mario Buatta
s the world deals with the onslaught of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is hard to believe that not so many weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend the amazing Mario Buatta auction exhibition at Sotheby’s in New York. It seems a world away.
In these times where fear and darkness can seem to overwhelm us, I wanted to share with you some uplifting thoughts and images of this amazing sale. Mario had such a gift, and I feel it is useful and important to focus on the good and lovely at this challenging time here on earth.
I hope this blog brings you happiness and a little ray of sunshine as you are hunkered down at home!
As January closed, the late, great designer’s colorful world was displayed in all its beautiful, layered and chintzed glory.
What a visual treat! Display rooms of apricot, chartreuse and aubergine provided the backdrop for amazing furniture, antiques, art, needlepoint rugs, porcelain and more.
For Mario, more was definitely more.
This sale was maximalist heaven.
Optimistic Color
Mario was an optimist and he thought rooms should feel happy! How revolutionary!
He believed that color was a mood setter, and his design process centered around that philosophy. He would get a feeling for a room’s atmosphere, light and purpose.
Then he would select that all important inspirational fabric.
Famous as the “Prince of Chintz” he would then pull the paint color for the room from a dab of color in that fabric. He felt that rooms for day should be light and bright and rooms for night should be dark and dramatic.
Isn’t it funny how we can over complicate things when we start to decorate? I mean, it doesn’t get any simpler than that.
We can do this!
Mario’s basic belief in color took his furnishings to a whole new level. His rooms were filled with life, with energy. They were extroverted. Luxurious. Comfortable. Romantic.
Take Your Time
Mario was a collector at heart, and his rooms provided a backdrop for his wealthy clients to hold court in these settings. Rooms were an investment to him, and he likened decorating to master painters who would add to their composition one stroke of paint at a time, over a long period of time.
I love that thought. It makes me feel better about my unfinished home decor projects. It is just a work in progress.
Keep collecting what you love. Keep moving things around, tweaking and adjusting. Little additions and vignettes appear and change. We have a great opportunity to focus on making our environment more beautiful while we are stuck at home in quarantine. This is also a great sort of old school reminder from someone who believed a room is never really done. Whew, that’s a relief! Thanks Mario!
Mario was a passionate collector of blue and white porcelain, canine paintings, sets of painted chairs, black chinoiserie accent furniture, secretaries, and fabric, fabric, fabric.
Pairs of plant stands. Sets of china.
Over and over, I saw pairs and sets.
In a collected home, this provides an opportunity for symmetry on display, which is always a winner. Displaying collections for one’s own pleasure and sharing that with others is deeply rooted in his style. More great lessons from Mario.
Inspired by the design firm of Colefax and Fowler on his early trips to England, he brought the English Country Style to America and kicked it up a notch. (He was, after all, an Italian from Staten Island.) Timeless comfort and beauty, collected over the years and fearlessly displayed. With personality!
Pattern on Pattern
Mario brilliantly mastered the mix of pattern: not only with fabrics, but with painted furniture finishes, textured rugs and a mix of colors. He was playful and used that word to describe the visual pleasure revealed from mixing patterns. It was his greatest joy and talent, along with the ability to properly scale and arrange furniture.
Patina
Mario loved his things, and was perfectly comfortable with letting the things he loved show their age. I didn’t know this about him, and was charmed and surprised to see the worn patina on many of his items. I think this lends an additional emotional layer to his rooms. It evokes more timelessness and depth.
It isn’t enough that you love a room, it’s the fact that you have loved that room, the things in it, have used and enjoyed them for a long, long time.
It isn’t just about decorating, it’s about how deeply and well you live. Again, that is a particularly English philosophy.
I couldn’t agree more.
I came away from this sale chock full of ideas to make my home more cheerful, comfortable and luxurious. To add more layers. To bravely display the things I have collected. More color, please. More fabric. More pattern. More blue and white, always!
This is what we do my friends. We go out into the world, seek beauty, get inspired and get to it!
But for now, please stay safe in the warmth and comfort of home and the company of loved ones during this time. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected. We will get through it! Keep the faith.
Happy Hunting,
Pattie Jo
