By Danny
Image above: Jonathan AdlerIt's sad, I know. But Hollywood Regency decor is totally over. How did this happen? I have a soft spot for Hollywood Regency decor because when Simone and I first moved to L.A. we'd scour the flea markets and thrift stores finding cool things, never realizing that they were HR---so I feel like I stumbled upon it naturally. Of course, not having much money at the time (or now!) I was never really able to fully enjoy it. Now places like Target and West Elm have completely bastardized what was once fun and glamorous. Could it really be over?
Image above: West ElmMore on Hollywood Regency after the jump...
Or is it just going through a transition? With Jonathan Adler and Kelly Wearstler skyrocketing to stardom, and all-things Mid-Century being the current rage, is it really a surprise that HR decor is everywhere? My original love for the decor came with the appreciation of the fun and glamorous way in which Regency revival furniture was mixed with more mid-century modernist lines and exotic Asiana.
Image above: TargetIt was an old throw back to good ol' Hollywood! But now, with West Elm and Target selling cheap knock-offs, I'm afraid that the decor will hit mainstream culture without any reference to the originals. If anything, I think what I've learned from HR is that the mixture of styles can be glamorous and exciting, but I'm sort off perplexed at where the decor could possibly go?
What have you enjoyed about Hollywood Regency Decor? Have an idea as to where it's heading next? Leave us a comment and let us know!
11 comments:
Why do you say it's "totally over?" The whole point of modernism was to bring style to the suburbs. And Hollywood Regent is the epitome of kitsch – how can someone take a six foot ceramic giraffe so to heart? I hate that, "we knew it first" attitude. If you like it, you like it. Is your taste so ephemeral that it's swayed by the general public? Do people who shop Target deserve less fun and glamour than you do?
People with real style can find interesting pieces anywhere, from yard sales to Cost Co. People who don't will always depend upon a big price tag or a designer's name to tell them whether they have taste or not.
Stop being such a snob and relax.
Perhapse this style is simply over for you and you only. But it is not your place to say it is over for others
Who says Hollywood Regency Is over? How sad to think that you can only like a particular style because it is "IN". I say it is popular because my "Baby Boomer" generation is now in a position to purchase and live in the Hollywood Regency style. Who wants to live with todays trends:Faux-Mediteranian McMansions,Piecings and Tatoos,Wining Rock Music,Hip-Hop,Anti-Glamour. It SUCKS,and so do people who decide what is "IN".Get a life and just enjoy what you like,even if it is tacky.
Hey everyone thanks for the comments!
It seems like the three of you have misunderstood this post. I'm really interested in how the style can evolve now that major manufacturers are appropriating elements of the design.
The thing that I'm worried about is that by appropriating single elements of Hollywood Regency, say Asiana for instance, or say mirrored surfaces, the original historical references to the design are lost.
What ends up happening is that the design turns into a bad xerox copy, of a copy, of a copy. It becomes a cookie cutter cliche. It becomes predictable and formulaic. Asian statue here. Faux bamboo mirror there. Georgian occasional chair here, and voila!
I'm not upset that it's "in". In fact quite the oppposite. If Hollywood Regency was popular in it's original state, with historical references in tact, I'd be a happy boy! But unfortunately that's not really whats happening.
I appreciate the comments. Hope this clarifies!
hey danny,
do you know about william haines?
http://www.williamhaines.com/
i'm working on a window display for work that is billy haines inspired. apparently he was kind of the forefather of HR.
-taylor
I, like you, live in LA, love going to thrift stores, and just this week found out that there was a name for the style I like. I've always loved Asian antiques, gilt mirrors, & old Hollywood glamour, and yet wanted to keep clean lines and a relatively modern look. I just learned there was a school of decorating that summed this up. That realization has not sent me to Target but back to the flea market and Craigslist. Now I just know what it is that I am looking for and have had the help of some bloggers to tell me what pulls the look together. I do shop at Target occasionally and would get decor items there if I happened to like something, but to me the point of this look is oppulent and antique, with a bit of Gloria Swanson faded glory - that can never be cheaply reproduced. There is simply not going to be something that looks as good as a time tested original out there, and it is usually cheaper to get a good deal on a real vintage piece than to buy a knockoff.
I moved to LA a year ago and to me Hollywood Regency sums up LA so well... there is a feel that you get whenever you go into an antique store in Silverlake - the Murano vases, the gilt mirrors, the boxy mid-century chairs, the glass coffee tables... I've been trying to figure out what I love so much about that and how to tie the pieces I have together and get that feeling, and this is it for me!
Where is it going? To me, Hollywood Regency is great because it can be put together with inexpensive, good quality thrift store & flea market finds, mixed in with your Crate and Barrel and topped off with luxurious glass vases and overgrown potted plants, vibrant throw pillows, etc. Of course there will be knockoffs with anything that becomes even marginally popular... But true modern furniture is always going to look better than what you get at Ikea and the same is true here. The fads will not be in style in a couple years but anything well made and beautiful will always be in style. Cheers from another young LA resident who has discovered the joys of Hollywood Regency on my own.
Hi Danny,
I think anyone passionate about design, be it fashion or home decor and who understands the origins of the trends within each will become a bit saddened when they see it changed, cheapened or unappreciated by untrained eyes. I have been in the style business (upscale decor, high fashion) for over 20 years and I have to remind myself that it's all about buying what you love when you decorate your home. I have never assembled anything in my home to mimick a look or trend, but apply the elements of design. If Oscar delaRenta worried about every tacky variation of Roman Luxe, he would have redone his home instead of patiently assembling items he loved over time and allowing the evolving result speak for itself. What I hate is when someone who has no idea what they like rushes out and buys what they think they are supposed to.....YUCK......read more on my blog...www.decorhate.com.
Thanks for writing your views and for your passion.
Get over yourself.
To decorhate: why worry yourself so much about what or why a person is purchasing anything. YOUR love and appreciate for decor should be enough. I could care less about what Jane Smith has in her home or why she put it there.
I just discovered the hollywood regency style.. knew about the elements but never knew they alltogether were HR. I am loving it! I don't mind if its over or out for others.. for me it is just IN. Like my new love for the Hollywood Golden Era.. like one of the prior commentators said.. 'your love for the decor should be enough'.. and quite frankly my dear I don't give a damn.. if others like it or not :)
Personally, I am thrilled to see -any- cool style whatsoever percolate into the mainstream. God knows we could use it, after years of toile, faux Tuscan, Dark Brown Overload, Pottery Barn nothingness, and the like.
Yes, it means lower quality repros, but how else can the average person afford it? There are only so many actual vintage pieces available, and items that are "to the trade only" are inaccessible to most.
Historically, there have been periods when style for the masses was fun, especially during the Art Deco and 50s-60s periods. In those days, even a regular person could walk into a local store and find something that had style to it. It'd be nice to see those days return.
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