New at Old York
Show House Lecture Series boasts exceptional guests
By Jennifer L. Saunders
Mario Buatta — affectionately known as "The Prince of Chintz" - and HGTV’s own Paul Tukey are just two of the special guests taking part in this year’s Decorator Show House Lecture Series.
Courtesy photos
YORK HARBOR - While the 18th Annual Old York Historical Society Decorator Show House will not be open for public tours until later this month, plans are already set for a lecture series that organizers promise will feature entertaining and informative speakers who are experts in their fields.
This year, the Decorator Show House is Mayfair, a circa 1903 estate in York Harbor that was built by renowned silversmith of the time, H. Blanchard Dominick of New York City.
As part of this summer-long benefit for the Old York Historical Society, which features public tours of the Show House beginning July 14, Old York is also sponsoring a cocktail reception and luncheon lecture series.
On July 23, internationally acclaimed interior designer Mario Buatta will present an informal lecture and slide show featuring houses he has decorated for some very famous names - including Malcolm Forbes, Henry Ford II, Mariah Carey, Billy Joel and Barbara Walters - as well as the Blair House, which is the official White House guest house in Washington, D.C. The event will be held at the York Golf and Tennis Old Clubhouse on Organug Road.
Buatta, who is affectionately known as "The Prince of Chintz," studied at Cooper Union in New York and Parsons School of Design in Europe. After an apprenticeship at B. Altman & Co., he worked with Elisabeth Draper, Inc., before establishing his own firm.
His commercial design contracts include the executive offices of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and the decoration and design of the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum Galleries in Delaware. He has dubbed his style and attention to details as "the undecorated look."
Cocktail hour for Buatta's presentation will begin at 5 p.m. with the slide lecture following from 6 to 7 p.m. The cost is $50 per person, which includes the lecture, hors d'oeuvres and Decorator Show House admission.
The three luncheon lectures will be equally entertaining and informative, according to organizers of this year's event.
On July 25, Barbara McLean Ward, Ph.D., will present a slide-talk with a special connection to the Show House: the prevailing taste in American silver between 1860 and 1930. She will discuss the success of the silver industry during this time period and show examples of work by Mayfair's original owner as well as silver from Reed & Barton, Gorham and Tiffany.
Ward is curator of the Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden in Portsmouth, N.H., and a member of the museum studies faculty at Tufts University.
On Aug. 1, Paul Tukey, the well-known host of the HGTV gardening program "People, Places & Plants," will demonstrate how and why to create landscapes without the use of toxic products.
Tukey has many years of experience in both journalism and gardening - as is showcased in his magazine, also named "People, Places & Plants" - and he is the author of "The Organic Lawn Care Manual." A book signing will follow the lecture.
On Aug. 8, the talk will turn to fashion as Julie Cunningham, owner of Julie Cunningham Color, a personal image and color analysis company in Portland, divulges the art of dressing well.
With the help of a group of models showcasing the latest fashions from Talbot's in Kennebunk, Cunningham will teach the best way to put yourself together from head to toe, including how to flatter your figure by camouflage dressing, balancing problem areas and determining your style type. Cunningham has more than 20 years of experience and, in addition to her personal clients, trains consultants nationwide in all facets of image consulting, using her own image systems.
All of the luncheons will take place at 11:30 a.m. at the Stage Neck Inn in York Harbor. Tickets are $45 each and include the lunch and lecture as well as Decorator Show House admission.
Call 363-4974 for tickets and directions for any of the lecture series events.
Mayfair, which will feature more than 24 rooms and spaces decorated by designers from across New England, opens to the public beginning Saturday, July 14. Tickets are $20 each and are available at the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce and at the door.
See the July 11 edition of The Independent for a special preview look at Mayfair.
