From the archive: Cecil Beaton's Flat (1950)
2017 marks 70 years since House & Garden magazine first hit the news stands as the quarterly 'Vogue House & Garden Book', bound to its sister magazine with a silk ribbon. As part of a series of articles delving in to the magazine's history we revisit our 1950 feature on the now legendary British photographer Cecil Beaton's minature London flat, decorated with characteristic verve and style
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In this miniature apartment, Cecil Beaton poses clashing colours against absolute black and white. The small Edwardian sitting-room, has carmine flock wallpaper, with a lavish Empire __design of swans and cornucopias, its colour being almost that of the carnations massed between gilt candlesticks. It is furnished with French pieces and the upholstery is in regal blue velvet. Beyond, in startling contrast, is a tiny hall with a black and white chequer-board floor and striped grey and white walls. The carmine carpeted stairs match the wallpaper in the sitting-room and have brass banisters. Handpainted playing cards are framed up on the walls, over a pair of silver-mounted horn cups on a lacquer cabinet. The dado of the staircase, has been painted to resemble marble, giving a richly architectural look.
The bedroom, above, is decorated only in black and white; its curtains and the hangings of the big four-poster bed, with their white fringe, match the pattern of the wallpaper exactly. The carpet is plain black. Mr. Beaton, in this stimulating example of individual decoration, makes powerful play with pattern - pitting __design against design, and creating contrast with vivid colour against black and white.
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