charlotte moss, house & garden september 2004
09.9.2010 
The cover of the September 2004 issue of House & Garden, featuring Charlotte Moss’ hand-painted de Gournay curtains, rivals Chloe Sevigny’s January 2007 issue for the title of “most beautiful cover.” Flipping through the pages of Charlotte’s September 2004 editorial is such a treat… like a box of pastel Ladurée macaroons for the eyes. While Moss’ taste are a tad more opulent than my own, I can’t get enough of her guest suite (swathed entirely in Scalamandré's Les Fraises Sauvages) and her feminine dressing room. Of her dressing room, Gregory Cerio writes, “One wall is covered with reference books, the others with fashion sketches and a stunning collection of photographs. All are of women, and great, glorious, and infamous women at that: Coco Chanel, Grace Kelly, Elise de Wolfe, Babe Paley, Josephine Baker, the Duchess of Windsor, and even Tina Turner. One could spend an entire afternoon gazing at these images, and Moss sometimes does. ‘They inspire me so much, in a way I can’t explain,' she says. ‘I love the wild ones, the ones who went against the grain.’” Isn’t she fabulous? I’d love to interview her someday... In the meantime, I’m going to start working on my own wall of great, glorious and infamous women. I already have a few framed Life covers of Audrey Hepburn, Princess Margaret, Lee Radziwill and Jacqueline Kennedy. I’d love to add Fleur Cowles, Jane Birkin, Catherine Deneuve, Twiggy, Marisa Berenson, Iris Apfel, Jean Seberg, Elsa Schiaparelli, C.Z. Guest… the list could go on and on! It’ll be my next big project. Can’t wait to finish so I can take photos and show you :)
(photos by Simon Upton; scanned by moi)
Reader Comments (5)
Fallon, you're an inspiration. THANK YOU for having such an amazing eye and scanning these babies in. The library is to die for (the caption, "inviting clubby ambience"?! Precisely.) And the wall covered in photographs sets a new standard for frame arrangements - one that will be eclipsed only when you put the finishing touches on your own ;) XO missy hope you're having a great week!
What a fantastic home! I'm in love with the wallpaper in the dining room -- the detail of the citrus trees, it's so luxurious. And to have a dressing room filled with books and sketches is so glamorous. Thank you so much for sharing all of this.
Those wallpapers-my goodness! And I'm drooling over that amazing library. But I confess, my blog crush on you deepened dramatically when I saw who you'd include in your ladies wall of fame-Jane Birkin, Audrey Hepburn, Ms Kennedy...perfect!
Her china pattern makes the Duchess crazy. Thanks for the memories!
You are all so welcome! Isn't her de Gournay wallpaper incredible? Ooh, if only we were so chic as Charlotte Moss..