Our Second Print Edition is Available Now!
Our book, Edith Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens, A Life in Pictures has been so popular that we are nearly sold out of the first edition. But we wanted to make the second edition just as special for Little Edie fans, and have made our deluxe second print edition with a beautiful slip case.
Both the first and second editions of the book can be ordered online here. Each book is signed by the Eva Beale.
Grey Gardens Hydrangea Fabric
We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. We’ve been busy developing new products and working with wonderful showrooms and retail stores across the country that are carrying our Grey Gardens Hydrangea Fabric.
Available in Antique Linen and White, our Grey Gardens Hydrangea fabric is hand printed in the USA, on 100% Belgian Cotton linen for a luxurious look for the home. Completely fresh and unique, you will not find another fabric like this on the market.
Details:
Luxurious 100% Belgian Cotton Linen, hand printed in the USA.
Width: 50-1/2″
Horizontal Repeat: 25″
Vertical Repeat: 25″
Two colorways: Antique linen (above) and white linen (below)
$300/yard.
Grey Gardens Hydrange fabric is also available at these fine showrooms and retail stores:
Showrooms:
Kenneth McDonald Designs in Costa Mesa Ca
Keith McCoy in Los Angeles
Partridge Associates in San Francisco Ca
Southbay Design Center in San Jose Ca
B Berger in New York City New York and Dallas, Texas
Designsource in Hartford Connecticut
Design Concepts to the Trade Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Tulsa Design Concept Tulsa Oklahoma
AE Monroe Showroom, Beachwood, Ohio
Retail stores:
Summerhouse, Mill Valley Ca
The Design House , Southampton NY
Please also visit this fabulous blog at CotedeTexas for a truly wonderful overview of Grey Gardens style!
Grey Gardens Collections is featured in the Marin Independent Journal
This wonderful story appeared in the Marin Independent Journal recently:
Fine Living: Invite a socialite's aesthetics into your home
By PJ Bremier
IJ correspondent
THE LATE EDITH Bouvier Beale, or “Little Edie” as the world would come to know her, was a popular New York socialite and daring style icon of the 1920s and ’30s, not to mention one of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ most famous cousins.
Eva Marie Beale, though, knew her as the family showstopper. The Mill Valley resident first met “Little Edie,” the subject of two hit films and an inspiration to fashion designers and a legion of fans, at her wedding rehearsal dinner to Little Edie’s nephew, Bouvier Beale, in 1980.
“She was beyond all my expectations,” Beale recalls. “She was the life of the party. She spoke to all of the guests and was really extroverted. She loved stealing the show and was very good at it.”
Since then, Beale has published several books on her charming in-law: “Edith Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens, A Life in Pictures” (2008) and “I Only Mark the Hours That Shine: Little Edie’s Diary — 1929″ (2010). A new book of “Little Edie’s” poetry is due to be published this year.
Read the rest of the story here.
Eva Marie Beale of Mill Valley founded the Grey Gardens Collection, an online store selling wares such as these ironstone pieces that capture the aesthetics of her relative, the late socialite Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale.
Photo: E. Beale, Grey Gardens Collections
Eva Marie Beale of Mill Valley founded the Grey Gardens Collection, an online store selling wares such as this fabric that capture the aesthetics of her relative, the late socialite Edith ' Little Edie' Bouvier Beale.
Photo: E. Beale, Grey Gardens Collections
Eva Marie Beale of Mill Valley founded the Grey Gardens Collection, an online store selling wares such as this brooch that capture the aesthetics of her relative, the late socialite Edith ' Little Edie' Bouvier Beale.
Photo: E. Beale, Grey Gardens Collections
Grey Gardens | Little Edie Brooch
We are thrilled to share with you the “Little Edie” of Grey Gardens Brooch, made so famous by Little Edie in the documentary, Grey Gardens. Modeled from the original, the “Little Edie” of Grey Gardens brooch is a faithful replica of this now iconographic brooch! Learn more about this beautiful piece and bring it home today!
The brooch, a family heirloom, can be seen worn by Big Edie, in a photo dating back to 1938.
Sailboat Paintings
Summertime, sailboats, and sunsets! I suppose that is what started me on the sailboat painting collection. Spending summers in East Hampton and Amagansett, my eye wanders toward art that will remind me of those summer memories and how good it can be. Long Island is really a very special place in the summer – and now living in California – I can tell you that there is nothing like the summers on the east coast.
Here are a few of the paintings we have on Grey Gardens Collections – and each one has a different style.
The first painting is beautifully done and also framed in a heavy silver wooden frame. The colors are unusual and subdued and the style of the painting is slightly impressionistic. The painting is oil on board and is signed by the artist, which appears to be Florence Viccetti.
The painting above has a completely different look, but I was drawn to it because of the colors and style of the painting. This is a vintage painting – as you can see the style of boats in the picture and also the look of the painting. This artist, William Ward Jr. has signed the work. He died in 1935, so my hunch was right about this one being vintage. William Ward Jr. painted landscapes and seascapes and he is listed for his works.
The frame is simple - but charming. Again – slightly impressionistic style – and the colors are great.
The painting below appears to be a very old painting perhaps done in Morocco or the islands somewhere. Hard to say – but the colors are really alive – and beautiful. The sails have deep red and blue from the sunset. This artist signed the painting “Loraine.” There is no date but it is a vintage piece.
The next painting is European - and has a completely different style than the ones above. This is a Renaissance style painting – and it is well done. Original frame with some wear – but this one has the gallery look! I am sure at Grey Gardens – in the 1920’s one could imagine art work like these in one of the rooms!
Decorating with artwork is amazing – you can really create a great look.
Grey Gardens Dinner Party
Grey Gardens dinner parties back in the late 1920s must have been fabulous. When things were at their best at Grey Gardens you can be sure they had the highest quality china, silver and table linens. One of my passions is collecting beautiful dishes to mix and match, inspired by tales of parties at Grey Gardens.
On September 14, 1929 Edie wrote about “Mother’s party” in her diary I Only Mark the Hours that Shine (recently published and available at amazon.com ), and one can imagine the fine table settings, and how things looked at Grey Gardens set up for the dinner with 18 guests!
Grey Gardens Style Table Setting
Look closely at the linens – beautiful off-white antique linens with Edie’s initials: EB!
The plates are a display of beautiful flowers – tulips, roses, and dahlia’s – with a pink and gold trim. They are of the finest – on the back it is marked “P.T. Bavaria Tirschenreuth, Decorated in Own Studios” – these are rare and beautiful and in perfect condition. They are hand painted and really have a great look.
You can mix and match and really make your table sensational. For example, these dishes are really high quality porcelain and mixed with the country style ironstone works! It really has a nice look. Start collecting ironstone as you find a piece you like and mix it with some of your favorite china. Eventually you will end up with a great collection!
Now I have added a French pattern “Luneville” to the table and mixing with the ironstone is very appealing. The old wicker basket painted in “Grey Gardens Green” brings color to the table and it works!
Table Setting featuring plates with French "Luneville" pattern.
- Eva
Collecting Grey Gardens Style: White Ironstone
As I began putting together the concept for Grey Gardens Collections one of the first items that came to mind to talk about was white ironstone. For those of you who are not familiar with white ironstone — ironstone is china that was first made and patented in Staffordshire England in 1813. It was harder than earthenware and stronger than porcelain. In 1842, James Edwards marketed the first white ironstone china in America and it has been very popular ever since.
I first noticed ironstone at an antiques show in East Hampton. I remember walking by Martha Stewart just after I had been admiring the beautiful ironstone collection at a dealer’s booth. I bought my first piece about 20 years ago at a large flea market and the vendor told me she was born and raised in East Hampton, and I immediately connected the ironstone with the original Grey Gardens house. Knowing that during the 1920s and 1930s, Edie and her family had the best of everything, I could picture ironstone on the table at the Beales’ home at Grey Gardens back in the early days.
I have been collecting for years since and I get great use out of my collection on a daily basis. Ironstone is so utilitarian as it is very sturdy and only comes in one color — white. I think that the simplicity of these white plates, platters, pitchers, and tureens is the reason why so many people love to collect it. You can always spot ironstone, and the older the pieces, the better. The older ironstone from the late 1800’s has a very slight blue tint and you can tell the older from the newer by this characteristic.
You will find different markings on the bottom of the ironstone. Some are so old and the stamp has worn away – but very often it can stilll be recognized. I recently contacted the White Ironstone Association at www.whiteironstonechina.com, as I was curious to know what certain markings meant. (You can go to the website or call 203-938-3740 and learn about your pieces.) I called about a recent purchase – a soup tureen and was pleased to learn the details about it – the markings when compared to a chart revealed the date it was created and the name of the pattern.
Decorating is easy with ironstone and there are many ways to use it. One of my favorite decorating ideas for a dinner party or event — or just everyday use – is to fill an ironstone pitcher with any kind of floral bouquet. Or take a pedestal bowl or a tureen without the top and fill it with seashells or lemons or any other decoration. Your guests will take notice without a doubt!
We have a wonderful selection of ironstone at Grey Gardens Collections, including a perfect soup tureen with the ladle and cover. There is not a single chip anywhere and it is in pristine condition. Coffee pots and vegetable bowls are also become available, and I post them as I find them.
Ironstone goes with everything — and the best part is that you can use these different pieces very often. The displays you can make with ironstone will add to your style — just as you see these in photos – ironstone stands out from the ordinary china.
Ironstone Collection courtesy of Country Living Magazine
