The Kenneth Salon : A Billy Baldwin Blowout

An artists rendering of Kenneth's Salon.
Exotic elegance.

Being a guy, my Salon experiences have been limited to waiting in the lobby of Marcia's Country Lady (the Salon my Mom went to) when I was 8 and doing my homework.  It was papered in a blue and white stripe with little flower garlands, the sofas were a matching Federal blue, and the occassional tables were oak with cabriole legs and leaded glass insets in the top.  There were prints of country cottages, Battenburg valances, and the receptionist operated out of an oak roll top desk.   It was very comfortable and homey, not especially striking or overwhelmingly dramatic, but it was memorable.  If anything, Salons have become all but anonymous today, with slick, severe, minimalist interiors and a concern for turn over rather than comfort or even glamour.  While they may provide a great cut or color, many leave something to be desired when it comes to high style.



An artist rendering of the Manicure and Hairdryer stations.
Campaigne stools!  Leopard covered Rattan!  Turkish footstools!
The chandelier and tented ceiling and walls, a Baldwin hallmark,
caps off the decadent fantasy.


Imagine, if you will, the smile that bloomed across my face when in my readings I happened upon the Kenneth Salon in New York, which was decorated by the incomprable Billy Baldwin; decorator to Babe Paley, Jackie O., and Diana Vreeland, to name a few.  Kenneth, hair dresser to Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe ( you can bet the bookings were carefully monitored there) opened his own salon in 1963 in a townhouse on 54th Street that was previously owned by the Vanderbilts, after winning the Coty award for his work in the industry.

Parquet flooring, an opulent tufted velvet pouf, bamboo chairs & vanities,
tasseled cornices, trellis papered walls and ceiling and some very modern
drum pendants creates an exotic oasis in the city.

Baldwin created a stunning Salon inspired by Brighton Pavillion, a Regency era confection.  Striped awnings, wrought iron doors, exotic furnishings, exuberant color, and pattern upon pattern filled the space.  To the devoted Kenneth clientele, this must have appeared as a temple of beauty, somewhere to spend an afternoon being pampered with your closest friends, somewhere you'd never want to leave.  Salons today should take note, and then call a Decorator.  Hint.  Hint.

- Ian 



Great Design is in the details.  Here we see the combinations
of patterns withBamboo trellis paper contrasting in scale and mood
with a scattered floral garland paper.  The vanities are also a masterpiece
of design done in ivory and orange lacquer with coordinating orange mirrors.
The buffet lamps in a Palm tree style are just plain elegant.



The building Kenneth occupied was Renaissance Revival, and it's
Calssical details are seen in this vestibule.  Roman arches, Corinthian Coumnls, etc.
I am in love with the opulence of those chairs.  Nestled up to the dome dryers,
they are infinitely more elegant than the typical Naugahyde chairs.  How could a person,
whether staff member or client, not feel like a million bucks in this interior?
Beautiful spaces really do shape our mood and mindset.

A sconce from the Salon.  How incredibly elegant!  I love the way the
Rococo arms compliment the curves in the Paisley wallpaper.
Baldwin was a huge advocate of wallpaper; Baldwin and his close friend Woodson Taulbee,
founded Woodson Wallpapers when Baldwin was dissatisfied with the papers
he was seeing in the market. 

Flying My Freak Flag - The Introduction to Mrs. Kennedy.

It's now official.  I am 'that guy'.  I'm 'that guy' who sings along to whatever is on his ipod with no concern for his dignity.  At the gym.  On an elliptical. 

I will say, in my defense, that I only lip sync, and head and arm movements in the style of Beyonce, Usher, or any other artist I choose to goof to, male or female, are limited to times when there is no one around me or when I am at the back of the room and no one can see me directly.  But, the fact of the matter is, I am 'that guy', and there is Security footage to prove it.

You could say I have a freak flag that I am not afraid to fly.  I was once, sadly, without one.  When I was younger, I used to be almost paralyzed with thoughts of what someone would think of me if I did something I thought was out of sync with the collective societies approval.  Oh the embarrassment of being dropped off at the mall by my Dad in his big yellow Chevrolet that sounded like a wheat thrasher! (but then you realize how lucky you are to have a ride at all).  Oh the humanity of not getting those shoes that everyone has! (how lucky I was to even get new shoes at all). There comes a point in your life where you stop caring so much about what people you don't know think about you, you get out of your own way, and you start focusing on more important things that make you happy.  Given that I can hold my own with a rousing renditions of 'Single Ladies' and '9 to 5', I'd say I'm obviously at that point.
 

President and Mrs. Kennedy, with guests, at the first State
Dinner they hosted.

Over the course of my career as a Designer and an Educator, I have stumbled upon some amazing personalities; true icons of style.  People who have done nothing but fly their freak flags high and proud, and it's their brazen individuality and flagrant nose-thumbing that has cemented their positions in history.  Because I love trivia and people of style, chiming in with random bits of information that will hopefully inspire you to be nothing but who you are seems like a good idea. 

So, for our first jaunt into quirky and stylish history, we have a bite sized morsel about Jackie Kennedy.  The epitome of style and culture during the 1960's and throughout her life, Jackie was not without her sly twists.  During her relatively short time as First Lady, she hosted quite a few State Dinners.  Beautiful antique china and crystal was used, and of course delicious meals were served.  But Jackie wanted to keep the magic of the evening exclusive to the White House.  When a guest requested a specific recipe that was served that night, Mrs. Kennedy obliged graciously as any good hostess would, but not before tweaking the ingredient list just enough to make the dish fall flat when the guest tried to make it for themselves!  She'd increase the salt or or onion or remove an ingredient entirely, keeping the magic of the meal wrapped tightly in White House mystique.

- Ian

Jackie photographed during her 1962 televised tour of the newly refurbished
Executive mansion.  Mrs. Kennedy did an incredible service to the home
by restoring its historic interiors.



Just because I love this photo.  Jackie the socialite
before a beautiful Japanese screen in the 1950's.