My mom started working as an interior designer in the late 1980′s in New York City. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree from Barnard and a Certificate in Interior Design from Parsons, she put on her shiny patent leather pumps (according to mom, de rigueur at the time for her occupation), and landed a position at the very high end interior design firm, Cullman and Kravis. Those were good years to be an interior designer, as there was plenty of work and budgets were big. Cullman & Kravis’ biggest rival in the mid-80′s was Parish-Hadley Associates, run by partners Albert Hadley and Sister Parish. When we learned that Sotheby’s New York was holding an auction of some of Albert Hadley’s personal pieces, we couldn’t wait to check it out. The sale contains the contents of his office and Queens warehouse, plus a few odd pieces from his apartment. Below are a few of our favorite pieces from today’s preview. If you’re in NYC, check out the auction this afternoon (Weds, March 30th). It’s open to the public. The sculpture below is one of the most unusual pieces for sale. It’s a 20th century piece with a Lucite base.
A Trompe L’oeil painted drapery valence designed for the Hadley home in Nashville, Tennessee. This is sure to become a piece of art in its new owner’s home.
A white composite mirror in the style of Serge Roche, a French designer from the 1930′s who competed with Elsie de Wolfe and Syrie Maugham. We purchased a mirror modeled after it recently for a client. How very Hadley-esque of us! 
A pair of wooden cacti–not sure what to say about these, except that they’re fabulous!
Several drawings by Mr. Hadley showing various rooms he decorated for clients. During the peak of the Parish-Hadley years, these sketches, and even more sophisticated renderings, were prepared for clients so that they could easily envision the final results of the project.
These sketches are very special as they were drawn by the esteemed designer himself. It’ll be interesting to see how much they sell for. More after the jump!
This plaster and glass, small circular table is also in the style of Serge Roche. A piece so original that it could enliven any room.
This large mahogany desk was one of the finest pieces from the preview. Art Deco in style, we wonder what it was used for. His desk, perhaps? A conference table? A place to lay out fabric samples and finishes when specifying his projects?
The legs are completely original. Mixing the finest materials with interesting architectural details is the hallmark of great pieces. Mr. Hadley’s impeccable taste is found in every choice he made.
We were so glad to have made the preview. Today, the auction! For more details about the auction go to www.sotheby’s.com. We’ll be live tweeting from the auction, so stay tuned!
