Town & Country featured Southport in the July 1992 issue with the headline “Yankee Proud.” The article included several photos from legendary photographer Slim Aarons, including this photo of Albert Hadley, interior decorator to high society who had a weekend house in Southport.
Albert Hadley at his Southport home photographed by Slim Aarons (1991)
From homes for the Astors and Rockefellers to the Kennedy White House, the American firm Parish Hadley set the standard for interior design in the second half of the twentieth century. In an article for New England from the editors of Yankee Magazine, Jessica Gordon Ryan writes:
“What puts this small village on the map today is an annual event hosted by the Southport Congregational Church, “Rooms with a View,” started by interior designer Albert Hadley two decades ago. This premier design experience celebrates art, architecture and design in vignette form, reflecting a specific theme. The event, which takes place in the middle of November, has showcased some of our country’s top design talents and personalities.”
This year marks 29 years of Rooms with a View. Its predecessor, the Southport Antiques Show, was the church’s long-running fundraiser. In 1993, a committee was formed to develop a new concept.
Rooms with a View emerged as a decorator’s show house with small concept rooms featuring interior design known as vignettes. The event became a place to explore innovative ideas, connect with designers, and find sources for furnishings, fixtures, paint, and art.
Book signing by Cathy Purple Cherry on Saturday, November 9th
Albert Hadley was a member of Southport Congregational Church. From 1993 until his passing in 2012, Hadley served as the honorary chairman and design director for Rooms with a View. In 2003, Hadley took a rising star in the design world, Parker Rogers of Parker & Company Designs, under his wing:
With a style he terms ‘Contemporary Prep’, Parker has created classically tailored designs in the coastal locations of Southport, CT, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Palm Beach as well as all over Fairfield County.
In collaboration with Lattice House, a beloved home décor store owned by Christopher Phillip, the event continues to thrive. Parker and Christopher are the main organizers of the annual event, a fixture on the Southport annual social calendar.
Book signing by Michael Diaz Griffith on Saturday, November 9th
More than 300 show house vignettes, each measuring 6’x8’, have been featured over the years. The variety of vignettes has been remarkable:
“There has been an artist’s garret… a gentleman’s office at the beach…. a countryside terrace celebrating the first harvest… a Park Avenue houseboat (in a nod to global warming), a French music salon…a study featuring Mary Tyler Moore’s tarot collection….a meditation room that subtly changed colors as you passed it….even a high-ceilinged private chapel.”
Rooms with a View has been described as “a virtual Who’s Who of interior designers.” The show has raised over $2.0 million dollars to support a host of local charities.
Shop ten vendors – all proceeds go to charity
The opening party for Rooms With a View will take place on Thursday, November 7th at 6:30 PM. The general show runs from Friday, November 8th to Sunday, November 10th.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit:
So he should do something similar in every state? So he should write about events he has never experienced? Sorry for my disagreeable response to your disagreeable response.
Thank you for your support. Like everyone, I do draw upon local experiences for inspiration. At the same time, I strive to cover topics that have broader appeal.
I understand that this particular article will be of interest primarily for people who live in Connecticut and the general vicinity of New York City. I hope that there are other aspects of the article which will have broader interest beyond the local area.
My grandparents lived in Fairfield and as kids we would often visit Southport and mooch around town with the dog. There was (still is?) a little green adjacent to the yacht club where we liked to sit. Love that photo of Hadley.
Thank you for sharing your recollections. Southport is a very charming coastal town and the green near Pequot Yacht Club is picturesque. The photo of Albert Hadley by Slim Aarons is iconic. He exemplifies Ivy Style.
Tim, thank you for your commentary. I took a course taught by Professor Ned Cooke at Yale University titled “The American Interior.” We discussed New England values and how they have been reflected throughout history in terms of architectural styles and interiors for American homes. Here is more information about the professor and the course:
Nice article, but how many of us live in Connecticut??
So he should do something similar in every state? So he should write about events he has never experienced? Sorry for my disagreeable response to your disagreeable response.
Hi whiskeydent, I don’t have anything against writing about one’s area at all, simply wish for more variety in the editorial.
Thank you for your support. Like everyone, I do draw upon local experiences for inspiration. At the same time, I strive to cover topics that have broader appeal.
I understand that this particular article will be of interest primarily for people who live in Connecticut and the general vicinity of New York City. I hope that there are other aspects of the article which will have broader interest beyond the local area.
My grandparents lived in Fairfield and as kids we would often visit Southport and mooch around town with the dog. There was (still is?) a little green adjacent to the yacht club where we liked to sit. Love that photo of Hadley.
Thank you for sharing your recollections. Southport is a very charming coastal town and the green near Pequot Yacht Club is picturesque. The photo of Albert Hadley by Slim Aarons is iconic. He exemplifies Ivy Style.
I find the notion of interior design at odds with both the ivy sensibility and New England values in general.
Tim, thank you for your commentary. I took a course taught by Professor Ned Cooke at Yale University titled “The American Interior.” We discussed New England values and how they have been reflected throughout history in terms of architectural styles and interiors for American homes. Here is more information about the professor and the course:
https://arthistory.yale.edu/people/edward-cooke
https://katiecolford.com/tracingtheinterior.html