Soiree in the Peacock Room

Through some wonderful twist of fate I happen to be friends with a most remarkable man, let's call him RAL. RAL was one the few who didn't see the deteriorated rundown state of Park Slope's brownstones, he saw Victorian splendore. What was once a luscious brownstone had become a rooming house with wall mounted sinks and shared bathrooms...but,thanks to RAL, was about to be revived and returned to its original glory. One painstakingly stripped piece of molding; one hand screened sheet off William Morris wallpaper; one antique light chandelier and sconce; one repaired and reproduced piece of stained glass and one polychromed paint scheme at a time. He lead the charge against local banks to discontinue redlining the neighborhood and refusing to finance home purchases of these magnificent homes. Thanks to RAL and his crowd, I and thousands of others were able to purchases homes in this and other Brooklyn neighborhoods.

This afternoon he and his lovely wife had a "Beat the Winter Doldrums" cocktail party in this magnificent home where I wandered about and in-between chatting, meeting new people and nibbling...okay...and having a glass or two of wine, I took photos of the interior architectural elements, art and sculpture...knowing that no matter what I took a photo of, it would not relay the story of the amazing effect this home has on anyone who visits it. But this photo comes the closest...the drama of light hitting the sculptures, the stained glass panel with the peacock, the vibrant colors of the vase and flowers, the green of the house plant and the "bare" tree that grows in Brooklyn, which is seen through the window. If you look closely you can see the hand-painted peacocks that wrap the room. Each one slightly different than the other.

Enjoy!