An elegant Newport evening fit for a lord

A Monday night reception at the Lido Isle residence of Marion and

Roger Palley welcomed a chic contingent of men and women supporting

the Decorative Arts Society and its beneficiary, New Directions for

Women.

The stylish Marion Palley, a designer with refined classic taste,

opened her family residence in honor of Lord James Crathorne and his

wife, Lady Sylvia, who had come to Newport Beach from London to

address the crowd on the state of the art market.

Lord and Lady Crathorne flew in from the San Francisco Bay Area,

en route from their home in England, after spending a few days

exploring the Napa Valley.

The handsome British couple shared Chardonnay with Newporters

including Sandra Ayres, chairwoman of the Decorative Arts Society,

and her husband, Don. The Ayres family, residents of Newport Heights,

have finished the creation of an English regency residence with

Palladian influence, overlooking Cliff Drive Park and the Newport

Bay.

Pat and Carl Neisser, longtime friends of Lord and Lady Crathorne,

dropped in at the Palley party to catch up with their friends who are

also very prominent in the travel and hotel industry in Europe. Pat

Neisser is our Newport Beach-based world travel writer and

photographer.

Marion Palley introduced the crowd to the young and handsome

couple Cher and Ken Beall, residents of Pelican Point, living in a

Marion Palley-designed oceanfront villa. The Bealls chatted with

antique dealer Tom Stansbury and designer Ann Dennis, escorted by her

husband, Bill.

Fine furniture purveyors Jim and Barbara Glabman were on hand for

the reception, joining Linda Isle’s Joan Sammis, Cecilia Nott, Mary

Mano, Hyla and Richard Bertea, Janet Ayres, Randa Phair and Meredith

Graves-Foreman.

The Palleys’ setting was an exceptional backdrop for the reception

recognizing the renowned Lord Crathorne.

In warm and gracious style, the ladies of the Decorative Arts

Society joined with Marion Palley in providing a delectable spread of

appetizers served by Marion’s staff. From the Palley gumbo to

overflowing silver platters of fresh shellfish to hors d’oeuvres of

every variety, there was plenty of nibbling going on.

The some 100 invited guests flowed in and out of the home,

wandering the petite English garden filled with white blossoms,

splashing fountains and trimmed privet hedges lining stone pathways

leading to romantic hideaways graced with Australian tree ferns and

gardenias awaiting spring bloom.

The Decorative Arts Society is an organization of women and men

involved with or just passionate about the genre of design and decor.

Many of the members are very directly involved in the business of

interior design, and many more make it an important part of their

daily life.

The Society sponsors annual lectures bringing to the community

many of the most influential people in the decorative arts field.

Lord Crathorne addressed the Newport-Mesa audience the next morning,

filling a Newport Center Drive theater to capacity. All funds raised

from these Decorative Arts Society adventures support the alcohol and

drug dependency recovery programs for women in this community,

through the work of New Directions.

Also on hand for the fun were Nancy DeYoung, James and Jamie

Sheperdson of Bayshores, Bonnie McClellan, Roger and Margaret Nord,

Maureen Ramer, Carolyn Garrett and Mary Anna Jeppe.

* THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.