Saturday, May 25, 2013

Reggie Revealed . . .

"Who is that man behind the curtain?

Wait a second—could that be Reggie Darling at the controls?
Image courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

"Is his name really Reggie Darling?  What kind of name is that?

"And who is this Boy Fenwick person?  And that adorable pug that Reggie sometimes shows on his blog—is his name really Pompey?

I suspect they'd be able to figure out who Reggie really is pretty quickly . . .
Image courtesy of CBS Television

"Where is Darlington House?  Is that its actual name?  Who names their houses, anyway?  Why is it that they never show full rooms, only vignettes?  Do you think they even live there?

"And all those stories about Reggie's family, do you think they really happened?

Same with this crew.  I'll bet that Reggie couldn't fool them, either!
Image courtesy of CBS Television

"How much of this stuff is made up?

"I can't find out anything about these guys when I Google them.  That's pretty strange, I think.  You can almost always find something about someone these days with a simple Internet search.  Not these two, though.  Except that blog—there are lots of links to that . . . but not to them.

"It all sounds kind of fishy to me . . ."

Well, Dear Reader, it has come time for me to answer some of these questions.  For, you see, Reggie has been revealed.  There is a certain design magazine on the newsstands now that spills the beans.  Reggie has been outed.

The magazine in which all is revealed . . .

And that's just fine with him.  Because, Reggie actually outed himself.  He agreed to use his "real" name in the story in the magazine because a lot of people already knew that Reggie wasn't the name he was born with, but rather a nom de plume.

Darlington House, as seen in the June 2013 issue of AD

Besides, he was quite pleased to have Darlington House featured in the magazine, and he thought it would be silly not to have his "real" name associated with it.  He's very proud of Boy Fenwick for appearing in Architectural Digest's pages, a coup for any decorator.  It doesn't get any better than that, Dear Reader.

Mr. Boy Fenwick standing at the front door
of Darlington House

"So," you may ask, "If you use made up names in your blog, Reggie, is everything else made up, too?"

Won't you please come into the front hall?

No.  Well, not really.  Other than coming up with playfully Wodehouse-ian names, most everything Reggie writes about is true, and actually happened.  From time to time, though, he does admit to playing around with some of the minor details (such as writing that MD drank scotch when in reality she drank Canadian Club).  But he does so mostly to perfect the voice in his stories.

Do make yourself comfortable in the drawing room.
Would you like something to drink?  A cocktail, perhaps?

"But why, Reggie, do you use a nom de plume?"

Because, Dear Reader, I prefer to keep this blog—a lifestyle one—separate from my very busy and demanding professional life in the financial services industry.  I have a whole "other" life that I prefer not to co-mingle with what I do here in my off hours, for fun.

Reggie is upstairs in the master bedroom straightening his tie
at the moment.  He'll be right down to meet you!

And I plan to keep it that way, too, Dear Reader, even though Reggie's secret it out.

Won't you please play along with me?

Photographs: Unless noted otherwise, all images courtesy of Architectural Digest magazine

105 comments:

  1. This brought to mind the following exchange from the movie "Clue":

    Mr. Green: So it was you. I was going to expose you.
    Wadsworth: I know. So I choose to expose myself.
    Col. Mustard: Please, there are ladies present!

    All frivolity aside congratulations to you and Boy. I plan on picking up the latest AD today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello JH: Most amusing! I laughed out loud when I read your comment, and read it to Boy, too, who also found it amusing. Thank you -- Reggie

      Delete
  2. oh boy, Boy Fenwick is very handsome. Racing to get a copy...congratulations on the AD feature

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am delighted to play along with you. I have had many happy times here on your blog Reggie! Your nom de plume suits you perfectly, I've always loved it.
    When I found out from Lisa that you, Boy and Darlington House were featured in AD I rushed out to buy it and I was thrilled to see Boy and your house, it's beautiful. Yes congratulations to Boy, his work deserves this kind of recognition, he is so talented.
    Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Reggie!!!!!

    More congratulations. There can never be enough.

    xoxox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lisa, and thank you, again, for posting about the story on your wonderful blog. Reggie

      Delete
  5. I am sure I am speaking for others, too, when I say that I enjoy a well-played game. But better to 'out' one's self than have another (blogger) do it.

    And the house is soooo lovely, it would have been a shame not to reveal it in A.D.

    John T

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear TDC: Thank you for your coment, and kind words. Your appreciation is an honor, as I am a great admirer of your blog. Reggie

      Delete
  6. You have always given us a very entertaining fantasy, or at least semi-fantasy...... well written and visually appealing besides. A little fantasy can be fun. You named your house. I named my house. Its name, Naweecheefoo, is purportedly the Native American place-name for the spring that bubbles up in my back yard, in my little in-town village that is three quarters surrounded by Columbia, SC. Of course it is also a damn lie, and is really the way I sound with my peculiar Southern accent, when I tell my picky eater son to please hurry up and finish his dinner. Keep blogging and entertaining us all :)
    Best -
    Mike (my real name) from Naweecheefoo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Mike, thank you. I admit I'm having difficulty pronouncing the delightful name of your house with confidence. Won't you please provide a phonetic map for doing so? RD

      Delete
  7. Wonderful post Reggie, You know I love you. xo xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Valorie. And thanks so much for posting about the story on your delicious blog. Best, Reggie

      Delete
  8. Regardless of what you choose to call yourself, you and Boy are still the most charming, smart, talented and fun men I've ever had the pleasure to know. We love you, Reggie! xo

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  9. Oh, can't wait to get my hands on that magazine. I've been a happy lurker but now coming out to celebrate. I love the gutsy colors you use. Just perfect. Your blog is a dlight in this world. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congratulations!! How exciting and what a nice feature piece!

    KK

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  11. It took me a few minutes into the AD article to draw the conclusion. I always was slow! Anyway, whatever name you go by, your blog...and home...is wonderful!

    What's next, Reggie? A book? A TV reality show? Please say 'NO!' to the latter!

    April, Just Verte Style

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Helo April, thank you. Rest assured that Reggie not only finds the thought of watching a reality show to be repulsive, but the idea of actually consenting to appear in one to be unfathomable! RD

      Delete
  12. Wonderful post. I adore the house and I think we can all forgive a parallel life! So fabulous to be in AD - is congratulations the right word?

    ReplyDelete

  13. AD is probably having the biggest sale month ever!!! Thanks to you and Boy for sharing your happy and entertaing way of life. I do believe it is better to "out" yourself than
    have someone else do it. I know you must have a lot of friends who have known all along.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Reggie-


    Your comment reminded me of the first time I heard from you ages ago. You sent a personal note to my blog, THE STYLE SALONISTE.

    You said you had been inspired by my blog, and that you had an idea for a blog, and you wondered if I would take a look at it and see if it was any good, if it had a chance.If you should even do it.

    IT WAS WONDERFUL...and ready to go. I responded, 'GO FOR IT' and 'DO IT' and 'DON'T HESITATE'...and you did it, and the rest is history. I knew it was original, that you had a voice, and that it would catch on.

    Just keep blogging. And decorating. And reporting...oh, and going to Paris, as those posts from Paris were wonderful.
    I am your biggest fan.
    My real name is DIANE DORRANS SAEKS, and my real blog name is THE STYLE SALONISTE...and I am sure my readers can tell them apart. REGGIE DARLING is your blog name..and it is brilliant.
    Best regards to Boy. The house is just perfect.
    fondest to you, DIANE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Diane, thank you. You were my earliest champion, for which I will always be grateful. Your blog is an inspiration to many of us, your fortunate and adoring readers. Reggie

      Delete
  15. OH! The house I was ogling on AD was Darlington! A Rose by any other name, etc..congrats on it all! Big smiles!
    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gussie Fink-Nottle, Bunty Babcock and I don't seen anything at all unusual in your names, so what is everybody on about? :-)
    Your house is seriously beautiful and I could have spent hours combing through your wonderful collections. And all of my friends' houses have names too. I guess we are just 'that sort' of people, now aren't we? On doit appeler son maison. C'est tout bon, Reggie Daaahhhhling. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Cynthia: Do please give my love to Gussy and Bunty, and of course a heaping dose of it to you, too. RD

      Delete
  17. I look forward to getting my copy of the latest AD! Your house is beautiful inside and out, and I admire your great sense of color. Now I'll have a fuller image of you both as I read the blog. Congratulations on the feature!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hello Reggie, You and Boy do indeed exist--you have given yourselves a consistent persona that we can react to, identify with, and delight in.

    As to the final revelation of Darlington and its occupants, I can only recall Emily Kimbrough's apposite description (written in 1943 of Edith Head) "genius, with great charm--and humor besides ... authentic in period to a fantastic degree, and original at the very same moment."

    --Road to Parnassus

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Parnassas: Thank you for one of the nicest comments that I have ever had the pleasure (and honor) to receive. Reggie

      Delete
  19. Positively thrilling... at last we can peek behind the mask!

    Great spread of the house, I love the way you color the traditional. It was a bright time after all, not just white and beige (I always think of that fab aqua bedroom at the Morris-Jumel house). Kudos to Boy for his exuberant palette. I can't wait to buy the magazine and see the whole spread and yes, your secret is safe with me!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Beautifully said, Parnassus!
    And we all adore your blog and your "standards"!!
    We desperately need more "standards" being used!!
    Your decorating and your talents are manifold!!

    Your fan club is growing! Lucky for AD they "got you!!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Dear Reggie. I am an avid follower of your blog. Earlier this month while on a flight to Rome, I flipped through the latest issue of AD. When I quickly scanned the spread featuring your home, I thought to myself, "that is how I imagine Darlington House to look.". At the time, I did not read the article but put it all together as word got out on line. What a lovely home! Thank you for the entertainment you provide for us all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Anon: What a charming story, and how lovely of you to share it. Thank you, Reggie

      Delete
  22. Yes, I'll definitely play along--I'm off to buy that ARchitectural Digest as we speak.
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations on the press! Those of use who have been reading your blog for a while understand the time, love and attention to detail that went into creating your beautiful home. How wonderful for that effort to be recognized in the "real" press!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Dear Reggie, of course I will play along! After all we know that Karena is my blog and art name. Not that creative really!!

    Xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a clever, darling post! Congrats to you both. Don't EVER change. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  26. The house is stunning. I think there is nothing wrong with having a little on-line outlet. It is not as if it isn't your life - more that it is a small slice of your life. (And an entertaining, beautiful small slice at that.)

    I love reading your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I simply don't believe any of it. I think it's all a ruse.. a crafty stratagem :)

    B

    ReplyDelete
  28. Congratulations! AD has certainly chosen to feature a truly lovely home. Real, fake, or somewhere in between, your posts are always so entertaining and informative. As far as I'm concerned, you will always be Darling.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Im gobsmacked.... your real name is Craig?

    Reggie suits your old world charm and sophistication..I too will spend mega bucks on Architectural Digest so I can have a good snoop.

    Your striped carpet on the stairs is wonderful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello smr -- thank you. I hope you like it when you see it in AD. RD

      Delete
  30. My dear, you and Boy can call yourselves anything you desire! Your blog is fabulous and meaningful.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi there Reggie (Craig),
    Last year I traveled down into Columbia County and probably went right by your house when I was on a Garden Conservancy Opening Days Garden Tour. Your town looks a bit like Colonial Williamsburg, but spookier and older, but very romantic. I could easily see George Washington, or Philip Schuyler walking on the street in your area.

    Craig (Reggie), I think this it the perfect time to end this blog, if it interested you. Once Zorro, The Lone Ranger, Batman, Super Man, or any other kind of fictional hero is unmasked, it changes peoples opinions of them, no matter how FABULOUS they are.

    You could though change up the title of this blog to "Reggie Darling by Craig Fitt and Bruce Shostak" so it now becomes like a fictional novel. Even Martha Stewart, a while ago, became Martha Up Close and Personal.

    Craig, I saw Bruce and Your home a week or so ago in Architectural Digest in the supermarket market, but just looked at the pictures and which town you lived in. Being an artist and writer of design and gardening, most times I don't read the articles, just look at and analyze the photos. I will have to now go back and read the full article.

    Craig and Bruce being that you are in Columbia county and in such an historic area, you will have to plant a small garden and be on the Garden Conservancy Tour. Two nothing, half wilted flowers, planted in front of a house like yours, in your area can inspire a tour ;-}

    Finally Craig, I google searched your name, and looked on Images. I saw what your look like, and see you have been to many events, and were photographed by Rural Intelligence, one of my favorite sites. I wonder if your now "unmasking" will make a lot of people want to meet you, and see if you in true life are as "buttoned up" and as "formal in a way" as Reggie is, or are you exactly or somewhat Opposite.

    Whatever way this blog goes, I have and will be following it.

    Fred Gonsowski of Fred Gonsowski Garden Home .com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Fred, Well thanks for spilling the beans here! I am not planning to shut up shop quite yet, but this would, I agree, be a capping send off wouldn't it? Thanks, Reggie

      Delete
  32. Oh dahhling Reggie, this post had me on pins & needles reading further and further... Congratulations on the AD article! Sincere congratulations to your Boy. And to me you always be Reggie!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear HRH: Thank you. As one who keeps her readers (including Reggie) on the edge of their seats with her wickedly witty posts, I am flattered indeed. Reggie

      Delete
  33. Dear Reggie & Boy
    I will most happily still "play along" (even as I dash out to pick up the copy of AD as I don't have a subscription). After all, "Nom de Plume" is my middle name :-) and I totally identify with and appreciate your choice to use one, as you well know.
    Your home looks divine and I can't wait to see more!
    Best to you both on this special weekend,
    xx Slim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Slim! Your blog is an inspiration for many of us who follow it with pleasure. Rgds, RD

      Delete
  34. Architectural Digest ?

    ( sniff )


    Well, well.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Goodness! I never suspected a thing, except I supposed "Boy" was an English novel-type pet name for Mr. Fenwick. I am going to forget I ever read this post. I am quite (inexplicably) upset. You will always be Reggie and Boy - and Pompey - at Darlington to this gullible reader!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello LVB: Thank you, rest assured that I shall always be Reggie here on this blog. And, to be honest, I am so closely intertwined with Reggie that sometimes the line blurs and I get confused as to who I really am! RD

      Delete
  36. Reggie: It's so funny that it was a magazine that finally outed you, because the exact same thing happened to me a few years ago. Of course, you're in AD and I only made it into O at Home but the story arc is the same: the magazine made me use my real name--which meant nothing to anybody--instead of the name Magnaverde, which persona I'd already been inhabiting online for almost a decade. Oh, well.

    At any rate, since I'm an old hand at juggling two different identities, I have no problem keeping this particular ball in play. Besides, to me, the real value of the excellent article is not in getting a peek at the other half of your life (the world of finance is the real mystery to me) but in, finally, getting to see your house--in print, on glossy stock--as a unified whole, not just as a series of tantalizing glimpses, especially since it turns out to be even more handsome than I always imagined it to be. Now I'm really sorry we missed meeting up the last time you were in Chicago.

    Anyway, congratulations to both you & Boy, and may Reggie Darling The Blog live as long as the man behind the curtain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Magnaverde: Thank you for this. Where have I been? I had no idea you have a blog! I just spent a few minutes skimming through it and it was clear from the start that I will return to it time and again. Many thanks, RD

      Delete
  37. I will play along with great pleasure!! I have such joy following the exploits of Reggie, Boy and Pompey!! Jane Keller

    ReplyDelete
  38. Play Along indeed. Your blog is by far my very favorite... While some of the mystery may be gone, I think your image was visible in your photo of a Paris shop recently, your third person narrative is always enjoyable.
    Congrats on the wonderful AD spread.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Put out a call for the smelling salts; I have fallen into the deepest of swoons, what a home you two have, it's perfection. Big round of applause for Boy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear B&P: Thank you, Reggie blushes. He is a great admirer of you and your blog, which he reads (and occasionally laughs with pleasure while doing so) regularly. RD

      Delete
  40. Reggie, you sly dog! Even lil ol me knows what an honor it is to have one's home featured in Architectural Digest. Congratulations! I flipped through that issue somewhere in the past day or so ...... hmmmm ...... ah, now I think I remember .....I must have my friend save that issue for me so I can seriously peruse the pics one more time. Exterior facade of your lovely home reminded me of homes I had seen when I stayed in a small New England town on my way to Brimfield. Beautiful part of the country. Reggie or no, keep up the good work ...... I think it's your wit that I appreciate most.

    ReplyDelete
  41. It's good to know you're not the predictable WASP cliché you espouse on the blog, which I'll always read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Googie -- not exactly sure what you mean by this? Reggie

      Delete
  42. (C)Reggie dear, may I still be called Frecky? xox, Your Older Brother.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Oh, Reggie, what a fun game, and yes I shall continue to play!

    Thank you for all of the time and effort you've put into creating the most delicious, elegant, entertaining and informative blog, that is exactly right up my alley, aesthetically speaking. I look forward to reading more of your escapades here on my favorite blog in future.

    I spied your home in AD about three weeks ago when leafing through my copy. I knew instantly it was Darlington. How could any of your readers miss recognizing some of the wonderful items you've featured on your blog, scattered about the impeccable rooms featured in the spread? I'm thrilled to bits you outed yourself as I felt as though I was guarding a dirty little secret by having read the article and you not having mentioned it here on Reggie Darling until today.

    Congratulations once again to you and Boy on the AD article, and please, please do continue the good work here on this very fine blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear LisaE: Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. I am honored. Reggie

      Delete
  44. Dear Reggie,

    Bravo! What a lovely feature in AD. I will of course play along as I have also enjoyed aesthetically hiding in plain sight.

    Best,

    AR

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear AR: Thank you -- I am a fan and follower of your erudite and informative blog. Your series on the Duchess of Alba's recent sale of furniture was fascinating. Rgds, Reggie

      Delete
  45. I subscribe to AD, and did a double-take on the eliptical at the gym the other morning as I read the article. Congratulations on your home being highlighted, and on the wonderful home Boy (and you!) has created. My favorite part are the green hallway walls, combined with the simple striped runner.

    I hope we will see more pictures of your house and restoration now. Please take us along as you restore the summer kitchen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Rachel: Thank you, I hope the shock didn't lead you to fall of the eliptical! Now that the AD piece has run, I plan on showing more of Darlington House here on my blog. RD

      Delete
  46. That is always the question; how to mingle real life with an online blog / personality. I think most of us just get along by taking things as they come at us without a big plan; I applaud your overall planning! Your country house is lovely and loved hearing about it further from Meg / Pigtown.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Stefan, your blog is an inspiration to many of us, and a great pleasure to follow, as many on this list will agree I am sure. Reggie

      Delete
  47. Yes, of course. What fun would it be otherwise?

    ReplyDelete
  48. Anyone who's familiar with Michael Arlen's novel The Green Hat
    would have grasped the source of Boy Fenwick's name.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I knew I had read that name before--I just couldn't remember where!

      Delete
    2. Dear Toby: Actually that the name appears in Mr. Arlen's book is pure coincidence! Should I ever be so fortunate to meet you one day I will gladly reveal the inspiration(s) of the names used here on RD. Thanks, Reggie

      Delete
  49. As one of Reggie's siblings I can assure Reggie's readers that there is very little fiction in his blog. However fantastic they find his recounting of Darling family history, as someone who witnessed it all if anything he has been quite restrained!

    XOX,
    Sister Hermione

    ReplyDelete
  50. What an absolutely beautiful spread. You and Boy must be very proud. Fantastic stair-carpet!

    Don't worry, your secret's safe with us. David.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lord Cowell. I enjoy following your exploits and achievements on your own blog, which is an inspiration to many of us, I am sure. Reggie

      Delete
  51. Really enjoyed seeing your lovely home featured in AD...but please don't stop playing with us! We all love it!

    ReplyDelete
  52. I was delighted to read the article in AD and discover, as I suspected, that you were using a nom de plume. Your clever writing style keeps me coming back for more and your 'Jefferson back from Paris' drawing room is exquisite. Congratulations on the feature and thank you for sharing your real story. You are very passionate in your interests and I'm sure a convivial host.

    ReplyDelete
  53. I saw the write up in AD... congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Oh, I am SO upset. I love Reggie and Boy and Pompey and will continue to do so. Being English it never occurred to me your names were fictional!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Victoria, Reggie and I are so closely intertwined that I barely can distinguish him for me, or me from him! RD

      Delete
  55. Reggie,
    I was hooked from my first read and I think you know a bit obsessed with your house! I was always suspect of the names, especially BF. To see this post is nothing short of true excitement and nearly disbelief. You see, I popped into Barnes and Noble late yesterday afternoon and flipped through AD while waiting to check out. I remember seeing the green foyer and thinking what a daring color choice! Then I saw the gray windsor chairs and they seemed familiar somehow. But, it was the bedroom- just loved the bobbin chair and 3 tiered table ( my most favorite of all tables for their function) that made me add this issue to my pile. It wasn't until I got home that I saw the page with the living room and dining room that I thought- holy sh*t I know this house! Congratulations, you and Boy make a wonderful team and it was wonderful to see his design talent in your home. I'm just happy that now I can finally visit you anytime I want and even hang out in your bedroom!
    To me, you will always be darling for your stories, humor and trying to make the world more well mannered one post at a time.
    xo,
    ~Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Rebecca: Thank you for your kind and amusing comment. I wondered how many of my readers would recognize the house and, as you did, do a double-take when doing so... I am a fan of your wonderful blog, and a regular reader of it, too. Bestr, reggie

      Delete
  56. I can't stand being the last guest to arrive at a party. Well, not really, at least I can now make my grand entrance.

    So the gig is up. Well, on the positive side I don't have to remember two names for you, Bruce and xxxx aka Pompey. (Is he coming out too?)

    On the negative side, now I am not one of the few who knows the real deal.... bah humbugh! and I felt soooo special all these years. I can't believe while all this was going on we were having dinner and not a word of your coming out party. Reggie....I mean Craig....you are incoregible. And so very, very charming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear One, my apologies for not spilling the beans during dinner the other evening. I was so excited to see you again that I forgot all about it! Fondly, RD

      Delete
  57. Reggie, of course we'll play along. I'm delighted for you and Boy that your home was featured. I thought it looked familiar, but at that point, I didn't know you were writing under a nom de plume. Either way, I'm happy for you that all the work you all have put into Darlington House is being recognized. I'm glad I already have this issue and will enjoy it all the more knowing about the feature. I thought that hallway looked familiar!

    Elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  58. You and your husband are *the* envy of us WASPS! YOU MADE ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST! BRAVO!

    I love this blog and will continue to do so even if you are , well, a celebrity now.

    All the best to you and yours.

    W.D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello WD -- Thanks, can you believe it? I'm still flabbergasted, myself. Reggie

      PS, good luck with "House" -- I am a fan of your blog and look forward to following your journey in Maine.

      Delete
  59. I adore your combination of whimsy and reality.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Claude Cattermole "Catsmeat" Potter-Pirbright and I will always think of you as Reggie, Boy and Pompey. Congratulations!

    Toni

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  61. Dear RD,
    I've been lurking around your site for a while now. Love the writing, learning about antiques and pictures of Pompey. As a life long DC metro resident, I appreciate your stories growing up in the area. Congrats. It is indeed a beautiful home.

    ReplyDelete
  62. I LOVE your house and congrats on getting in AD.

    ReplyDelete
  63. What a lovely home, we are huge fans of the period. I don't know if Jennings has seen the story yet, but I'm sure you all would have much in common! Congrats and best wishes! N.G.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Cool beans!

    The house is beyond fabulous.

    Patsy

    ReplyDelete
  65. Having only just now seen the unexpurgated version, (the hard copy of AD), I can add my tuppence worth: it's absolutely stunning. Well done to you both. I am curious about the drawing room; the first picture shows the one as above, but the second the other side; are there two very similar sitting areas, or have the photographers just moved the furniture around a bit?

    ReplyDelete
  66. I am furious and feel so deceived!

    Nah, not really. In fact I'm feeling a little smug and superior right now. I've been reading this blog for quite some time, and a while back I realized that there was a slight bit of fiction involved here and there. One clue was when Reggie mentioned living in the town of Van Rensselaer, NY. Being a lifelong denizen of the Hudson Valley, I was pretty sure no such town exists. There were a few other signs along the way, and when the Classicist's blog had a story a few years back about a trip through the Hudson Valley and mentioned visiting "Hillstead" in Claverack, my curiosity was piqued. The photo of "Hillstead," to my eyes at least, resembled an old pic of "Darlington" that I'd seen here ages ago. The two owners' names were mentioned, too, but I noted that there was no Reggie and no Boy. Still, I had a funny feeling I had discovered the real "Darlington" and was very pleased with myself. The only thing stopping me from jumping to the absolute conclusion that Craig and Bruce were in fact Reggie and Boy was my memory of an old posting here. It had to do with Reggie's name and how his parents had named him after a woman named Regina. Now I realize that was likely just a bit of subterfuge, but at the time I just wasn't sure. So, well played!

    Congratulations Reggie/Craig on your wonderfully entertaining & educational blog, and please keep up the good work (after your well-deserved hiatus, that is).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Anon,
      Thank you for your amusing and interesting comment. "How Reggie Got His Name" was a bit of a play on names. Regina's "real" name was Alma Craig, and I was named after her.
      Reggie

      Delete
  67. Beautiful house, furnishings etc. but are you "done" with redoing an old house? Meaning can you and Boy rest with this piece of heaven or do you keep your eyes open for another property that needs resurrection?

    ReplyDelete
  68. Bloody hell, ol' chap, what a shocking piece. I couldn't finish.

    I don't want to know who you boys are IRL. (Well, maybe with exception of Pompey; where does that little dandy get his fur coats?!)

    I love the InterWeb edition just fine, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  69. You cannot know how happy I am about this revelation. For several years I worked at the same firm and often admired (and once or twice at cafe 27 complemented you on) your great style. At the same time I was avidly devouring this site and admiring its writer's great style. Little did I know that you were one and the same. My sincerest congratulations on having your lovely home featured in AD. A wonderful and well deserved honor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Anon,
      Thank you for your nice, and intriguing, comment. I would appreciate it if you would please email me at reggiedarling@hotmail.com so that I may learn who you are. Many thanks, Reggie

      Delete

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