By Patricia Sheridan
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Every year dozens of beautifully rendered design and style books hit the shelves. They are often perused for the pictures or used to create a tableau in a reading nook, but the real value is between the covers. There you will find inspiration, encouragement and a sense of what is possible in any space with some imagination and desire.
Here are a few worth owning:
“Decorating in the Grand Manor” by Carleton Varney, Rooster Books for Shannongrove Press ($95)
Nobody understands heritage like Carleton Varney. He owns the oldest design firm in the country, Dorothy Draper & Co. Inc. He has been with the firm since 1962 working with Draper on numerous projects. The first room he did from top to bottom at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., was the Crystal Room. It remains today as it was then. He continues the legacy of Draper at the Greenbrier, at The Grand on Mackinac Island and at The Colony in Palm Beach, where he has incorporated a blend of his style and hers. The author of 27 books on decorating, plus several others including the official biography of Dorothy Draper, this book is a design memoir taking the reader on a colorful journey through his public and personal spaces. As an added bonus you can get a signed copy by visiting carletonvarney.com; go to books & music under Gifts tab.
“Robert Couturier: Designing Paradises” by Robert Couturier, Rizzoli ($60)
Many try, but not all succeed when it comes to blending eras in a sophisticated not stagey manner. This is an arena where French-born Robert Couturier is king. In “Designing Paradises” he shows off his love of luxury and expertise as an architect and interior designer. He offers readers a look at his country home in Connecticut complete with early American guesthouses as well properties he has designed here and abroad. His work translates well from England to Mexico to the United States and beyond. It’s the language of elegance and it is evident in the 250 color illustrations. He established his design firm in 1987 the same year he was commissioned by Sir James Goldsmith to transform his 20,000-acre Mexican estate. From neutral whites to a room with Hermes orange paneling, this timeless tome can be enjoyed for the contrasts and fabulous photos as well as the way it will stir your own creativity.
“Artfully Modern” by Richard Mishaan, Monacelli Press ($65)
The essential role art combined with design play in today’s environments is explored in the projects taken on by Richard Mishaam. From the living room he did for the 2011 Kips Bay Decorator Show House to the presidential suite at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. It’s a compilation of his best work since 2009. His interiors are described as “sumptuous style mash-ups” because of his fearless pairings of seemingly incongruent periods with art from a variety of eras and styles. However, his first order of business when doing a residential space is to understand how his clients live and what their lifestyles will accommodate.
“Decorating the Way I See It” by Markham Roberts, Vendome Press ($60)
This is a book of beautiful diverse interiors that actually seem attainable partly because the book is divided into informational style chapters such as Floor Plan, Background, Scheme, Furniture etc. Readers can actually learn something from Mr. Roberts who worked for the renowned decorator Mark Hampton before branching out on his own. Like others of his ilk he meshes traditional and contemporary in seamless ways. He says in the book, “I’m happy when clients come to me with great art.” He enjoys the challenge of working existing art and photographs into a new design scheme. Unlike other books, he includes a section on architecture. This is a tome you will want to revisit again and again as a reference tool for your own projects.
“Rowing Blazers” by Jack Carlson, Vendome ($50)
Not exactly an interior design book, nevertheless Boston native Jack Carlson manages to demonstrate the importance of heritage, a hallmark of great style, whether in decor or fashion. This author, a former member of Georgetown University’s eight-man crew team, also illustrates how passion can be translated into beauty. It’s old school style at its best, something Mr. Carlson has embraced, having won in 2013 at one of rowing’s most prestigious venues, the Royal Regatta at Henley, England. He is currently a Clarendon Scholar at Oxford University. His book goes beyond the story of the iconic blazer to what these particular jackets signify. If you have a preppy bent, you will love this book. If you row, you will love this book. If you are a fan of all things classic, you will want to own this book.
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