How They Decorated

How They Decorated illustrates some of the great rooms of the twentieth century, whose stylish residents influence our tastes today. Gloria Vanderbilt cleverly noted, “Decorating is autobiography.” Reflecting that truism, the interiors in this book capture the individual approaches of these icons of style: Bunny Mellon’s spare all-American elegance; Hélène Rochas’s refined sophistication; Vanessa Bell’s colorful bohemianism; Mona von Bismarck’s breezy opulence; and Georgia O’Keeffe’s earthy chic. Author P. Gaye Tapp analyzes each of her subjects’ refined way of living, how she embellished her residences (or left them elegantly stark), and the long-lasting effects on today’s generation of designers and connoisseurs of beauty. The book is presented in four sections that describe the aesthetic approaches that the ladies took in decorating their abodes: “The Fashionably Chic”, “The Unconventional Eye”, “In the Grand Manner”, and “Legacy Style”. Each interior illustrates the crucial aspect of the lady’s definitive taste. Some worked closely with decorating legends such as John Fowler, Albert Hadley, Billy Baldwin, Syrie Maugham, and Jean-Michel Frank. Others took to the task of decorating single-handedly—like Pauline Trigère, Sybil Connolly, Vita Sackville-West, and Fleur Cowles. The interiors of these trendsetting ladies defied their time and inspire and delight to this day. In How They Decorated, one can learn from the most notable style muses of the last century.

In A Blissful Nest, celebrated interior designer Rebekah Dempsey offers fresh and attainable design ideas to show you how to discover your interior style and create a home that truly reflects your personality and the way you live.

With extensive reference to and exposition on Wilde's theoretical writings and letters, Frankel shows that, far from being marginal elements of the literary text, these decorative devices were central to Wilde's understanding of his own writings as well as to his "aesthetic" theory of language. Extensive illustrations support Frankel's arguments.".

In her first book, interior designer Meg Braff presents the building blocks of a pretty, polished home. Everyone wants a house that is filled with grace and charm. Classic yet cheerful, Meg Braff’s style has a formality that is never studied, an elegance that is approachable and pretty. In seven chapters that cover the basics of her look, Braff shares advice on creating rooms that are both livable and attractive. In the first two chapters, she explores the key elements of her look—color and pattern—and how to employ them for maximum impact in your home. She discusses the essential elements of stylish bedrooms (hint: bring back the dressing table), explores the fundamentals of inviting baths and breakfast rooms, and gives tips on making chic outdoor spaces. Finally, Braff explains the importance of finishing touches, the little extras that elevate a room’s decor from good to great. All of her advice comes together in an overall theme of gracious living that will be warmly welcomed by readers looking to impart polish, color, and grace to their home. Lushly illustrated with vivid images of Braff ’s lively work, The Decorated Home is an inspiring, idea-filled resource that readers will turn to again and again. “Think Slim Aarons meets Technicolor elegance.” —Traditional Home

The Decoration of Houses isa significant bookof interior design written by Edith Wharton with architect Ogden Codman and was first published in 1897. Both authors were members of the upper crust of society in New York.

A visual delight and an inspiration for every bibliophile with a growing home library, this dream-and-drool design book features some of the most jaw-dropping book collections of homeowners around the world. NAMED ONE OF JO’S FALL FAVORITES IN MAGNOLIA JOURNAL Interior designer Nina Freudenberger, New Yorker writer Sadie Stein, and Architectural Digest photographer Shade Degges give readers a peek at the private libraries and bookshelves of passionate readers all over the world, including Larry McMurtry, Silvia Whitman of Shakespeare and Co., Gay and Nan Talese, and Emma Straub. Throughout, gorgeous photographs of rooms with rare collections, floor-to-ceiling shelves, and stacks upon stacks of books inspire readers to live better with their own collections. Praise for Bibliostyle “Featuring enviable private libraries and packed floor-to-ceiling shelves, this beautiful volume makes a compelling case for books as décor.”—New York “Freudenberger spotlights the splendid, enviable personal libraries of literary figures whose owners obviously care about their book collections and have actually read them, too.”—The Boston Globe “This is a coffee table book that makes you think as well as admire and desire.”—Sydney Herald “Offers a look into the fabulous homes of book lovers the world over, showcasing how their interior design is built around the tomes they love most.”—CN “The photographs of rooms with rare collections, floor-to-ceiling shelves, and stacks upon stacks of books will inspire readers to live better with their own collections.”—Publishers Weekly “Nina Freudenberger teams with Sadie Stein of The New Yorker and photographer Shade Degges of Architectural Digest to showcase beautiful photographs of the private libraries of book lovers from all over the world.”—BookRiot

Seville, Indiana, has five traffic lights and one interior design firm: Designer Jeans, co-founded by Jean Hastings and her daughter, Jean Jr. Lately they’re finding that the keen eyes needed for plotting color schemes and tracking down flea-market treasures also come in handy for interpreting more sinister designs. Although Jean is a designing woman, her business is in a bit of a slump. So when a new interior design job from Dona Deville comes her way she’s delighted. Dona has inherited an abandoned country cottage and wants Jean to take it from plain old shabby to gorgeous shabby chic. But Jean's plans for hurricane lamps and hand-hooked rugs are shelved when she opens the front door and discovers the well-heeled shoes of Dona herself, who has unfortunately been sent to meet her maker. Now Jean must piece together a pattern of a different sort in order to catch a killer with designs on murder.

"Diehn opens up a new dimension--the artist’s vision of visual memories. Consider this a superscript above all other entries.”--Booklist. "Encourages those who hesitate to start in on the pristine pages of a nicely bound blank book.... Lively and interesting illustrations make this a good selection for public library collections.”--Library Journal.