In a swirling sea of gifts, one of this season’s design books can act like a meticulously chosen carpet that transforms a room. It has a beauty of its own, but also the ability to enhance the beauty of the things around it. Who wouldn’t want to receive one wrapped with a lovely bow?
These wonderfully illustrated books teach with creative examples, enlighten with nuggets of wisdom, and inspire with the amazing artistry of our fellow human beings.
For interior designer Calvin Ashford, a 1958 book about architect Mies van der Rohe (see story below for more on the favorite books of Ashford and other stylish figures) is a source of continuous inspiration. “I go back to this book again and again,” the designer says of Philip C. Johnson’s “Mies van der Rohe” (Architecture d’Aujourd’hui, out of print). “His ideas were timeless.”
“Books, to me,” adds New York-based textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen “are the ultimate wealth and the most valuable collectible.”
This season, we’ve picked some new books that are sure to enrich the life of someone you know. It’s your turn to pick and share the wealth.
“East Meets West, Global Design for Contemporary Interiors,” by Kelly Hoppen, 160 pages (Rizzoli, $45).
As the pressures and pace of contemporary lifestyles become more demanding, simplicity in contemporary design has become more alluring. Those who work in highly visual areas, such as architects and designers, have begun to place high value on the enduring quality of simplicity, and propelled a new interest in minimalism in both the fashion and interior worlds.
This book, by a British designer, with its artful, high-impact color photographs, shows the new direction in which interior design is going–no longer focused merely on decorative issues but on the way one actually uses and maximizes living space. Design now helps to regenerate the energy of the person who lives within.
“Private Hong Kong, Where East Meets West,” by Sophie Benge, 216 pages (Abbeville Press, $50).
Another nod to the East, this one offers a rarely seen, intimate look at residences in this vital metropolis that is home to more than 5 1/2 million people.
From the stunning photos in this book, one learns Hong Kong has its own unique design styles as well–from living afloat on a jewel of a junk to opulence such as is seldom seen in the West.
One example of the latter is the Villa D’Oro on the west side of the island. This is a flamboyant exercise in excess, where almost every piece of crockery is gold or gold-dipped, the bedroom a gilded chamber of embroidered fabric and veneered furniture, and even the bathroom is the color of bullion.
But not all is Midas-touched in this book. The chapter on Eastern Decorative Arts highlights the restrained elegance and beauty of Chinese hardwood furniture.
“Curtains, A Design Source Book,” by Caroline Clifton-Mogg, 191 pages, (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $40).
How do you dress a naked window? This richly illustrated book offers myriad possibilities, whatever your choice–traditional curtains, shutters or other covering. The author makes it seem easy, by starting from the premise that every window has a unique personality that is integral to the architectural style and interior design of the house, and one must first figure out what it is.
Whether it’s bay or bow, curved, small, set in a sloping wall, tall and classic or French doors, she offers a range of solutions. Also included are schemes for dressing beds and incorporating room dividers to create strong visual effects.
“Floors, A Design Source Book,” by Elizabeth Wilhide, 192 pages (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $40).
The basic character of the floor–its color, pattern or texture–sets the tone for the room and the rest of the house. Here are some answers on how to choose and maintain a floor that is both aesthetically appealing and practical, whether it is brick, stone, concrete, metal, wood, rubber, vinyl or textile.
Four hundred photos by Henry Bourne range from very focused and detailed to wide angles that reveal the full effect flooring has upon a room. The book also includes good sections on practical application and a directory of suppliers.
“Our Governors’ Mansions,” by Cathy Keating, 376 pages (Harry N. Abrams, $60).
As Charles Kuralt says in his foreword, why hasn’t somebody thought of this before?
It is always fun to take a look at other people’s houses, especially if they are rich and famous. There seems to be an exceptional mystique when they are politically powerful.
The author, first lady of the state of Oklahoma, takes us on a nationwide tour in her book, missing neither historical fact, decorative detail nor fable. Mixed in are some special insights gained from living in a state executive mansion herself.
Some executive mansions truly merit the name of mansion, being palatial and elegant. Surprisingly opulent are the ones in Kansas and Missouri. Others are simply nice homes reflecting local taste, as is Michigan’s or Montana’s. Some had legendary lives as private estates before they became governors’ mansions, as is Colorado’s governor’s mansion atop a hill in Denver.
Curiously, five states (Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Arizona and Idaho) have no official executive residence. California had one in Sacramento, which was declared a fire hazard. The Ronald Reagans fled from it. It has been repaired and now houses a museum.
Housewalk and history buffs will never want to part with this one.
“California Wine Country,” by Diane Dorrans Saeks, 204 pages (Chronicle Books, $40).
The title should have been California Wine Country Dreamin’.
Alan Weintraub’s more than 200 mellow and enticing color photographs of 29 beautiful homes in California wine-growing country–from the northern Anderson Valley to southern Santa Barbara–capture and confirm everyman’s fantasies of what it might be like to live in casual elegance amidst the California vineyards.
Many of the exterior shots of landscapes are suffused with a pale amber light as if the photographer shot through a glass of chardonnay, while lush still-lifes of wildflowers and fruits seem more like paintings than photographs.
As for the interiors, the book provides a superb tour of the good taste in style that prospers amidst the vineyards and hillsides.
“Pottery by American Indian Women, The Legacy of Generations,” by Susan Peterson, 224 pages (Abbeville Press Inc., $55).
The work of six American Indian matriarchs who are considered to have made the greatest contribution to the field of pottery is highlighted in this truly extraordinary book.
For decades, their names–Nampeyo of Hano, Maria Martinez, Lucy Martin Lewis, Margaret Tafoya, Helen Cordero and Blue Corn–have been known to the international art community. Thirteen other potters highlighted in this book are their professionally accomplished offspring or close relatives who have established reputations of their own for their work.
The third part of the book is devoted to “The Avant-Garde,” 10 contemporary Indian women potters who best exemplify non-traditional trends in Indian-style claywork. These are potters whose work is compelling in the way they stretch, experiment with and even break barriers.
This is an important reference book, especially for the archival photos it contains, but it also casts a visual spell that draws a reader back time and time again. The lavish use of exquisitely detailed photos of clay masterpieces make it seem more like an art gallery between hardcovers than simply a book.
“Wooden Houses, A Comprehensive Guide to Wood’s Natural Beauty in Architecture and Interiors,” by Judith Miller, 92 pages (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $45).
The warmth of wood absolutely radiates from the magnificent photographs of wooden homes from Scandinavian log houses to contemporary modern houses in Australia and New Zealand. The author addresses how our age-old resource for home building has played a vital part in architecture and home design and continues to do so.
“The Hardworking House,” The Art of Living Design, by Johnny Grey, 176 pages (Casell, $39.95).
The author, who has worked on houses for nearly 20 years and runs an international design practice in the U.K. as well as in Far Hills, N.J., has a particular enthusiasm for kitchen. However, he has always said he wanted to write a similar book for the whole house.
Here it is, but don’t expect just a book on home decor. This is a think-piece discussing the future of home architecture and design and confronting the realities of our existence, such as the need for energy-efficiency, and new ways to utilize space and movement in a home.
Grey addresses common errors, such as doors in the wrong place, a lack of natural light, ill-conceived bathrooms, etc. Developing an awareness of the psychological elements necessary to make a home comfortable and how to solve ergonomic problems are two of his key themes.
This is the book of the moment for anyone interested in his premise that more than ever, houses need to provide us with an opportunity to hide from the complexities and problems of the outside world and find relief there so we can refuel.
“Glorious Patchwork, More Than 25 Glorious Quilt Designs,” by Kaffe Fassett with Liza Prior Lucy, 160 pages (Clarkson Potter, $30).
The author, a world-renowned textile artist who has designed knit collections for Missoni and knitted commissions for Lauren Bacall, Shirley MacLaine and other celebrities, turns to quilting with his new book.
His patchwork quilts as pictured in this book are more like still-life paintings or mosaics in fabric, his play of colors and shapes showing a stunning mastery of pattern. Fassett, wishing to share his new obsession, supplies detailed directions and helpful diagrams guiding novices through the basics of quilting, from cutting fabric pieces to basting the quilt layers. This is the ultimate “high fiber” diet for any textile collector, fiber artist or quilter on your gift list.
In brief
Other books of merit:
“The Art of the Bath,” by Sara Slavin and Karl Petzke, 108 pages (Chronicle Books, $18.95).
“Mexican Country Style,” by Karen Witynski and Joe P. Carr, 137 pages, (Gibbs-Smith Publisher, $34.95).
“Chihuly,” by Donald Kuspit, 343 pages, (Harry N. Abrams Inc., $60).
“Happy Motoring! Canine Life in the Fast Lane,” by Jon Winokur and Norrie Epstein, 77 pages, (Abbeville Press, $14.95).
“Elton John’s Flower Fantasies, An Intimate Tour of His House and Garden,” by Caroline Cass, 144 pages (Little, Brown and Co., $35).
“The Home Office,” by Candace Ord Manroe, 128 pages (Reader’s Digest Books, $22.95).
“Eyewear” and “Lighters,” by Gli Accendini, both 141 pages, (Chronicle Books, $12.95 each).
“In the Spirit of the Ancestors,” by John Krena with Allison Bird-Romero, 110 pages (Four Winds Publishing Co., $49.95).
“Tabletops,” by Barbara Milo Ohrbach, 144 pages (Clarkson Potter, $24).
“Sweden, The Ultimate Guide to Creating The Feeling of Sweden in Your Home,” by Cheryl MacLachlan, 192 pages, (Clarkson Potter, $40).
“Inside the Bungalow, America’s Arts & Crafts Interior,” by Paul Duchscherer & Douglas Keister, 184 pages (Penguin Studio, $32.50).
