Happy New Year!
Valorie Hart might be a familiar name to you ... especially if you've been reading blogs for the last few years. Her blog, The Visual Vamp, is as colorful as she is, filled with beautiful images of her own home, and the homes near and far that inspire her. Her aesthetic is bright, youthful but sophisticated, and layered, and her newest book, House Proud Unique Home Design/Louisiana, published by Glitterati Incorporated, is just the same: a stunning catalog of homes in her home state with unique and beautiful interiors filled with the look that Valorie has so beautifully curated.
Beyond the photos, it's also wonderfully written. In fact, in the last paragraph of her introduction, Valorie sets the stage for the pages beyond better than any other design book I've ever read. "As you hunker down in your favorite spot in your home with this book, my hope is that you will feel welcomed into one house after the other. I am certain the stories will resonate, that you might see yourself and your home in these pages, because after all, you, too, are house proud."
From House Proud: Unique Home Design/Louisiana by Valorie Hart, © 2013, published by Glitterati Incorporated
Page after page will welcome you, exactly as Valorie hoped, to home after lovely home with beautiful interiors, pieces, and vignettes that will have you immediately inspired! Like this amazing dining table made from weathered beadboard in the Mid-City New Orleans home of artist Miranda Lake ... how beautiful is this?
From House Proud: Unique Home Design/Louisiana by Valorie Hart, © 2013, published by Glitterati Incorporated
The houses in House Proud vary in style and size - from small shotgun bungalows to large Victorian mansions. In New Orleans' famed French Quarter, the home of Dr. Lisa Donofrio and Brian Valzania, includes a gorgeous plum velvet daybed from Lisa's days at Tulane University. The house, historic but not huge, is filled with light and French antiques, and is as inspiring as the couples love story.
From House Proud: Unique Home Design/Louisiana by Valorie Hart, © 2013, published by Glitterati Incorporated
Along with being large and small, young and old, eclectic and electric, there are home owners and renters. The dining room above, clad in white, belongs to Uptown New Orleans artists Ashley Longshore and Michael Smith. When they found the rental just blocks from their art studio, they knew it was perfect - and set in about making it a perfect, sophisticated backdrop to the art they create.
From House Proud: Unique Home Design/Louisiana by Valorie Hart, © 2013, published by Glitterati Incorporated
And the blogger, author, designer, dancer, trend-setter (I'm sure there are things I'm missing) Valorie Hart. All in all, I've read the book cover to cover, and have used it for reference multiple times, soaking up the imagery and enjoying the stories of the home owners.
You see, Valorie did accomplish exactly what she hoped in this book; each time you turn a page you feel like you've been invited into the home by the homeowner, inspired by their story and collections, and given some key insights into how to do that in your home. It's a book you'll never stop reading, and one you'll be more than happy to add to your library. I highly recommend it ... and her blog, The Visual Vamp.
Well done, Valorie. Happily waiting for your next book!
From House Proud: Unique Home Design/Louisiana by Valorie Hart, © 2013
published by Glitterati Incorporated www.GlitteratiIncorporated.com
Photos by Sara Essex Bradley
Foreword by Debra Shriver
Happy Reading!
A table with the second shot looks fantastic
ReplyDeleteI totally agree Rilane, I'm in love with it! I need to find myself some at our local reuse center for a table under my pergola!! :) Thanks for stopping by - and grab the book, you'll love it!
DeleteOkay, let's start with the great new header!!!!!! I adore it! You didn't do those drawings yourself, did you? I have so enjoyed getting to know you better in 2013, and I am looking forward to watching and reading what you do in 2014. This book is something I guess. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteThank you Carol!! I didn't do the drawings, they come from a website - I'll send you the link. You'll love this book - I highly recommend it! xoxo, A
DeleteLoving your new look - it's fabulous!! The book looks wonderful - love Valerie's flair - a new one for my ever growing collection. Wishing you all the best in the new year ~
ReplyDeleteWow! What a beautiful way to start 2014. Love your new blog look, Artie! And this fabulous book? I'm adding to my 2014 reading list.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
xo
Loi
Thanks Loi! :)
DeleteYou'll definitely love the book - it's filled with beauty on every page!
Happy New Year to you too,
xoxo,
A
Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteI love this book - and yes, it's filled with that flair that is quintessentially Valorie Hart!
Thanks so much for dropping by!!
xoxo,
A
I must get this book soon. It looks delicious. Your newest follower.
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I do agree with what Valorie said in her book. Your home is really your source of pride. That is where we start a family. That is why it is important to have a beautiful home. Not that it has to be visually stunning or that it has to be expensive, but that it must look like there are people who live in it, and are happy living in it.
ReplyDeletePaul Dabbs
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ReplyDelete