Book Review: Segreto Style

Leslie Segreto is a powerhouse! Recently, my friend Joni, the author of the insanely popular Cote de Texas, wrote: "I have long been convinced that the owner of Segreto, Leslie Sinclair, is actually the Wizard of Oz behind the most beautiful houses in Houston - and more."  I can't think of a better way to describe her myself. 

If you didn't already know, Segreto Finishes specializes in custom paint treatments and decorative finishes. They can paint anything, and they have! Leslie's website and portfolio shows the breadth of work, from furniture and wallpaper illusions, to custom kitchen cabinet finishes and ceiling treatments. I am convinced there is nothing that Leslie and her team of artists cannot transform into a masterwork ready for debut in interiors of any style. Segreto Style, along with her two other books: Segreto Secrets and Segreto Vignettes is proof of the incredible talent and artistry of her inimitable team.

Between the three titles, there are more than 940 pages of one beautiful room after another, each of which was touched by the expert Segreto Finishes brush. Leslie was kind enough to send me a signed copy of Segreto Style after reading that I didn't have one in my review of her newest book, Segreto Vignettes. Leslie is as kind and generous as she is talented, and passionate about the art of interiors, and I am beyond thrilled to have a complete set of her published work. 

Leslie and her team work with all of the finest interior designers in Houston and beyond, and her books capture the beauty of not only the work of Segreto Finishes, but of these very talented interior designers. Prepare yourself, for inspiration overload: 

There are over 300 pages of rooms just like these in Segreto Style, each image absolutely stunning in nearly every range of interior design style. Published in 2014, all of these rooms are magazine cover worthy today, and that's the power of decorative treatments - they're universal, and timeless! If they're right, they work in every house, every room, every style - and in my opinion, Leslie and her team at Segreto Finishes can do no wrong. 

I encourage you to look at Leslie's website, www.segretofinishes.com and to read my reviews of her other books, Segreto Secrets and Segreto Vignettes. 

You can purchase all three of Leslie's books on her website at a discount, here: 

You can also order them individually from the website, or on Amazon, below: 

Also, you can still shop the decoration sale while things last here. 

Book Review: Segreto Vignettes

Today, I am so excited to share with you Segreto Vignettes, by Leslie Sinclair. Leslie, if you don't already know, is the genius behind the Houston-based Segreto Finishes, which specializes in decorative paint applications, plasters, murals, cabinet and furniture paint finishes, the list goes on! Her reach is wide and impeccable. The decorative finishes of Leslie's company (named after her husband's family) have been featured in every top-shelf shelter magazine, including Veranda, House Beautiful, and Traditional Home. Their reputation for creating stunning work is unsurpassed, and the homes and pieces that Leslie and her team of 35 artist savants have applied their brushes to are nothing short of amazing.

Leslie self-published her first book, Segreto: Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors in 2012, and I reviewed the book on the blog here. It continues to be a fine source of inspiration for me and I use it often to illustrate the transformative power of fine paint finishes. She followed the success of her first book with a second, Segreto Style, 2014:

(I don't have a copy of this one, but I wish I did, and it's definitely on my list!) The first two books were a complete triumph for Leslie and Segreto, bringing examples of her work in finely decorated spaces to households across the world. Over-sized (each 300-pages or more) her books are not only a fine catalog of the expertise specific to Segreto, but also of the exquisite collaboration between Segreto, interior designer, and home owner.

Her third book, Segreto Vignettes, continues to impress and inspire with stunning photography of the creative finishes of Segreto, and includes the latest trends in furniture (including a section on slipcovers authored by Cote de Texas' Joni Webb), lighting, architecture, flooring, and more. A resource section in the back of the book provides you with a field guide for shopping the looks, and creating your own. Indeed, it is a more than just a prepossessing book, more than a collection of art at your fingertips, it is an essential and invaluable reference tool for all things interior. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about Leslie Sinclair, Segreto Finishes, or the two of three books I'm happy to own. Luckily, the images speak more beautifully than anything I could compose. Let's take a look:

Yeah, that's a stencil. A STENCIL! Inspired by discontinued wallpaper, none-the-less.

GORGEOUS! And there are over 300-pages, each more beautiful than the one before it, offering breathtaking examples of the art that is synonymous with Segreto Finishes. As a people inspired by, and obsessed with interior design, you can search blogs, and pinterest, and google all day long, but until you sit down with one of Leslie's inspiring books and feel the weight of it, the sheer luxury, the thought that went into the planning of each detail of those delectable pages, you'll not understand the value that books like Segreto Vignettes, Segreto Style, and Segreto Secrets have in our homes. They are a constant source of design enchantment, a steady stream of elegant inspiration in the world of decorative paint finishes. It is my new favorite, and I can not urge you any more vehemently:

GO ORDER YOUR COPY! 

Segreto Website Here

Kitchen Inspiration Month: Day 29 - Segreto: Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors

While I have to confess that I am a bit of design book hoarder, rarely do I find one so captivating that I want to share it with all of you. With over 100 in my collection, the best of the best get top billing on the living room table, where I pick them up and read them to avoid the chores of CDLV.

My newest addition is "Segreto: Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors", by Leslie Sinclair; and is by far the most beautiful collection of rooms that aren't just gorgeous, but charasmatic, atmospheric, and covetable. Sinclair, who owns Houston based Segreto Finishes, specializes in paint finishes applied to walls, ceilings, cabinets; she even joked on her Skirted Roundtable Interview that if you stand in one place too long, you might end up with a subtle glaze! These finishes include a newly engineered gypson plaster application, glazes, faux stones, and murals.

Many houses I have shown in the past four years have been those where Segreto applied their magic. And magical is exactly what their finishes are. There is no way to adequately describe how beautiful Leslie’s finishes are. You almost have to experience them firsthand to truly understand their worth. The finishes are subtle and textural – wrapping the room in a soft color while adding an air of sophistication.

I thought a great way to end our Kitchen Inspiration Month, would be to share a few of the beautiful kitchens in Leslie's book, highlighting her amazing paint techniques - let's take a look.

Gorgeous right? Can you believe those cabinet finishes? This isn't your grandmother's faux finishing. In fact, I don't even like to think of Leslie's work as faux finish - but rather art. And I think that every high-end designer in Houston would concur.

For the past 16 years, Leslie and her team have been working on kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms, you name it - they've painted it! Most surprising, Leslie has never been classically trained as a painter! She just picked up a brush and began to release her creative genius. And genius, it is! Her techniques are unique to her, seeing the finish in her mind, and then working on canvas until she gets the look perfect. The result - in one word: Inimitable.

To purchase “Segreto: Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors” from the website click here or to purchase through Amazon click here.

Thank you to Segreto for supplying these photographs!