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 28 - Mirrors, Glass Fridge Doors, Emma Bridgewater Ceramics, Bloggers, and more...

On this, the eve of the end of our month of Kitchen Inspiration photos, I hope that you've found at least one kitchen that you love! This hasn't been an easy series, and I'm not sorry to say that I'm running out of themes. Finding 10-20 photos each day of great kitchens, wholly inspiring, has brought me to this collection of photos that don't quite fit any one of our prior sets.

MIRRORS

Designer Credit: Steve at An Urban Cottage

One of my favorite blogs, An Urban Cottage is written by my bloggy friend Steve who did a relatively quick redo of his Massachusetts kitchen prior to his photographic feature in the upcoming book, "Better Homes & Gardens: New Cottage Style" and had us all standing in applause. Follow the changes here: http://anurbancottage.blogspot.com/2011/06/kitchen-progress.html

GLASS FRIDGE DOORS

Designer Credit: Joan - for the love of a house

Another of my fave bloggers is Joan, of for the love of a house. Her beautiful New Hampshire home has already been featured in BHG's Renovation Style, and I see many, many more features in her future. Thanks in no small part to the amazing kitchen renovation, she and her husband Dan oversaw. Joan shared her fridge in this post: http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2010/12/glass-door-refrigerator.html, and commented that her secret for always making it look good: "My secret weapon in having a glass door refrigerator is .....organized chaos!" Joan goes on to say: "I keep all labels facing forward ... Everything else is willy-nilly, but because the beer, water, milk, yogurts, etc. are all facing straight ahead you get... organized chaos!" See all of Joan's kitchen on here: http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2011/01/kitchen.html

OPEN KITCHEN GREAT ROOMS

Designer Credit: Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey

Designer Credit: Brooke Giannetti - Giannetti Home / Velvet&Linen



Certainly one of the most popular interior designers in the blog world is Brooke Giannetti of Velvet & Linen. Together with her husband, renown architect Steve Giannetti, they have built and designed some of the most beautiful homes in California. In the rehab of their Channel Islands home, Brooke chose a much softer color palette (her signature) and created this amazing Kitchen Great Room. Read about all the before and afters here: http://brookegiannetti.typepad.com/velvet_and_linen/my-home-in-channel-islands-harbor/, or buy their absolutely amazing book, filled with this and other inspiring rooms you'll never tire of looking of: "Patina Style" on the blog, or on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Patina-Style-Brooke-Giannetti/dp/1423622537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303840873&sr=8-1

EMMA BRIDGEWATER CERAMICS

Designer Credit: Joni Webb - Cote de Texas

I first saw the beautiful "PURE BUTTER" tray inspired by the English ceramics of Emma Bridgewater in the fabulous kitchen remodel of Cote de Texas author, and blogging hallmark, Joni Webb. One of my very best bloggy friends, Joni has inspired countless readers in the quintessential Houston style, defined by clean, white linen, seagrass, and symmetrical design. Her home has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Houston House and Home, and her kitchen was recently photographed for another BHG publication which should be on stands soon. If you're as taken with them as I am, you can shop for the trays and EB ceramics (in the US) here: http://www.joannehudson.com/, or visit the Emma Bridgewater site (UK) here: http://www.emmabridgewater.co.uk/.

So that's it - we've exhausted my inspiration files - FINALLY! I thought that the day would never come! Tomorrow we'll end February and Kitchen Inspiration Month with the fabulous decorative paint work of Houston artist, Leslie Sinclair - and her new, and jaw dropping book: Segreto Finishes: Secrets To Finishing Beautiful Interiors. It's gonna be the best post of the whole month!