Book Review: Nora Murphy's Country House Style

Country style is a design style that has so many definitions. Unlike most every other, country style can span nearly every genre of interior design and embodies a unique perspective on the way we live. It is very nearly impossible to have a globally accepted idea of what the "Country House Style" should look like, but Nora Murphy has gotten us as close as we will ever be. She has turned her passion for the country style into a multimedia juggernaut. She has a blog, a website, an e-magazine, 20,000+ followers on instagram, and now a book, recently published by Vendome Press. 

The book has gorgeous photos, yes. But what I was most taken with was the clearly illustrated definition of Nora's country style: comfortable, comforting, easy. Take a look: 

Definitely a great source for inspiration on projects large and small, outdoors and inside. Take a look, and grab a heck of a bargain via the Amazon link below: 

Book Review: AT HOME Isabel Lopez-Quesada

We all know that I love interior design books, right? Even though I parted with dozens that I had loved for long enough this past spring, I still have a large bookcase filled with the best of the best, my absolute favorites - constant inspiration. I am so pleased to add At Home, the beautiful and sophisticated monograph on the homes of Isabel Lopez-Quesada. 

If you don't happen to know her, Isabel Lopez-Quesada is a very popular Spanish interior designer, with a gloriously unique and beautiful aesthetic, which has sort of defined the new "Contemporary European" look. Passion and obsession fuel her interiors, a mix of antiques and contemporary furniture all with beautiful collections and a mix of antique and ethnic textiles. 

What's even better is that the book is a journey through her own homes in France and Spain, a look into the laboratory of a genius. From the Madrid city house with a gorgeous courtyard to the farmhouse she owns in Biarritz, inspiration abounds. Let's take a look shall we? 

I mean, gorgeous, right!? Page after page of the 200+ page book is filled with gorgeous photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna, a photographer who has been regularly published by Architectural Digest, Milieu, Vogue, and Elle Decor. Not to mention, his own book, Haute Bohemians, has been a runaway best seller and one of my other all-time favorite books!

With the winter creeping up on some of us (not so much me, as I look out the window as I type and watch the snow collect on an already impressive 12 inches covering the ground) there is no better time to invest in some beautiful interior design books! So take a further look, and buy one for yourself via the Amazon link below.

And if you are a fan of the photography, check out my review of Haute Bohemians here. And if you love it, here's a link to buy that one, too!

Book Review: Dior and his Decorators

I've been stacking up the books for book reviews this fall and winter season, knowing that so many of us are going to be fighting the unwelcoming and blistering cold temperatures outside, with a hot cup of coffee and a really good book inside. So keep watch for the book reviews that'll be coming forth soon! They're lovely and wonderful and sure to bring you lots of great suggestions for the perfect books to spend time with this winter!

Dior and His Decorators is an amazing book for anyone who loves fashion and interior design. The tome covers the work of the two interior designers who most closely associated with Christian Dior, Victor Grandpierre and Georges Geffroy. Grandpierre designed Dior's first couture house, not only the interiors, but the entire template for the iconic Dior brand, the typeface, logo, and packaging!

Grandpierre and Geffroy worked independently of one another, however, the two in tandem, are responsible for the brilliant interiors of the New York townhouse many of us have pinned or blogged about or simply coveted for years. Christian Dior passed away in 1957, but the designs of the two men who outfitted his lavish lifestyle went on to grace the homes and salons of Yves Saint Laurent, Marcel Rochas, Gloria Guinness, Daisy Fellowes, and Maria Callas.

Let's take a look inside the book, shall we?

More than fashion and design, there is a rich history woven through the words of Maureen Footer about Dior, Geffroy, and Grandpierre. A history that has culminated in a luxurious fashion house that still exists today, and decor that is ever inspiring - proving that timelessness does exist, if you know how to get it just right. 

A great gift for the fashionista, or decorista - and a beautiful coffee table book, too! Better yet, a book that will always be inspiring, interesting, and thoroughly enjoyed. Take a closer look and grab your copy via the Amazon link below:

Book Review: Haute Bohemians

Haute Bohemians by Miguel Flores-Vianna

Foreword by Amy Astley (Architectural Digest)

Vendome Press has some amazing interior design books hitting the shelves this fall, including this one, Haute Bohemians. The first book of what I'm sure will be many for lifestyle photographer Miguel Flores-Vianna, Haute Bohemians takes the focus off of perfectly styled, new on top of new interior design, and keenly concentrates on the international, artistic, collected and authentic interiors of an extraordinary collection of homes owned by artists, interior designers, fashion designers, architects, and more. 

You're not going to see collections of the newest, hottest trend filling the pages of Haute Bohemians. Nor will you see the same fabrics you've been seeing used over, and over, and over again. They won't be meticulously styled, with dust and wrinkles nowhere in sight. No, the stunning homes featured in the book are true to the motto "Home is where the Heart is", warmly lived in, beautifully curated, and uniquely photographed by the very talented Miguel. 

Take a look: 

With more than 300-pages, in large 10x13 format, this stunning volume is the perfect coffee table book for fall. If you're tired of seeing perfectly coiffed, sterile spaces, I highly suggest taking a look and purchasing your copy via the Amazon link below. True art, and unique points of view exist in the pages of Haute Bohemians. It's a wonderful tribute to the art of home, and a breath of fresh air. Just what I think we all needed!

Book Review: Out East: Houses and Gardens of the Hamptons

If you only buy one book to add to your collection of interior design and coffee table books this summer, it better be Out East: Houses and Gardens of the Hamptons by Jennifer Ash Rudick with photos by Tria Giovan. Every single page is more stunning than the last, and it is inspiring on every single level. 

Whether you have an interest in gardening, interior design, vignettes and tablescapes, architecture, or all of the above, I promise you will be thoroughly satiated by this book. I have so much to say about Out East, but before I go on and on, I want to start with some photos. Let's take a look inside shall we?

Incredible, right? And that's only a tiny sampling of the more than 30 homes and gardens featured in the 328-page volume. The book is incredibly beautiful, wonderfully laid out, and an informative and educational read. Author Jennifer Ash Rudick is a native Floridian, but has lived in Southampton for years with her husband and their two children. An already celebrated author with three books under her belt, Jennifer presents a fresh perspective on the Hamptons, an insiders scoop if you will, as she walks us through some of Long Island's most glamorous spaces under roof and sky. 

Houses designed by interior designers like Jeffrey Bilhuber, Tom Scheerer, Muriel Brandolini, Robert Couturier and Daniel Romualdez range from delightful cottages to sprawling shingled mansions, and gardens span from formal and manicured to wispy and organic. Still, with all of the different styles featured in architecture, decor, and gardenscape - there's a common thread holding all of these properties together, and that's the feeling of relaxation. Without a doubt, Tria Giovan has captured the Hamptons as the most peaceful and contented place on earth.

You may remember the recent architectural digest feature on "Woody House" with photos taken by Tria Giovan. Woody House is smartly featured in Out East, with additional photos and far more information on the decoration of the house, the process and the inspiration. So if you were a Woody Fan, and so many of us were, you'll be overjoyed by the multi-page layout of Woody House in Out East.

Brilliant and beautiful, I highly recommend you pick up a copy for yourself. Check out more of the book and purchase via the amazon link below: