It’s no secret that I love a good coffee-table book. To me,
it’s an element of design like a statue, a vase of flowers, a candle, a picture
frame or my favorite prayer beads. Everyone always asks me where I get all of
my books. There is no one source… Until now. I have compiled a collection of my
all-time favorite coffee-table books in my Have Some Decorum bookstore! I have
started with about 200 interior design books. The collection is constantly
growing and I will be adding new categories. For today’s posting these are some
of my favorites…
Dictator Style
Not only do I love the title and the leopard cover, but the
content is hysterical. The interiors of some of the dictators are so gauche and
gaudy, it makes me smile and I love having it on my table.
François Halard
As the most prolific and well known interior and architectural photographer of our time, François Halard’s book includes images of the “glorious homes of the most important tastemakers, artists and designers of the 20th century.” Julian Schnabel, Coco Chanel, Yves St. Laurent, the Duchess of Devonshire, Roger Vivier, Axel Vervoordt, Schiaparelli, and Balthus to name a few.
As the most prolific and well known interior and architectural photographer of our time, François Halard’s book includes images of the “glorious homes of the most important tastemakers, artists and designers of the 20th century.” Julian Schnabel, Coco Chanel, Yves St. Laurent, the Duchess of Devonshire, Roger Vivier, Axel Vervoordt, Schiaparelli, and Balthus to name a few.
The Finest Houses of Paris.
My mother and I refer to this book as The Bible. Enough
said.
Codognato
Codognato is a tiny jewel of a shop in Venice, Italy. It dates back to 1866. The most stylish and chic were loyal customers… Jean Cocteau, Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir, Coco Chanel, Peggy Guggenheim, Princess Grace of Monaco, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan and my husband. : )
Codognato is a tiny jewel of a shop in Venice, Italy. It dates back to 1866. The most stylish and chic were loyal customers… Jean Cocteau, Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir, Coco Chanel, Peggy Guggenheim, Princess Grace of Monaco, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan and my husband. : )
Beauty at Home: Aerin Lauder
I think I want to add Aerin Lauder to my list of people I want to be friends with. She has a classic style that I appreciate and she doesn’t seem to be a big fat snob for being a billionaire at my age. She has a great website, www.aerin.com, that has some really great accessories for the home. Yeah, I like her.
I think I want to add Aerin Lauder to my list of people I want to be friends with. She has a classic style that I appreciate and she doesn’t seem to be a big fat snob for being a billionaire at my age. She has a great website, www.aerin.com, that has some really great accessories for the home. Yeah, I like her.
I Married Adventure
“Before Joy Adamson went to Africa, before Margaret Mead
sailed to Samoa, before Dian Fosse was even born, a Kansas teenager
named Osa Leighty married Martin Johnson, a pioneering
photographer just back from a 'round-the-world cruise with Jack London. Together
the Johnsons flew and sailed to Borneo, to Kenya, and to the Congo, filming
Simba and other popular nature movies with Martin behind the camera and Osa
holding her rifle at the ready in case the scene's big game star should turn
hostile. This bestselling memoir retraces their careers in rich detail, with
precisely observed descriptions and often heart-stopping anecdotes. Illustrated
with scores of the dramatic photos that made the Johnsons famous, it's a book
sure to delight every lover of true adventure.”
Santa Barbara Living.
Obviously, hands down Diandra Douglas’ home on the cover of this book is la crème de la crème of taste, style, chic and every other word that describes fabulousness. If you want to have a great house, just copy this one.
Obviously, hands down Diandra Douglas’ home on the cover of this book is la crème de la crème of taste, style, chic and every other word that describes fabulousness. If you want to have a great house, just copy this one.
Creativity At Work
This is a great book that my friend Heather Clawson wrote. According to Heather, “The book peeks into the work spaces of creative people in fashion, design, art, and other industries. It is a chic mix of uptown, downtown, young, old, established, and up and coming.” Love it. Love her.
This is a great book that my friend Heather Clawson wrote. According to Heather, “The book peeks into the work spaces of creative people in fashion, design, art, and other industries. It is a chic mix of uptown, downtown, young, old, established, and up and coming.” Love it. Love her.
Kathryn M. Ireland: Creating A Home
Definitely an inspiring book. She has a unique way of
making a home feel cozy and well lived in. If you hire her as a designer, just let
her do her thing, don’t interject. All of her books are great.
Domicilium Decoratus
Proust Questionnaire
The Proust Questionnaire book is one of my favorites. It’s
fun to see if my friends are as stupid as I am. Not only could I not answer
some of the questions, I couldn’t even understand the question being asked. Not
a good look. But a great book, nonetheless.
Beyond Chic: Great Fashion Designers at Home
According to Veranda, this book, “Invites readers into the
private homes of very public tastemakers and a lustrous list of
equally-inspiring courteriers, stylists, muses, and fashion personalities.”
Good enough for me!
An Invitation to Château du Grand–Luce
This book is, as my grandmother would say, “Divine.” The
book chronicles the restoration of a historic Château in the Loire Valley owned
by designer Timothy Corrigan. This book is a must-have. You’re going to be so
jealous of this house.
All of these books are available
in my
Have Some Decorum
bookshop!
It just slays me when I read posts like this and there are no comments. Um, cello? *shaking head in wonder* All of these suggestions are brrrillliant. There are SO many of these books that have been on my Wish List since they came out and of course I found a few others to tempt me as well. Gee, "thank you" Ellie! ;)
ReplyDeletePS. Yes I am hanging out at your house a bit today as I have a flu thingy and it is cheering me up like nobody's business. But I hope that it goes without saying that I don't want to take away too much of your breath, especially these days, by leaving tons of comments. I will try to keep them to a mini.
Great choices. Beyond Chic. And inspiring....thank you Ellie for the Proustian enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteKeep them coming, your favorites are classics. Christine x