Book Review: Fall 2011

Design books are a wonderful way to learn about decorating or to get inspired for a project. I constantly reference them for clients and my collection of design books is ever expanding. They are beautifully made, great for decorating with and make fantastic gifts. Here are a few new releases and my most recent purchases:

The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well
By Deborah Needleman

This book is about having fun with your house and making it a comfortable "background for the best life you can have." Needleman, founding editor of Domino Magazine, finds the charm in what some would consider imperfections. She offers lots of tips for making your house cozy, jolly and a place that you and your friends want to be.

The Way Home: Reflections on American Beauty
By Jeffrey Bilhuber

Bilhuber embraces a theme along the same line as Needleman in that a lived-in house is better than one of rigid perfection. The Way Home features twelve of Bilhuber's projects and, unlike most shelter magazines or books, the rooms are not styled by editors. Instead, Bilhuber asked his clients to leave their houses untouched (unmade beds, un-fluffed cushions) so the photography could capture the soul of the house - what it is really like for the families who live there.

Fresh American Spaces

By Annie Selke

Many clients are drawn to a variety of styles which can result in a chic eclectic mix or a hodgepodge of unrelated things. If your house sounds like the latter, this book is for you! Each chapter of Fresh American Spaces focuses on a distinct decorating style (Everyday Exuberance, Refined Romantic, Happy Preppy, Nuanced Neutral, Cultured Electric) for which Selke provides how-to's which readers can easily apply to their own homes. This is a great book for the D.I.Y. homeowner since it features many of Selke's fabrics, rugs and bedlinens which are affordable and available for online purchase from Calico Corners, Dash and Albert, and Pine Cone Hill.

Cecil Beaton: The New York Years
By Donald Albrecht

Fashion photographer, decorator, illustrator, English dandy, set and costume designer - experience a taste of Cecil Beaton's life in New York, all through the lense of his camera. It is easy to get lost in Beaton's photography and feel like you're stepping back in time.

All books available through Potterton Books (212)644-2292.