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4 Favourite Decorating Books

admin — Thu, 12 May 2016 06:40:19 +0000

When it comes to decorating books, I’m a firm believer in the idea that one should always start with the classics. Trends come and go, but so many contemporary designs are inspired by the mothers and fathers of modern interior decorating and understanding what they were all about has been key, for me, to developing my own approach and style. Their books are all about story telling, proportion and decoration, about creating an ambiance and a way of living, and each one is so reflective of the character of the decorator. All the designers I place in this category are strong personalities with equally strong visual vocabularies that endure time and continue to inspire – and applying their lessons to modern day living often makes for the most effective approach. Here are the four books I couldn’t have done without.

Billy Baldwin – Decorate

One of the first books that got me into decorating, I came across Billy Baldwin on my mother’s bookshelf. What struck me initially was that he had this tiny apartment (as did I, at the time,) and yet he still managed to create a fantastic space in which all of the elements worked together to make something so visually appealing. His book wasn’t just about decorating, although he did have this wonderful, snappy style, it was more about living. Yes, he had his iconic pieces such as his slipper chair, but it all seemed to be more about how people interacted, about pulling up a pouf and having a conversation, than perfectly placed pieces. It struck me as a very good place to start.

Dorothy Draper – Decorating is Fun and In The Pink

Dorothy Draper inspired a whole era of design in Hollywood Regency. One of the first professional women to decorate, her iconic spaces created at the Carlyle, the Fairmont and the Metropolitan Museum’s original restaurant around their fountain (where I spent many childhood afternoons,) still inspire countless imitations. At KOTUR we often refer to her bold use of color and geometric patterns (she was famous for her chequerboard floors,) in our collections.

Tony Duquette – More is More

Duquette was a set designer, jewelry designer, costume designer and decorator, and his maximalist approach is something I’ve always admired. Specifically, his contribution to America’s adoption of Chinoiserie, and the lavish sort of lacquer filled, glossy and sumptuous interiors of the 1960’s he produced have inspired me both at home and at Kotur, where we often look to Duquette for a little dusting of magic.

David Hicks – On Decoration

A full set of Hicks’ original, out-of-print books bought at abe.com is one of my most treasured possessions. The debonair British King of Print who reigned supreme in the 60’s and 70’s was known for his unabashed use of color and geometric design, no matter how grand the project he was dealing with. His prints still seem just as of the moment today as they did when they were first produced in his heyday – I have his wallpaper in my son’s bedroom and his printed linen forms the canopy of my bed. Eclectic and unfussy, yet always attention grabbing in the best sort of way, Hicks is a designer I have looked to for inspiration time and time again.

Photo courtesy of amazon.com

Design Elements We Love: Graphic Floors

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 04:52:07 +0000

Graphic floors

Evoking more than a little of the dining clubs this set so liked to frequent by night, glamorous Hollywood Regency homes were often found to have statement monochrome floors in them. A major proponent of this was Dorothy Draper, regularly named the first professional interior designer in America and the woman responsible for outstanding deco-inspired projects such as the Carlyle and the Fairmont. Her most famous commission, that of completely revamping the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia after its use in WW2 as a military hospital, proves the epitome of her look. Dramatic prints, colorful chintzes, glossy finishes and a chequerboard floor all play a part in its famous staircase, a benchmark for the “Modern Baroque” style that Draper invented.

Photo Courtesy of Museum of the City New York, Tony Duquette

Design Elements We Love: Bar Cart

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 06:46:17 +0000

If the glamour of the Big Band era was to be found in everything from the clothes people wore to the cocktails they drank, then it was also extremely visible in their homes. As Mid Century Modern design took hold and a new era of Hollywood style glamour dawned, home décor was given something of a makeover, one that suited this new, fun loving and opulent way of life. As seen so famously in Sinatra’s own Twin Palms estate in Palm Springs as well as popular haunts of the time such as The Beverley Hills Hotel, The Sands and Dorothy Draper’s revamped Greenbrier, it was a time of lacquered cabinets and chrome accessories, sleek lines and chandeliers, Chinoiserie and chequerboard floors – and it all amounted to one hell of a look. In our Fall collection, we have referenced just this; jewel toned brocades, animal prints, embellishment and shiny metallics all take their cue from Hollywood glam.

We have rounded up 5 key design elements over the course of this week:

The Bar Cart

If there is one item that just about sums up the essence of Rat Pack era interior design, it could well be the bar cart. With its immediate connotations of ‘cocktail hour,’ of a home shaken martini (or perhaps a Manhattan,) a bar trolley adorned with specialist liquors, crystal glasses and silver plated shakers is an instant transporter to an all-together more decadent time. Vintage chrome bar carts by the likes of Milo Baughman are now collector’s items and available via sites such as 1st Dibs, whilst several design blogs have dedicated articles to sourcing the best modern replicas. Whichever you go for, dressing your cart is key. You can see our previous blog by interiors guru Rita Konig on exactly what you need to stock it up with here.

Photo Courtesy of Michael Yarish AMC, entertainmentweekly.com