Perfect Neutrals
Color You Can Live With
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Stone, grey, cream, taupe. Been there, done that. The new neutrals is a soft palette of greens, pinks, blues and other earth- and watercolors.
Stephanie Hoppen shows us how to bring color into our homes without losing the calm and soothing qualities of a neutral scheme. Author of several books on decorating with color, she brings her clear eye and dead-on sense of style to the art of building on a unified palette: how to layer colors, introduce textiles and mix patterns.
Under chapter headings like “Celadon to Pistachio,” “Lilac to Heather” and “Topaz to Terracotta,” Hoppen take us through the steps of tone, texture and pattern that create a pleasing whole. She helpfully names names, pointing readers toward designers, paint manufacturers, textile makers and others who meet her criteria. Gorgeous photography illustrates just how lush and warm a neutral room can be.
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Provençal Escapes
Inspirational Homes in Provençe and the Côte d'Azur
Friday, July 06, 2007
This is a book that makes you want to run for the hills—the hills above Nice. Caroline Clifton-Mogg has gathered a selection of wonderfully individual and authentic homes across the south of France, decorated with verve and clarity. Photographer Christopher Drake captures the essential spirit of these homes in stunning detail.
This is not the Provençe of roosters and primary colored prints. This is a much more subdued Provençe, yet as lively and full of warmth as a Riviera summer’s day. There are grand chateaux, airy bastides and tiny village houses. They range from classically sophisticated to casual and rustic. Yet they all share a regional legacy that is satisfyingly brought to life in these pages.
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Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House
Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Have you thought about making your next home safer, healthier, greener?
No need to wait! “Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House” makes clear that you don’t have to build new in order to enjoy a green home. You can reap many of the benefits through a remodel.
Carol Venolia and Kelly Lerner balance the philosophical underpinnings of green construction with the technical information required to implement the concept. It’s packed with great ideas, gorgeous photography and, you’ll love this, resource lists. No matter the extent of your remodel or the size of your budget, you’ll find something useful here.
The book is a finalist for the 2007 Nautilus Book Awards, which recognize literary works that embrace spiritual and ecological values such as compassion, sustainability and simplicity.
Super Tuscan
The Basics of Tuscan Style
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Our love for all things Italian replenished from a recent trip to Italy, we’d like to share with you one of our favorite Italian design books. “Tuscan Elements,” by Alexandra Black and Simon McBride, is a beautifully written and sumptuously illustrated guide to Tuscan style from the ground up.
Author Black deconstructs the archetypal Tuscan house into four components: stone, wood, earth and water. It is these elements that give the Tuscan house, whether rustic farmhouse or elegant villa, its unique character. Delving into the history of each of these elements, Black shows how they are used today in everything from stone walls and terracotta tile roofs to oak furniture and water features.
You’ll be checking the immobili listings before you’re halfway through!
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No Shoes, No Shirt …
... Come On In! Casual Homes Evolve
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
After reading this book, you just might start saving your pennies for a vacation home—or bring that casual sensibility into your own.
“The Barefoot Home: Dressed-Down Design for Casual Living” by Marc Vassallo showcases homes that exemplify the lack of formality, openness and connection to nature that define the concept. California is well represented in the striking layouts, which feature homes from around the country.
Vassallo provides floor plans along with the lush photography and strong descriptive writing. If you’re looking for ideas on how to make your home more relaxed while still remaining stylish, this is the book for you.
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Small Change
A Bigger Idea From "Not So Big" Author
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Fans of architect Sarah Susanka and her “Not So Big” series have a reason to cheer. With her latest book, the author of the thought-provoking “The Not So Big House” has expanded her concept of quality over quantity beyond the home.
“The Not So Big Life,” asks if our desire to improve our homes is really just a transferred need to improve our lives. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, she urges us to be “the change we wish in the world.”
Using stories and exercises, Susanka shows us how we can become the architects of our own lives, remodeling our assumptions, our philosophies and our actions.
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