This Week’s Finds

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For this week’s finds, I thought I’d share with you some fun design books that have been on my mind lately. Some are from my own library while others are new, or about to be released. The enduring power of a great design book never ceases to amaze me. I was in a bookstore the other day and found a couple of volumes published in the 80s and early 90s on cottage style decorating (my favorite). I love old design books and pick them up whenever I can, but with these two I realized at a glance that most of the images featured were no longer relevant for the way we live & decorate today.  Why is it that some design books age beautifully while others have an expiration date? I’ve always been fascinated by the difference between timeless design and trends so I got them anyway, to study them more closely. Books are a great way to educate your eye on what stands the test of time and, most importantly, what doesn’t! 🙂 I won’t share the titles with you, out of respect for their authors, but instead I’ll share some books old & new that I absolutely love and think you will love too!

One design & architecture book I often return to is Creating a New Old House, by Russell Versaci. The content is evergreen – it continues to be inspirational long after the book was published. By the way, I have found it to be true of most books written by classical architects – they age well and become wonderful guides that you can reference for many years.

There are a few upcoming releases that I think many of you will enjoy: Charm School – The Schumacher Guide to Traditional Decorating for Today written by Emma Bazilian and Stephanie Diaz is one of them. I had a peek and it is absolutely wonderful, inside and out. 

Another highly anticipated design volume for lovers of old world charm and Palm Beach is Jennifer Ash Rudick’s new book: Palm Beach Living.

Suzanne Rheinstein’s new book – A Welcoming Elegance – comes out later this year and is another must-have. The book features some of her best work in recent years and, judging by the cover alone, it will be incredible.

Here are some other titles I’ve had on my mind this month:

Domestic Bliss: Simple Ways to Add Style to Your Life, by Rita Konig

History Reinterpreted: The Myles Standish Hotel by Patrick Ahearn 

The Evolution of Home, by Emma Sims-Hilditch

Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, by Karen Kingston

Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens

The House of a Lifetime: A collector’s Journey in Tangier by Umberto Pasti

I’d love to hear what books are YOU reading these days! Do you have a design book that is timeless to you? Let us know in the comments below!

Now I’m off to put some finishing touches on a client presentation, and maybe even squeeze in some painting time before the arrival of a sweet four-legged guest tomorrow. Wishing you all a happy weekend!