I’ve got a ridiculous stack of luscious design books on my (Heywood-Wakefield) coffee table. I may have to start posting twice a day in order to work them all in. If you’re on top of things, you’ll note that a couple of these came out in the spring.
Let’s start with NYC interior designer Miles Redd’s The Big Book of Chic (October 2012, Assouline), which I don’t even actually have IRL. However, Assouline provided me with a digital version and press images. Plus, I found a nifty video on their site in which Miles waxes poetic on the roots of his personal style and his vision for this printed masterpiece.
“This is a book about dreams coming true; the curiosities in the rooms I have decorated; and the people, artists, and places that have inspired me.”
There are some good glimpses of his character and aesthetic from this video. He’s quite appealing. There are also stills of the pages of color-drenched, carefully curated rooms. My favorite nugget:
“I think my love of color came from my mother’s love to dress me up in like, pastel jeans. . .She just would go crazy [with] apricot sorbet color sweaters and mattress plaid pants. I took to it pretty quickly.”
Hailing from Atlanta, Redd moved to NYC to study film at NYU, though his true interest lay in set design. After graduating he worked for antiques dealer John Rosselli, and then assisted decorator Bunny Williams. I plan to meet later this month when she’s in Boston promoting her new line of furniture. I shall ask her about him! Redd established his own firm in 1998.
“Great rooms are made up of great objects.”
Photo credits clockwise: © Doug Friedman; reprinted with permission from House Beautiful © 1997 Hearst Communications, Inc., all rights reserved, photo by Oberto Gili; © Paul Costello; © Quentin Bacon; © Martyn Thompson.
A few of the rooms in the book:
Courtesy of Marlyn Thompson
© Francesco Lagnese
© James Merrill | © Paul Costello
His use of color is spectacular, dont you think?
