Fine Print: Miles Redd The Big Book of Chic

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?

Giveaway: Win Amanda Nisbet’s New Book

I often feature rooms designed by Amanda Nisbet, so was excited to learn she has her first book coming out. (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, September 15, 2012.).  In celebration of “What’s New What’s Next at the New York Design Center this Thursday, I am giving away a signed copy. Just leave a comment on this post about a new interior design look you love, or one you’d wish would go away.

Stop by the NYDC for “What’s New What’s Next”

Designers, editors, and topics include:
Thom Filicia & Elle Decor editor, Michael Boodro
Charlotte Moss & House Beautiful editor, Newell Turner
 Simon Doonan on Jonathan Adler’s new collection for Kravet
Celerie Kemble on her new book Black & White
and
Amanda Nisbet on her new book Dazzling Designs

WHATWhat’s New, What’s Next
WHERE: New York Design Center, 200 Lexington Ave., NYC
WHEN: September 13, 2012 – 3-9pm
RSVP: Click here.

A M A N D A   N I S B E T
I love the colors and patterns she infuses into her classic designs, which lighten the mood.

To enter to win a signed copy of Amanda Nisbet’s Dazzling Designs, leave a comment on this post about a new look you love or a look you are totally over already. Be sure it posts with your email address so I can contact you if you win. Deadline to enter is Monday, Sept. 17 at midnight E.S.T.

Fine Print: Oberto Gilli Home Sweet Home

Although it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, stores are fervently blasting Christmas tunes to get shoppers in the mood. I prefer to do my shopping online, with my sound shut off.  Between intrusive tunes and the disappearance of brick and mortar bookstores, I thought it would be helpful to start featuring the best design-related coffee table books that have been published recently. While I’m anti-paper in most aspects of my life, I still adore a glossy book. This one makes a beautiful holiday gift.

Oberto Gill: Home Sweet Home, Rizzoli, October 2011

Oberto Gill: Home Sweet Home showcases “sumptuous and bohemian interiors” shot by Oberto Gilli throughout his career. (His work has appeared in House & Garden, Town & Country, Vogue.) There are photos of more than 40 homes shown in full, from New York City penthouses and artist lofts to seventeenth-century Italian villas and country homes in Morocco. Here is a sampling:

Decorator Muriel Brandolini’s first apartment in New York, 1992

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Oberto Gili’s home in Piedmont, Italy, 2010

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Oberto Gili’s home in Piedmont, Italy, 2010

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Artist and photographer Andres Serrano, New York City, 2000

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Artist Ellsworth Kelly’s studio in Spencertown, New York, 1996

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Vineyard owners Laura di Collobiano & Moreno Petrini’s 16th century abode in Tuscany, 2007

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Oberto Gili’s home in Piedmont, Italy, 2010

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Paola Igliori (poet, photographer, writer, filmmaker), Villa Lina, Lazio, Italy, 2008

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Oberto Gili’s home in Piedmont, Italy, 2010

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Landscape architect Paolo Pejrone’s home in Italy, 2010

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Artist Anish Kapoor’s house, Notting HIll Gate, London, 1998

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Gallery owner John Cheim’s loft in New York City, 1989

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Oberto Gili’s home in Piedmont, Italy, 2010

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Isabella Rosselini’s barn in Bellport, Long Island, 2010

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Oberto Gili’s studio in Piedmont, Italy, 2010

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For more about the man, I recommend New York Social Diary’s fantastic tour of Gilli’s brownstone in the West Village.

Fine Print: Victoria Hagan Interior Portraits

Victoria Hagan’s design book Interior Portraits (Rizzoli, October 2010) came out back in October, but I’ve been so busy these last few months I’m just catching up on my reading now. I’ve been a fan of Hagan’s work for years. Her environments are quiet, yet strong, perfectly balanced and sophisticated. I especially admire her sense of composition, serene aesthetic, and way she incorporates statement artwork.

Designer Victoria Hagan Blue Library

This blue library is much more saturated in color than Hagan’s usual spaces. The blue/green walls have an ombré effect. I adore oversize artwork and that teal velvet chair. 

Designer Victoria Hagan White Living Room With Statement Artwork

A great big canvas adds life and color to a neutral room, picking up on the colors and lines of the rug.

Designer Victoria Hagan Brown Living Room With Statement Art

A double contemporary portrait paired with an Oriental carpet and luscious cranberry velvet sofa.

Designer Victoria Hagan Study With Wood Paneling And Blue Sofa

A photo adds movement to this wood-panelled study.

Designer Victoria Hagan Living Room With Green Drapes

I love how the drapes on the French doors correspond to the fireplace surround.

Designer Victoria Hagan White Hi Res Office

A room with a view, and an extra large mirror to reflect all that light.

Victoria Hagan Interior Portraits Book Rizzoli October 2010

Victoria Hagan, Interior Portraits, Rizzoli, 2010

 

 

 

Fine Print: Tricia Guild Colors, Patterns, and Space

Color temptress Tricia Guild of Designers Guild has a new book out this month. As always the palettes and mix of patterns is fabulous. And, I love the book’s black and white cloth binding.

Tricia Guild Colors, Patterns, and Space

© Tricia Guild: Colors, Patterns, and Space, Rizzoli New York, 2010.  Photos: James Merrell, 2010