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Home Library: Downtown Chic
No academic course will teach you how to give a derelict house a gut renovation and turn it into a fantastically unique, high-style home. That skill comes with experience and serious design savvy, something which Robert and Cortney Novogratz accidentally learned they had.
After renovating their first home in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood 10 years ago, which then was a neglected, not-so-fashionable area, they realized they had a knack for building and decorating, together.
Home Library: Style and Substance
For 20 years, Elle Decor's chic issues have offered readers ideas and inspiration for their homes. I've been collecting a giant stack of dog-eared Elle Decor issues for the last 10 years, so I'm excited to announce that the best of the magazine can now be found in Style and Substance ($45) by Margaret Russell and the editors of Elle Decor. I was thrilled to receive a (personally autographed!) copy of Style and Substance in my mailbox, and couldn't wait to review the book.
Home Library: A Girl's Guide to Decorating
When I think of interior designer and stylist Abigail Ahern, who also owns one of London's leading interiors stores, there are a few things that come to mind. One is the Neo Baroque Chandelier in her collection — one of the most breathtaking and showstopping pieces I have ever come across. And the other is her perfected and signature use of Farrow & Ball's "Downpipe" paint from floor to ceiling — which inspired my own gray(-ish) kitchen.
ELLE Decor Gears Up For the Launch of Style and Substance
It's a big month for ELLE Decor. Not only is it the magazine's 20th anniversary, but Oct. 28 marks the official launch of the new book Style and Substance: The Best of Elle Decor, written by editor-in-chief Margaret Russell (below).
Cool Idea: Books by the Foot
I am on a never-ending quest to expand my home library, and fortunately my home is small enough that I'm not plagued with any bare bookcases giving guests the illusion that I'm illiterate. But, if I did live in a sprawling space with lots of storage, why not fill those built-ins with books? Enter Wonder Book, which sells books by the foot.
Ask Casa: Books on Spanish Colonial Architecture
Hello Casa,
My dream is to buy or build a Spanish Colonial home for myself one day. I was wondering if you could recommend some books on this architectural style for me. Some coffee table books would be fine, or something on the construction of the homes too and interior design .
Home Library: To Each His Home
In a rare place where eclectic is the norm, where the title "interior designer" is alien, and flea markets and thrift stores replace big box and e-commerce retailers, To Each His Home ($45) by Bilyana Dimitrova would be the go-to design book. But, in a climate where design trends rule many of us, where finding one-of-a-kind, well-loved artifacts takes more effort than swooping up the hottest decorative accessory, Dimitrova's book isn't a design guide but simply a refreshing reminder that our houses speak for ourselves, for better or worse. To see the rest of my review, read more
Home Library: Stencil101
Growing up, I remember visiting many homes whose walls were stenciled with cabbage roses and ivy. These shabby chic delights were never my preference, even as a kid, but I did admire the technique of stenciling. Years later, stenciling became an integral part of graffiti culture, and Shepherd Fairey's Obey stencil, which he created nearly 20 years ago, launched an army of Obey stencils graffitied across the country.
Home Library: French General: Home Sewn
On Project Runway, co-host Tim Gunn's most dismissive comment on a garment was that it looked home sewn. Given this unfavorable recent pop culture reference, it's refreshing to see a beautiful book proudly bearing a title of the same name.
Kaari Meng, owner of the adorable Hollywood crafts and notion store French General, has extended her expertise to the book world with French General: Home Sewn ($24.95).
Home Library: Handmade Hellos
Signed, sealed, and delivered from the ladies of Hello!Lucky letterpress, the new how-to book Handmade Hellos ($19.95) gives rebirth to a long-lost craft: card making. It's one thing to hand write a note in today's world of email, SMS, MMS, IM, BBM, etc. — a good thing.
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