My favorite design and architecture books of 2013

I am a bit late in getting this out, but here is the list of art/décor/architecture books that I have acquired in 2013 – it was a great year for books!   I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of these books, and think you will too.  It’s certainly not too late to purchase these for Christmas (as ideas for yourself or others) with Amazon’s speedy shipping.

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I have seen Brian McCarthy’s work in my favorite magazines (most recently, a beautiful project in Veranda), and knew he was a Parrish-Hadley alum.  But reading this book really opened my eyes to the extraordinary quality of his work, which is based on many years of study, travel, experience, and a deep understanding of design.  McCarthy was recently selected for the AD100; in his profile, AD says McCarthy “likens his process to that of a painter, adding one decorative layer upon another to create homes that are intimate portraits of his clients”.  The book is wonderful, and deserves its own blog post. Each of the nine projects has its own chapter; McCarthy gives the full story of each project and interweaves it with beautiful photos.  The design of the individual projects is totally unique and reflective of the lifestyle of McCarthy’s clients.   

I was particularly interested to see (for the first time) the interiors of a 10,000 square foot townhouse in Atlanta that was decorated in authentic 18th century French style.  I had heard about this residence through the years, and it won a Shutze award in 2012, but to see the interiors in this book was truly a privilege.  According to the detail about the project, the townhouse took 35 trips to Europe to furnish (over the course of 5 years) and was one of the most memorable projects of McCarthy's career.  I highly, highly recommend this book – all 256 pages kept me spellbound. Click here to see Luminous Interiors on Amazon.

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In the new book, Suzanne takes us through eight houses, each of which has unique character and style. Each project inspired Suzanne in different ways, reflecting the lifestyles and tastes of her clients and the environments in which the houses function. Some of the projects have never been published, and some have been published. However, 30-50 pages are devoted to each house, so many rooms and details are revealed that have never been seen before, with in depth perspectives on the process that went into the design, why certain items and colors were selected, and how the specific space relates to the whole.  When reading the book, I felt as if I was getting a personal tour of each house by Suzanne herself. I was also struck with the wide range of styles featured in the houses, which emphasizes how Suzanne truly makes the spaces so personal to each client and so reflective of their specific style and taste. Timeless Style can be seen on Amazon here.

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One of my favorite books of the year, it is full of beautiful images of interiors by the talented team at Circa Interiors.  This is a book I go to again and again for inspiration and to see how the authors and their design teams handled different situations. Click here to see The Welcoming House on Amazon.

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It is a wonderful book that is full of beautiful pictures of many of Mr. Schafer’s projects, and details the thought behind the design or restoration of the houses, the landscape, and their interiors.  The book is divided into two parts – the first part covering the philosophy of Mr. Schafer’s approach to architecture, landscape, and interiors, and the second part covering four specific houses (including their floor plans and a detailed story of each house).  Many of the houses are decorated by the top designers in the industry, as well as nationally recognized landscape architects. Click here to see The Great American House on Amazon.

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I have a sincere appreciation for the aesthetic and design of California based designers, and have admired Suzanne Tucker’s style for years. This is her second book, and the focus is on recent projects.  Fifteen projects are beautifully presented, overall more casual than the ones in her first book, but no less luxurious – perhaps reflecting the way people want to live in the 21st century.  Click here to see Suzanne Tucker Interiors on Amazon.

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I am a huge fan of Jan Showers work (her first book, Glamorous Rooms, is one of my all time favorites).  Her latest book invites us into the vacation retreats of her lucky client base, where she creates her signature mix of elegant, glamorous style in places as diverse as Nantucket, Bachelor Gulch, Flagstaff, Marin County, and the Bahamas (to name a few).  Twelve homes are profiled, with beautiful images from each one. Click here to see Glamorous Retreats on Amazon. 

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This wonderful book has been reviewed on many blogs, and the pictures from the book are remarkable (by Tria Giovan, one of my favorite photographers). The book documents the process to create and decorate designer Howard Slatkin’s magnificent, layered, opulent 5th Avenue Apartment; it is a place where “Mrs. Astor’s 400”  in the Gilded Age would feel very much at home.  But aside from the lush photography and layered design, what really pulled me into this book was the text – the story of the transformation of a dream to an apartment to a home, in total detail, from start to finish -  as described and documented by the designer who created it. Fifth Avenue Style can be seen on Amazon here.

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I reviewed Stephen Sills’ new book here; it is a beautiful, high quality book inside and out, with fourteen houses (one of which include the landscape design too) featured in great detail with superb photography. Each one is different, and is filled with nuances in both design and architecture that will make this a book that I return to again and again as reference. Decoration can be seen on Amazon here.

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I have admired William Hefner’s work for years, and in fact two of his kitchen designs were great inspirations for my own kitchen design.  Hefner is based in Los Angeles, and the California aesthetic is an essential component of his work.  However, the beauty of his design and the architecture transcend location and are new American classics.  I was particularly excited that each of the nine projects detailed in his book (which include my two favorites, Hancock Park (Hefner’s own home), and Bristol Circle) contain floor plans, furniture plans, and 3D models, plus extensive commentary on the background and process involved with each project.  As Hefner writes, “I consider us fortunate to have participated in projects from traditional to contemporary, formal to rustic, and expansive to petite. These experiences have allowed a richness to evolve in our work in terms of details and materials”. Click here to see California Homes on Amazon.

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This book was unavailable on Amazon for quite awhile – I had it on my Christmas list a few years ago, and did not receive it, and was disappointed to see that it was no longer available soon after Christmas of that year. When I saw it was back in print, I immediately ordered it – and it’s a  gorgeous, wonderful quality book, with thick pages and extremely high quality photography. It displays an intimate view of one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Alas, I did not make it to Versailles on my trip to Paris in June of 2013, but until then, I have this book. Click here to see the book on Amazon.

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Last, but certainly not least, the new (and first) book by Thomas Pheasant. This book deserves a post of its own, which I will try to do soon…but I have immensely enjoyed seeing his work first hand as he created the beautiful interiors in my sister’s newly renovated house. This book is full of insight into Pheasant’s process (it’s a wonderful read) and also full of glorious pictures of his work.  I highly recommend it. Click here to see Simply Serene on Amazon.

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Have you read any of these books?  Any others to recommend?  I hope these books make it under the Christmas tree for some of you, and bring you as much enjoyment as they have brought me!

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Come visit some of my recent blog posts!

Lamps in my house

Kitchen island storage and Christmas china

Wreaths and bows

2013 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2013/11/books-for-my-christmas-list-2013.html
2012 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2012/11/books-for-my-christmas-list.html
2011 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2011/12/my-book-list-christmas-2011.html

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To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store.

Favorite cookbooks and recipes (updated)

To see full blog post, please visit 

http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2012/12/cookbooks-pinterest-and-food-bloggers.html

(Sneak peek of my #1 pinterest found recipe)

Usually I buy a several cookbooks every year, but this year I have found that pinterest and blogs have provided me with quite a few great recipes, and I have not bought as many cookbooks.  In fact, I think I only purchased two over the past year.  One of them is my new favorite fall/winter cookbook, and the other I have not tested out yet.  

Without a doubt, Slow Cooker Revolution has been my favorite cookbook of the year!  I am a huge fan of slow cookers in the fall and winter – they enable me to put together recipes in the morning or at lunch time, and the meal cooks all day or afternoon and is ready when I get home from hours of driving the kids.  What I love about this slow cooker (or crock pot, as I call my beloved machine) cookbook is that the recipes are much fresher and healthier than so many of the old fashioned crock pot recipes.  I have made quite a few recipes from this book, and so far my favorite is the chicken gumbo.  Some of the recipes require a decent amount of prep as many of the ingredients are fresh, but the prep is done when I tend to have more time to devote to it.  However, other recipes are very easy prep and these are highlighted within the book.  Click here to see Slow Cooker Revolution on Amazon.

Update: many of you have emailed asking for a crock pot recommendation.  The author's of Slow Cooker Revolution tested many brands, and like the Crock Pot programmable touch screen model (seen above).  Amazon has an excellent price on it, click here for link.

My crock pot is made by the Crock Pot brand, but I bought it a long time ago so the model is not made any more.  The size seems to be the same as the one above, and it has the time set and high/low/warm function.  The ability to set the time to the half hour is key.  When the time is over, the crock pot goes to warm, preventing the food from being overcooked.

The second cookbook I bought this year is The Homesick Texan, written by a Texas raised food blogger living in NYC.  I have enjoyed flipping through the cookbook, but have yet to cook anything from it.  Does anyone have a recipe from this book that they could recommend as a starting point? Some of the Amazon reviews rave about the jalapeno mustard roast chicken, chipotle pimento cheese and the Tex-Mex meatloaf.  Click here to see on Amazon.

I checked out the top cookbook section of Amazon, and there are a few that look interesting.

Here is another one written by popular food blogger Deb Perelman (her blog is The Smitten Kitchen), and it has great reviews.  Click here to see on Amazon.

I have tried some of the Pioneer Woman recipes from her blog (crash hot potatoes are a wonderful side dish with steak), but don’t own any of her cookbooks.  Food From My Frontier is her newest one (click here to see on Amazon); her original is The Pioneer Woman Cooks .

There are several cookbooks by food writer Robb Walsh on the best seller list – his specialty is Texas cuisine, and his cookbooks get rave reviews.  Click here to see his Amazon page, which has all of his books listed.

I smiled when I saw this Downton Abbey Cookbook – the reviews are quite good, and supposedly it has many traditional English recipes updated for 21st century American cooks. This would be a fun gift for the Downton Abbey fan on your list!  Click here to see on Amazon.

Barefoot Contessa has a new cookbook out – I have all of her cookbooks, and really enjoy them.  I love the title – Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust.  Click here to see on Amazon.

I like to read cookbooks almost like some people read magazines, so this is making me want to order some cookbooks and get some inspiration!

Last year, I posted about one of my favorite reference cook books, The New Best Recipe  in this post (click here for link).  I use this cookbook frequently as a reference and for recipes, and I highly recommend it. Click here to see on Amazon.

I mentioned pinterest recipes as a great source of inspiration this  year.  Here is my favorite pinterest found recipe – Cilantro lime chicken made in the crock pot – it is so, so good, and extremely easy. I make it with low sodium taco seasoning and Pace regular salsa.  Image and recipe via Pip and Ebby. Click here for the recipe.

I would love to hear about any pinterest found recipes, food blogger recipes, or good cookbooks that you could recommend!  I might be asking for the Barefoot Contessa and The Smitten Kitchen cookbook for Christmas, but would love to know about any others whether new or old.

There are still some wonderful Jennifer Ferris paintings available for immediate shipment!

http://quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/artist/jennifer-ferris

Yesterday's blog post on Jennifer: 

http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2012/12/introducing-paintings-of-jennifer-ferris.html

Designers favorite books: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2010/12/designers-favorite-books-and-mine-too.html

2012 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2012/11/books-for-my-christmas-list.html

2011 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2011/12/my-book-list-christmas-2011.html

Small art, perfect for special, one of a kind holiday gifts or hostess gifts!http://quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/category/art

To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store  (newly updated!).
 
To subscribe to my blog by email, click here.
To follow my blog on Facebook, click here.
Twitter: @TTIBlog Instagram: http://followgram.me/ttiblog/modal
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Visit my online store, Quatrefoil Design: www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com

One of my favorite things

There are certain furniture pieces that really resonate with me.  When I saw the Tribeca chair by Jean De Merry (represented by the R. Hughes Showroom in Atlanta) on the Ragland Hill Social blog, I was smitten.   It is sculptural and sophisticated, and the low slung style makes it very versatile.

With the busyness of the past year, I had somewhat forgotten about this chair until Ryan Hughes posted this link on Facebook - a feature in Apartment Therapy on Jean De Merry's ten years in furniture design.  (Click here to see article).  

Ten tastemakers were invited to put their own spin on a piece from Jean De Merry's line, and artist Joel Morrison selected my favorite chair as his source for inspiration.

Tribeca chair

Tribeca medium tufted

Tribeca deep tufted

When looking through the Jean De Merry website, I noticed that the Tribeca chair comes in three different looks - no tufting, medium tufting, and deep tufting. Which look do you prefer?

For more information on Jean De Merry, please visit the website: http://www.jeandemerry.com/

To see Jean De Merry in Atlanta, visit the R. Hughes showroom: http://r-hughes.com/

To visit my store, Quatrefoil Design, click here – come see the brand new art and scupture items in the store! 
To subscribe to my blog by email, click here. 
To follow my blog on Facebook, click here.
Twitter: @TTIBlog
To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store.

Designers’ favorite books (and mine too)

I had a meeting with Suzanne Kasler this week.  Her office is filled to the brim with beautiful design books, and she has the most amazing reference library.  Given that we are in the season of gift giving, I asked Suzanne as well as Keith Arnold, VP of Suzanne Kasler Interiors, to name their favorite design books.  These are the books that first came to mind for Suzanne and Keith.  

First Suzanne’s picks:

Style, by John Saladino.  This is one of Suzanne’s ‘go-to’ books for inspiration. Purchase on Amazon here.

Axel Vervoordt, Timeless Interiors – purchase on Amazon here.

Michael S. Smith – Elements of Style.  One of the all time great books of interior design.  Purchase on Amazon here.

Suzanne also loves this book by Jacques Grange – I have seen this out on her desk many times. Purchase on Amazon here.

Over the course of the project, Suzanne has also referenced Vogue: Houses, Gardens, People as one of her sources of inspiration – one of the best books that epitomizes the stylish life.  Purchase on Amazon here.

Keith Arnold also cited Style by John Saladino as his favorite design book, and added to the list:

Dwellings, by Stephen Sills and James Huniford.  Purchase on Amazon here.

The Private House, by Rose Tarlow.  Purchase on Amazon here.

Of course, Suzanne has written an amazing book on her approach to interior design, and it is definitely one of my all time favorite books.  Purchase on Amazon here.

Blog readers often ask me about my favorite architecture and design books.  I love books; in recent years, they have become my favorite Christmas gift to give and receive, and I enjoy spending the afternoon of Christmas day looking through and reading books.  I have gathered together all of my favorite architecture, design, and art books in one place – the Things That Inspire Amazon store.  Click here to visit it, or go to http://astore.amazon.com/thithains-20.  I have also posted about my favorite architecture books here. 

I have a few special recommendations that would be perfect gifts for the holiday season.

There are some books that I love for their decorative quality, as well as their literary quality.  I have been slowly but surely collecting the beautifully designed clothbound volumes from the Penguin Classics.  This is one of the newest books in the collection – Sonnets by Williams Shakespeare. Available from Amazon here.

Also new in the collection of Penguin Classics is Little Women.  I love the cover! Can't you just imagine Jo taking the scissors to 'her only beauty' when you see these scissors? Available from Amazon here.

This little gem would make the perfect hostess gift for a holiday party.  It’s not too late to order! Available from Amazon here.

I have gathered all of the special Penguin Classics in my Amazon bookstore.  They are little treasures!  Click here to see the whole collection: http://astore.amazon.com/thithains-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=4

New to my book list are several excellent books that came out this fall.

Peter Pennoyer Architects: Apartments, Townhouses, Country Houses. This book is full of exquisite town and country homes, with the thoughts of the architect behind the beautiful work.  I appreciate the beautifully rendered floorplans that are included with each project; it gives me a whole new level of appreciation for the work.  Also of note is that Pennoyer works with some of the best designers in the industry, resulting in spaces that are not only architecturally stunning but also decorated with great beauty. Click here to purchase on Amazon.

French Country Style at Home, by Sébastien Siraudeau.  Take a trip into the real country homes of France, and be inspired by beautiful and charming examples of true French country style.  I love the variety of homes shown in this book – from the grand to the simple.  Click here to purchase on Amazon.

The Irish Country House. A beautiful book full of homes that most of us would never see if not for the carefully collected images in this book.  The homes in this book speak to generations of families who love their homes, with interiors that have evolved over decades and even millenium. Click here to purchase on Amazon.

The Home Within Us, by Bobby McAlpine.  Although this book was published in the spring, I only recently purchased it.  I am not sure why I waited so long, because I have already referenced this book many times in the course of seeing my own home spring from the ground.  To paraphrase a concept that McAlpine mentioned in the book, he noted that some people have a home that is within them, and no pre-built home will ever fulfill them like building one from scratch.  This perfectly captures the reason why I looked for a house for over a decade and could never find one that was ‘me’ (and the home that we are building is very much a reflection of my husband and me).  I love that this book talks about the narrative of many of the houses, why they were built, what the owners and the architect were trying to achieve emotionally and physically by building the house.  Fascinating stuff. Click here to purchase on Amazon.

A few other notable books that look quite interesting, and might very well be under the tree for me:

The Architecture of Happiness, by Alain De Botton.  A friend recommended this book – she said it was perfect for me, as it is about how architecture influences our lives and reflects our dreams, hopes, and desires.  The review says this book opens up our eyes and really look at the buildings in which we live and work.  Click here to purchase on Amazon.

At Home, by Bill Bryson. This book was selected as Amazon’s best book of the month for October 2010, and it looks fascinating.  It is based on a reflection on Bryson’s own home, a Church of England rectory built in the 19th century; Bryson reconstructs a history of the home room by room, and how the home and the objects within it (which have changed greatly over the centuries) have impacted both the architecture and the inhabitants. Click here to purchase on Amazon.

2012 books on my Christmas list: 
http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2012/11/books-for-my-christmas-list.html 
2011 books on my Christmas list: 
http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2011/12/my-book-list-christmas-2011.html 
Small art, perfect for special, one of a kind holiday gifts or hostess gifts! 
http://quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/category/art

To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store  (newly updated!).

To subscribe to my blog by email, click here. 
To follow my blog on Facebook, click here. 
Twitter: @TTIBlog Instagram: http://followgram.me/ttiblog/modal 
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ttiblog/ 
Visit my online store, Quatrefoil Design: www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com