Friday Favorites: Home Decor Books

 Books, Decor  3 Responses »
Jan 302010
 

I am crazy-in-love with luxurious fabrics, vintage clothing, Chinoiserie, and the color turquoise.  So the cover of The Well-Dressed Home stopped me dead in my tracks:


Apparently I missed this book when it made a tour of design blogs a few months ago, but on discovering it last week I wasted no time in breaking my vow to stop purchasing craft and home decor books.

The photos and inspiration boards in this book are absolutely swoon-worthy.  The lighting, the cropping, the colors, the choice of objects — everything about them struck me as perfection.

And, while I would have been perfectly happy with a book full gorgeous photos, The Well-Dressed Home is text-heavy for a decorating guide.  The book describes in detail why each element of each room was chosen — for example, a curvy coffee table to balance out straight lines, or mother-of-pearl picture frames to reflect soft light.  While I didn’t always agree with the actual decor choices, the text gave so much guidance that, for once, I understand the interior design process well enough that I could articulate what I’d change and why.

The book’s central concept involves approaching interior decorating styles the same way you approach your wardrobe.  This idea is both the book’s strength and its weakness.  I love the suggestion of using past clothing choices as a way of figuring out my decorating style.  And the book is full of usefully concrete examples of how to translate a beloved garment into a beloved room design.  On the other hand, the concept grew old when repeated over the space of two-hundred-plus pages.  By the end I was rolling my eyes at yet another mention of ThisDesigner or ThatFashionHouse.

Still, did I mention the gorgeous, light-filled, fashionably inspirational photos?  Just … sigh. This is one of those books that sparks new inspiration every time you open it, and I have a feeling it will remain a bookshelf favorite for many years to come.

(first and last photos borrowed from Wishing True; others from Brooke Giannetti)

 Posted by Tara at 12:26 am

Mother’s Little Helper

 Books, Motherhood  5 Responses »
Jun 252009
 

So, yeah, I’ve been gone and now I’m back. Sadly, can’t promise it won’t happen again. Chronic fatigue and newborns don’t mix.

Which brings me to this:

Do you ever fantasize about developing a drug addiction? ‘Cause I’m thinking amphetamines might be really useful right about now.* Sure, I saw the Very Special Episode of Family Ties** in which Alex P. Keaton tried amphetamines to help him study and wound up obsessively cleaning house instead. But what if your house needs cleaning? Then it’s a good idea, right?

Which brings me to this:

Some friends recently gave me Mommy Knows Worst, a humorous look at questionable parenting advice from the early parts of the 20th Century. And one excerpt was from a pamphlet on the evils of soothing syrups. Which were, in a word (or two): Baby Opiates.*** Of course the logical part of my brain thought “Egad, people really did unhealthy things Way Back in the Day, didn’t they?” But that other part of my brain? Wondered whether they still sell them.


* Except, how would one go about procuring them? Go up to the nearest street dealer (it’s DC, we’ve got plenty) and say “Excuse me, sir, may I have a jar of Uppers?”

** Yes, my 20-something friends … I am that old.

*** Great summary from a Patent Medicine website:  “Companies like Sears and Wards had large sections devoted to the sale of patent medicines in their catalogs. One such remedy was called ‘Soothing Baby Syrup’ which claimed to stop your baby from crying. It contained opium and really worked. The problem was that baby became an opium fiend.”
 Posted by Tara at 2:22 am

Well Groomed, Part II

 Books, Wedding  No Responses »
Nov 062007
 

Another of my pastimes in Mr. T’s absence last weekend was to read one of the many wedding-related library books I’ve checked out recently. Namely, Well Groomed: A Wedding Planner for What’s-His-Name (And His Bride), by Peter Scott.

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Simply put, the book is hilarious! I was reading at a restaurant (note to DC library users — if you check this out and happen to notice blotches of what looks suspiciously like pulled-pork-sandwich grease … I know nothing about it) and laughed out loud so many times the other diners started giving me suspicious looks. When you get to that point in wedding planning when your head is starting to spin and you just. can’t. face. another. wedding. detail, I highly recommend this quick read.

As a wedding magazine junkie, my favorite chapter was naturally “How Can a Magazine Cost $12.95 and Not Have Pictures of Naked People in It?” Seem crazy that the author compares bridal mags to porn? Consider this list from page 3:

Similarities Between Bridal Magazines and Porn Magazines

1. Both contain lots of pictures of women in outfits they don’t normally wear.

2. There are seemingly hundreds of different magazines in both genres, each of which contains exactly the same thing, This fact, however, does not deter you from buying multiple publications.

3. Each gender justifies the purchase as “educational.”

4. The ads in each magazine cause you to say, “Seriously — who would ever buy that?”

5. In a pinch, back issues can be effective.

There are actually dozens of favorite lines and sections that I was tempted to quote here — so hard to pick just one. Instead, I’ll just say “Trust me. Get thee to a library* and check this out asap!”

*(I’m all about libraries. But if you prefer to own, there are 2 copies in the Amazon bargain sale for $4.99. Or the regular Amazon price is $13.22. If in doubt, you can always justify it as a gift for what’s-his-name…)

I’ll post on more of my favorite wedding books as I finish them. What’s your favorite — anything you recommend that we must check out?

 Posted by Tara at 2:17 pm
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