INTERIOR DESIGN INSPIRATIONS

Kartell: The Culture of Plastics

February 16, 2013

The Kartell Museum in Milan, home to 60 years’ worth of plastic icons from the Italian furniture brand, was the obvious setting for last week’s launch of ‘Kartell: The Culture of Plastics‘, a new monograph chronicling the brand’s rise and rise. Edited by Bauhaus Universityprofessor Hans Werner Holzwarth and Kartell Museum curator Elisa Storace, the book analyses the brand’s remarkable history, illustrated by archival shots of the bestsellers of the era. It will be published by Taschen in two editions – one in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, the second in English, French and German – on 1 March. Kartell’s early success followed some spot-on decisions by founder Giulio Castelli, a former chemical engineer, and his wager that the future of furniture design would hinge on candy-coloured moulded-plastic furniture. Castelli’s instincts and faith in the material were paramount, as was his knack for hiring top Italian industrial designers like Ettore Sottsass, Pier and Achille Castiglione and Joe Colombo. By the time Dustin Hoffman heard that oft-mimicked line in ‘The Graduate’ – ‘Just one word: plastics’ – Kartell had already been in the business nearly 20 years. Soon after, Kartell launched its Componibili range of cylindrical storage tubs, now ubiquitous in bedrooms, bathrooms, offices and kitchens across 60 countries. To spotlight this and other Kartell…

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Ann Getty: Interior Style

February 15, 2013

The first ever compilation of the luxurious interiors from the influential designer and philantropist Ann Getty is out! If you are looking for luxurious design in your home, Ann Getty is one of the designers that will serve your interests. The book Ann Getty: Interior Style from Diane Dorrans Saeks, gathers many ideas where luxury is the main theme. She is very passionate for architecture, exquisite materials, superior craftsmanship, and preservation of antiques. That is an obvious conclusion you will take from this rapidly view from this book. Ann Getty has a very solid architectural background that comes from many years in the business but still can keep up with the demands of the modern society. Her interiors tips reflect taste, quality and integrity. In this book you can find several original pieces of Ann Getty’s luxurious furniture line, lots of color, texture and you will also have access to the knowledge she acquired from traveling and study the essence of the subject. All the photographies are from Lisa Romerein Pre-order your copy today from Amazon or Rizzoli

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Home Rules Book

February 9, 2013

Transform the Place You Live Into a Place You’ll Love “Transform the Place You Live Into a Place You’ll Love” is the manifesto. And who does it is Nate Berkus, a successful american interior designer and regular contributoron The Oprah Winfrey Show, that even had his own TV show. His 2005 book- Home Rules: Transform the Place You Live Into a Place You’ll Love– is a step by step guide that will help you having a lovely home, decorated your own way. I must confess that I love this book. It will never get old or out of style. And why do I think that? Well, because this book have the personal touch and style of the autor, of course, but it is only a guide that will certainly help you having your own ideas, and getting your own especial space. This book emerged by Nate’s belief that everyone should love the way they live. I agree. That’s why I would strongly recommend it. See more at

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MAGAZINES

Better Homes & Gardens: Decorating Book

February 4, 2013

When it comes to decorate your home, Better Homes and Gardens Decoration is one of the tittles to look for. They have been around for several years and set themselves as a reliable resource for those who look to have a modern, stylish, up to date home decoration. In this book you can find information about the new trends, furniture arrangement, colors, design, lighting and much more. It is a guided tour through the several rooms of your home illustrated with lots of photos so you can visualize all the ideas you can find on this book. It covers every budget range and will definitely become your “how-to” book on decoration. There are several videos on the internet where the information and tips you see on the books are applied to real life. Here is the link to one of them.

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Kaffe Fassett: Dreaming in Color

February 2, 2013

Kaffe Fassett was born in San Francisco in 1937. When he was 19, Kaffe won a scholarship to the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston, but left after 3 months to paint in London. He settled in England in 1964. Kaffe ventured into the world of colourful yarn on a visit to a Scottish wool mill with fashion designer Bill Gibb. Inspired by the colours in the landscape, Kaffe was thrilled to find the same colours in yarns. He bought 20 colours of Shetland wool and some knitting needles, and on the train back to London a fellow passenger taught him how to knit. His first design appeared as a full page spread in Vogue Knitting magazine. Missoni and Bill Gibb commissioned Kaffe’s early commercial collections, and his one-of-a-kind designs have been collected by Barbra Streisand, Lauren Bacall, John Schlesinger, Ali McGraw, Irene Worth, Shirley Maclaine, Helen Frankenthaler, Alan Bergman and H.RH Princess Michael of Kent. In 1988 Kaffe became the first living textile artists to have a one man show at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The exhibition attracted such crowds that the Museum doubled attendance figures during the run. A large part of Kaffe’s output is now…

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Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas

February 1, 2013

Bake it, Craft it, Style it Amy Atlas, home baker, crafter and party planner decided to show to her fans how to create fabulous sweets tables perfect for any event. The Sweet Designer, who has been successful with her blog, decided to move to the paper all of her secrets and present her public with new, original and easy-to-do recipes. The book includes 15 chapters, more than 100 recipes and over 75 easy and affordable projects to make every event that more special. In each chapter Amy features an amazing dessert table that reflects themes that Amy`s clients, who include Brooke Shields, Kelly Ripa, Gayle King and Martha Stewart Weddings, most often request: a favorite color, a design, passion, holiday or flavor. The writer shows hers readers how they can use one item or mix and match items from different tables. Sweet Designs is a lot more than just a book about desserts, is the prove that sugar can be something special and that design is present in every aspect of life.

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FASHION

Valentino a Grand Italian Epic

January 28, 2013

Think Valentino: think luxury. Think elegance. Think red carpet. Fashion’s most beloved upholder of refined decadence and the most exciting couturier in business is known around the globe simply by his first name. Only a few years after opening his fashion house in Rome in 1959, Valentino was already at the height of success, counting Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn among his devotees. Over forty years later, not much has changed he’s still dressing the top celebrities, from Gwyneth Paltrow to J.Lo, though now his business is a major economic force in Italy and his fashion house is among the most famous in the world. Valentino has always designed clothes for glamorous and sophisticated women, never wavering from his signature style even when grunge, deconstruction, and other passing fads were all the rage. Though his couture division almost never makes a profit (his ready-to-wear lines are what fuel the business), his heart is most solidly devoted to the magnificent haute couture gowns that earned him his reputation as fashion s most talented dressmaker. This publication renders homage to Valentino s illustrious career via a copious selection of images from his archives, including drawings, magazine shoots, advertisements, portraits of…

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Barbra Streisand’s Passion for Design

January 18, 2013

For nearly five decades Barbra Streisand has been one of the singular figures in American entertainment. From the cabaret to the Broadway stage, from television and film stardom to her acclaimed work as a director, from the recording studio to the concert hall, she has demonstrated that the extraordinary voice that launched her career was only one of her remarkable gifts. Now, in her first book, Barbra Streisand reveals another aspect of her talent: the taste and style that have inspired her beautiful homes and collections. Barbra explores and details her lifelong love of design while taking the reader on an extensive tour of her home in California and all the decorating and renovating that went into making it her dream home. And far, far away from her humble beginnings in New York as a child. A culmination and reflection of Streisand’s love of American architecture and design between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries, the book contains many of her own photographs of the rooms she has decorated, the furniture and art she has collected, and the ravishing gardens she has planted on her land on the California coast. In addition to glimpses of her homes, Barbra shares memories of…

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The Book of Job by Studio Job

January 14, 2013

Playing off of what some see as the near-biblical intensity of Studio Job’s oeuvre, this monograph, their first, is titled The Book of Job. The lavish package resembles a traditional leather-bound bible featuring a number of custom-printing effects including raised bands on the spine of the hardcover case which is covered in imitation leather overlaid with a dense signature composition by Studio Job, gilded page edges, cloth markers, black-letter type, and letterpress elements that distinguish the book from the conventional treatment of design monographs. Further, the slip-cased book is two-in-one with Studio Job on one side, and then on the flip side, the biblical The Book of Job, complete with illustrated illuminations. Studio Job is a design studio based in Antwerp. Items designed by Studio Job have been shown in museums and galleries around the world,and have won many design awards. Most recently their work has included imagery appropriated from the Nazi Holocaust as material for commercial use. The award-winning furniture and art objects designed by Smeets and Tynagel bring a monumental sensibility to contemporary industrial design, leavened with unapologetic wit and romance. Celebrated in design and art fairs from Milan to Miami, and featured in the permanent collections of…

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The Queen Palette Project

January 13, 2013

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 colourful years on the British throne, Pantone and Leo Burnett London have teamed up to launch a limited edition colour guide as a tribute to the Queen’s fashion-forward colour statements. For over 60 years, Her Majesty has opted for a full spectrum of perfectly colour coordinated ensembles, from the Primrose Yellow she wore at Will and Kate’s wedding in April 2011 to the tasteful Lilac Snow outfit she wore last year during a visit to Northumberland. To mark the , this bespoke, limited-edition, numbered colour guide is designed to capture and commemorate some of the Queen’s most memorable colour choices since her coronation – featuring PANTONE® Colour references and citing the date and location that determined her outfit colour choice. A special presentation box was made for the book to be presented to Her Majesty. Justin Tindall, executive creative director at Leo Burnett London, said, “When you see footage, or read commentary of Queen Elizabeth on her official engagements, at a Royal Wedding or even watching her horse race at the Derby, there is always mention of what she’s wearing. It has been an ever-present subtext to the 60-year reign of our Monarch. The…

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