In scarcely any other European region are techonologicaladvances and contemporary interpretations of tradition in suchharmony and so self-evident as in the Scandinavian countries,Europe's northernmost region. Here, alongside Ikea's mass-produceddesigns, a uniquely creative architecture and design scene hasdeveloped. The frequent utilization of natural and traditionalmaterials allows design trends to emerge that inspire around theworld. Furthermore, this close relationship to nature demands therespectful handling of natural resources. This volume reveals thatit is not only the functionality of the represented interior spacesthat is of foremost importance, but also the skilful handling oflight, color and material. Around 50 recent examples from both theprivate and the public spheres are presented from Sweden, Norway,Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

At an early age, Alexa Hampton learned the language of gooddesign, the vocabulary to speak it, and the elements that defineit. As the daughter of interior design legend Mark Hampton, shetraveled the world by her father’s side, touring the greatarchitectural landmarks and discovering beauty, training hereye. Now one of America’s most influential designers herself, AlexaHampton provides a tour of stunning residences from her ownportfolio. Eighteen classic spaces illustrate in rich detail the elements thatgovern cultivated design—contrast, proportion, color, and balance.Among the residences are a landmark 1912 McKim, Mead Whiterestoration on Fifth Avenue in New York City; an eclectic house bythe sea layered in textures, patterns, and colors; a contemporaryapartment distinguished by simple geometry and clean lines; andHampton’s own apartment, filled with an exquisite collection ofarchitectural elements. Hampton also explains how she tailored each space to meet herclients’ needs while retaining a t

Famed portrait photographer Monica Rich Kosann has spent acareer helping people add a final layer of personality to theirhome once the interior designer’s work is done. Monica’sclients—celebrities, designers, socialites—want to find ways to addwarmth and love to rooms, celebrating what they cherished most—beit family, pets, jewelry, books, or travel. Having helped countlessfamilies artfully present their family photography, heirlooms, andcollectibles, she now divulges the secrets to her skill in thisbook. Living with What You Love shows you how to integrateyour treasured objects with your home’s décor. With inventive ideas as simple as arranging a vignette of vacationsouvenirs, and as complex as covering an entire wall with familyphotographs and memorabilia, Living with What You Love offers the skilled guidance of Monica’s trained eye. There’sinspiration for everyone, and for every type of space, whethersmall or grand. Anything can be a stage for display: a coffee tablecan be arranged wi

A well-designed porch is like a welcoming committee thatinvites friends and family to share stories, catch up onneighborhood news, or quietly enjoy the breezes of a sultry summerevening. Porches bridge our public and private worlds, and conveythe essence of one’s home. In more than 250 stunning photographs of forty homes, PerfectPorches illustrates how varied these iconic American spaces can be.A wealth of structural appointments are presented, such as theextended eaves of a rain porch along the Gulf Coast, the shimmeringcopper flooring of a converted Amish cattle barn in Bluegrasscountry, and Outback-inspired painted thresholds in California’swine region. Unexpected ornaments, including Moroccan pendantlamps, a vintage watering can collection, or a majolica menageriecan transform even the most modest porch into an oasis. This bookalso reveals a host of practical ways to bring privacy to urbanporches, chic accents to old-fashioned verandas, and coziness tomodern environments. Home owne

This beautiful and unique reference provides an unrivaled mineof inspiration and ideas for anyone wishing to create a colorfulnew look for their home or garden! In this stunningly produced guide, internationally renownedinterior designer Kevin McCloud puts together over 1,000 colorchips arranged in over 80 palettes. Each palette—which includesanywhere from 6 to 16 color swatches—forms a blueprint for a uniquedecorative scheme. A palette based on old Chinese silk, forexample, is seen reinterpreted in a contemporary New Yorkapartment. Plus, each palette features gorgeous photographs that bring thecolor scheme to life, along with invaluable advice and tips forusing the colors to transform a room. Readers will also findmanufacturers’ paint references and numbers, lists of suppliers,and much more. The ultimate color sourcebook! From the Hardcover edition.

Spectacular in scope yet intimate in detail, The Way We Livetranscends the archetypal style book to reveal global connectionsand patterns in home decoration. This unique body of detaileddesign inspiration encompasses the full range of options, fromclimate, location, and size to surfaces, arrangements, and colors.Whether you’re decorating a beach house in Chile or a loft space inParis, you’re sure to be inspired by hundreds of images from aroundthe world—a Moroccan house that coolly mixes the modern andtraditional in elegant interiors; a dramatic arrangement of shellsdecorating a tabletop in Mauritius; flowers strewn across barefloorboards for a Christmas feast in Sweden. The enormous range ofplaces here highlight connections and parallels of very differenthabitats in a way both striking and reassuring. The same attentionto detail can clearly inform the layout of a dining room in amodest Mexican home as it does an exclusive club in Buenos Aires.This encyclopedic tome, a sublime visual record of ho

The Big Book of Beading Patterns is the go-tocompendium of patterns for all types of stitchers. Many patternbooks focus solely on loomwork, but this book also includes popularstitches like peyote, brick, and square stitch in addition toloomwork. The gorgeous patterns here can be used to make beadedbracelets, amulets, tapestries, and more. Patterns are divided intochapters by topics like animals, flowers, holidays, and more.

The mother of them all:The Friday Night Knitting Club celebrates the power of women's independence. Beautifully written with a fantastic cast of women...worht taking a duvet day for...you won't want to put this down'Heat.

Sometimes you’re looking for it, sometimes it just findsyou Treasures of home décor abound at flea markets, thrift shops, andgarage sales. But how do you know a find when you find it? In The Find, Stan Williams and some of today’s most clever stylemakers, including Simon Doonan, John Derian, and Real Simple’sKristin van Ogtrop–all diehard devotees of New York City’s HousingWorks–show not just what to look for, but also how to look at anobject to identify a great piece. The trick is to see beyond nicksand wobbles, color and intended purpose and to focus on potential.For example, a vintage leather trunk encased in Lucite works as astunning coffee table. Pages from old books wallpaper a foyer. Acushion fashioned from a baseball diamond’s home plate makes agarden chair comfortable. The Find includes chapters on furniture, accessories, smallspaces, and entertaining. From a suburban ranch to an East Villagestudio in New York, each abode illustrates unexpected ways thatsecondh

WINDOW DRESSINGS SHOWCASES STUNNING WINDOW DECOR from PalmBeach to Seattle to New York, created by some of the country's mostrespected designers. Featuring a wide variety of styles anddecorating philosophies, Window Dressings reveals how tosuccessfully create the right look for any window in the home.

Who wouldn't like their living space to be more organized?Tapping into the popularity of the "Good Things" column in MarthaStewart Living, Good Things for Organizing provides practical,efficient, and pretty solutions for organizing just abouteverything, from spools of thread and the silverware drawer to yourentire wardrobe and home office. It is a law of nature: stuff accumulates. Good Things forOrganizing shows how to live with stuff comfortably and creatively.In chapters organized room by room, Good Things for Organizingoffers a wide range of ingenious ways to tame the clutter, from thebasement to the garden shed. With sections such as "Cleamng Up the Countertop" in the kitchenchapter, "Linen Closet 10" in the closet chapter, and "OrganizingCorrespondence" in the home office chapter, the editors of MarthaStewart Living have tested all of the possibilities and havecreated perfect solutions to the most frustrating organizingproblems. Included are projects for every level of commitment, f

Santa Fe-style decorating is a coast-to-coast trend. Hundredsof thousands have scoured Christine Mather’s previous books, eagerto incorporate Santa Fe design elements into their own homes. Now,in Santa Fe Houses, Mather combines concrete and practicalhome-decorating suggestions with the beautiful photographs of herlongtime collaborator, Jack Parsons, creating an invaluable guidefor anyone interested in building, decorating, or remodeling a homein Santa Fe style. Santa Fe Houses draws inspiration from the four traditionalNative American elements—fire, earth, water, and air—and shows howthey can be used to wonderful effect in kitchens and dining rooms,entry-ways and living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, porches, andpatios. Along the way, Mather showcases furniture, rugs, lighting,hardware, tiles, shutters, and other expressions of the Santa Felook, and ends with a comprehensive directory of sources.

Celebrate what’s beautiful about traditional style whilebreaking some of its rules: Take a page out of a designer’s bookand add your own sense of relaxed whimsy and exuberant personalityto create spaces that are versatile, original, and trulylivable. That’s designer Celerie Kemble’s philosophy in a nutshell. It’sall about blending a classic sensibility with a dose of irreverenceand a dollop of humor to achieve a home that’s tasteful, eclectic,always evolving, and always welcoming. Celerie takes you by the hand, gives you a detailed look at manyof her signature interiors, and enthusiastically reassures youthat, with the right information and attitude, you can overcomechallenges and artfully achieve the ultimate design goal—a perfectblend of beauty and comfort. From finding inspiration in childhood memories, current trends,and favorite belongings to working around real-life design dilemmas(such as a lack of space or light, or awkward floor plans) toselecting just the right

Jettison the old rulebooks about home décor and “undecorate”your space. As the founder and creative director ofDwellStudio—which is famous for its brightly colored, graphictextile designs for home furnishings—designer Christiane Lemieuxchallenges tradition in a quintessentially American way,championing a fresh, unconventional approach to creating abeautiful and comfortable home. Lemieux emboldens readers to pushaside stuffy, professionally-designed décor, showing them insteadhow to infuse their own personality into their home. Undecorate profiles twenty homes from all over the country,revealing their owners’ love of imperfection and penchant forsurprise and unusual juxtapositions while inspiring readers tofollow their own whimsy and practicalities in their personalspaces. An anglophile creates an English manor in Hollywood, mixingBritish flea-market finds with midcentury furniture. A car fanaticturns a vintage Airstream trailer into a master bedroom andsituates it in the middle of a v

When you think about decorating, you probably envision bigchanges, big purchases, and big costs. Interior stylist Lili Diallohas two words for you: Start small . She specializes inbringing homes alive through the details—a silvery pillow here, afloral screen there, and plenty of personalityeverywhere. Stylists typically transform spaces by working with pieces that arealready present, and their goal is to translate the residents’stories and passions into their surroundings. Details teaches you how to find your very own design story by focusing onwhich colors, textures, and objects make you feel most at home.You’ll also learn how to reimagine familiar objects and how totransform an area just by adding one key piece, such as a brightyellow rug that softens a room’s midcentury modernfurniture. Inspiration streams through hundreds of stunning photos. Taking acue from Dorothy Draper, one apartment dweller uses a classic colorscheme as a starting point but adds her own original, personaltouch

Thailand Chic is the definitive guide to the most alluring and stylish hotels and spas in Thailand. All the retreats featured – whether an urban boutique hotel or a secluded beach resort – have been specially selected for their unique and charming qualities. These pristine getaways are destinations in their own right, rather than just another place to spend the night. This book is for those who wish to travel to Thailand to savour the Thai way of life – authentic, cultural and stylish. Covering each destination in detail, the book provides today trendy travellers with an engaging and alternative view of each locale. Insights into the essence of each retreat and its region will help visitors to decide on the one that best suits their needs, while a fact box summarises each property’s facilities, activities, nearby attractions and contact details. This book will be a delightful key reference for today’s trendy traveller who wants a real taste of Thailand. Highlights Include: Fascinating de*ions

The best work of a dozen of Mexico’s finest architects More than 100 color photos of outstanding contemporarydesigns Here are dozens of beautiful photos of the best incontemporary home design, all created by the top residentialarchitects in Mexico. Form, functionality, context, and materialshave been considered and balanced to produce inspiring housesperfect for today’s busy lifestyle. Houses: Proportion Harmony is a remarkable idea book packed with surprising solutionsto home-design challenges.

The Scottish Country House chronicles a remarkable group of houses and castles that have survived the vicissitudes of Scotland’s turbulent history and are still in the hands of their original families. From breakfront cabinets filled with generations of monogrammed heirloom china to canopy beds keeping the chill of a Scottish winter at bay to cabbage-rose slip-covered sofas nestled under tall Gothic windows, this book takes the reader on a tour of these residences, providing an intimate look at a marvellous hotchpotch of rooms and decoration. Specially commissioned photographs by James Fennell show inviting living rooms and tousled bedrooms, print- lined hallways and well-trampled mudrooms. Telling details capture the eccentric personalities of their owners – Scottish chieftains, lairds and nobles drawn from the pages of Walter charming decorative details, such as a red silk bell-pull against green floral wallpaper, a drawer full of two- hundred-year-old love letters, or the curve of a wonderfully

Barbara and René Stoeltie capture the essence of New York’ssophisticated and glamorous elegance, inspiring the reader withprofiles of seventeen style setters and their private homes. NewYork Interiors is an inspirational guide to the eclectic interiorstyle of the Big Apple. The reader is taken on a thrillingexploration of both traditionally designed and strikingly moderninteriors, which reflect the city’s dynamism and diversity. NewYork’s interior design connoisseurs are experts at balancingelements from different cultures and epochs and have contemplatedeach facet of their homes down to the minutest detail, creatinghomes that are true havens from the hustle and bustle of the streetbelow. From a luxury apartment with magnificent paneling hung withold master paintings to a glassed-in eagle’s nest perched atop anart deco skyscraper, or a delightful brownstone with a privategarden worthy of a picturesque country village, Barbara and RenéStoeltie take readers on a personalized journey through sev

Darryl Carter is a leader in the design world, recognized forhis restrained, distinguished, and livable environments. Known forseamlessly mixing the modern with the classical, Carter presents acomprehensive guide to creating a home that balances individualcomfort with a timeless aesthetic. Comfort is the essential element of a successful interior, butalso the most elusive. Too often our design decisions are driven byothers. In The New Traditional, Darryl Carter encourages you to betrue to your own lifestyle. More than a stunning book, this is anaccessible resource for making an elegant, inviting home,responsive to the people who live in it every day. A fresh take on American design, Carter’s work has been lauded asthe New Traditional for effortlessly blending classic and modernelements to create personal environments. Patinated furniture,subtle textiles and lighting, and chalky washes of color are amongthe details that transform a house into a home. Carter explains howyou can translate th

Whether its beach stones, seed pods, or Queen Elizabeth,Irina draws a direct parallel from her inspirational source tofinished handcrafted jewelry. Each of the 24 main projects includesa full-color photo of Miech's inspiration, an explanation of howshe translates that into materials and colors. Pearls, crystals,gemstones, wire and more are used to create stunning necklaces,bracelets and earrings, and every project includes bonus design andtechnique variations. Readers can make the projects as show, or usethem as motivation to discover inspirational sources for their owncreative process.

This volume of the Easy Beading series includes more than 80stylish beading projects. Each chapter is broken down by materialsuch as crystals, gemstones, glass and ceramics, metal and chain,mixed media, and pearls and shells. Although aimed at beginners andfull of clear directions and step-by-step photos, these stylishprojects and diverse styles also appeal to more advanced beaders.Featuring a thoroughly illustrated beader’s glossary and a basicssection that reviews techniques necessary for many beadingprojects, this collection of fast, fashionable, and fun projectsteaches readers a variety of techniques and design ideas.