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Tom Scheerer Decorates – The Book

It’s creating a huge buzz and there’s good reason for it. Tom Scheerer Decorates, due out in September is the long-waited and first book of interior designer, Tom Scheerer’s work. His classic and as he puts it, “no nonsene” approach to design, is reminiscent of design icons such as Albert Hadley, David Hicks and Billy Baldwin. From Manhattan apartments to Bahamian seaside cottages, the book showcases Scheerer’s exquisite, confident and always perfectly balanced creations. They all contain a seamless blend of classical design elements with crisp, modern touches. All are inviting, livable and feel natural. Scheerer makes decorating look effortless, which we all know is far from the truth.  Many of the images featured in the book have already caused a pinning frenzy and you’ll see why.

Tom Scheerer Decorates - the book

His sophistication is extreme, but it is accessible, relaxed, and a touch “under-baked,” as Scheerer says, because he thinks the smartest rooms are always a little underdecorated.” –  Mimi Read, author of Tom Scheerer Decorates

Tom Scheerer Decorates - eclectic living roomTom Scheerer Decorates - family roomTom Scheerer Decorates - blue bedroomTom Scheerer - girls bathroom with wallpaperTom Scheerer - pink drapery and white cane chairTom-Scheerer-Decorates // entry with mural wallpaperTom Scheerer Decorates - orange dining  roomTom Scheerer - red shutters - living roomTom Scheerer - Decorating TipsTom Scheerer Decorates - island bedroomTom Scheerer Decorates - kitchen with Cuban tilesNobilis faux-bois wallpaper and painted dresser - bedroom by Tom Scheerer

Tom Scheerer Decorates - bedroomTom Scheerer Decorates - patio with blue umbrella

Amazing, right? I know you’d adore the entire book too. It’s an absolute must have for all decorating enthusiasts.

*Photo Credit: Francesco Lagnese via Tom Scheerer Decorates (The Vendome Press)

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Read full story By on August 25, 2013 in Bathroom, Bedroom, book, book review, curated look, foyers, interior design, Interiors, kitchens, Living Room, mantels, textiles, wallpaper

Book Review & Giveaway :: The Little Book of Big Decorating Ideas

Recently I received a copy of Country Living’s The Little Book of Big Decorating Ideas. Indeed it’s a little square book measuring only 7 x 7 inches, but don’t let the size fool you. This pint sized edition is loaded with big inspiration. It features a hand-picked collection of the magazine’s best advice (and how to instruction) on ways to organize, decorate or add a personal touch to your space. There’s even a chapter for gardeners giving smart secrets for growing lush, abundant landscapes. This book would make a fabulous house warming gift!

Little Book of Big Decorating Ideas REVIEW

With over 280 ideas presented, it wasn’t easy narrowing down my faves …  but here’s a few that caught my eye!

driftwood cabinet pull for fridgeblack painted china cabinetart wall from book illustrationsDIY toy barnyard animal candleholdersdiy wallpaper dressershadow box ribbon collectionDo you remember seeing this fun idea at work in the decorator show house equestrian bedroom?

Little Book of Big Decorating Ideas GIVEAWAY

I enjoyed reading this new DIY decor book and think you will too. The publishers have agreed to give one lucky Simplified Bee reader their own copy of The Little Book of Big Decorating Ideas!

Here’s how to enter to win:

  • Simply leave a comment on this post (provide your email if I don’t have a way to contact you).
  • Extra Entry – become a new follower of Simplified Bee’s BlogTwitterPinterest or Facebook Page.
  • Extra Entry – mention this giveaway in a blog post, Facebook link, tweet or pin an image from this post, then leave a comment letting me know.
  • Please post a separate comment for each extra entry.

Entry period closes at midnight PST on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be announced on the Simplified Bee Facebook page on Thursday, June 27, 2013.

Best of luck and happy decorating!

Cristin

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Read full story By on June 19, 2013 in book, book review, decorating small spaces, Design Tips, DIY, Features, Giveaways, interior design, Tips/Tricks

Book Review :: Classical Chinese Furniture

My love for classical Chinese furniture grew while living in San Francisco. Like many, I’m naturally drawn to the innovation, beautiful lines and iconic forms of Chinese antique furniture. It’s some of the finest furniture ever made and can make a ho-hum room come alive. And best yet, it’s a timeless look.

Classical Chinese Furniture by Marcus Flacks

In the new book, Classical Chinese Furniture by Marcus Flacks, the art of Chinese furniture of the 16th-18th centuries is explored and celebrated.  He begins by giving a brief history of Chinese furniture starting with the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). He discusses how the Ming period (14th-16th centuries) directly influenced the “golden age” spanning the late 16th to the early 18th century. Like the furniture itself, the book is simple in nature. Flacks showcases 52 masterpieces – all exemplary, exquisite and rare.

Antique Chinese Furniture - Table Detail

“I have tried to avoid the predictable as much as possible, focusing on the pieces that I felt took the designs or concepts under-lying classical Chinese Furniture that little step further; pieces that surprised me for their innovation, rarity, quality, antiquity or sometimes their sheer beauty.” explains Flacks.

Chinese Rose Chair with S Shaped Spindles

After discussing trends in collecting Chinese furniture (dating, materials, condition, etc.), Flacks launches into the first piece of furniture: the Rose Chair with ‘S’ – Shaped Spindles (Huanghuali wood, 17 – early 18th century). He describes the extraordinary spindle chair as “one of the most surprising and exciting” pieces he has ever handled.

Chinese Root Stool Ming Style

One of my favorite pieces, the Root Stool (18th century) caught me by surprise. Perhaps it’s because the rich tradition of Chinese root furniture is often overlooked by historians. In it’s most natural form, the root stool (this one in the Ming style)  is a beautiful marriage of craftsmanship and nature.

Chinese Drum Stools in White Marble

In the appendices, Flacks continues to share invaluable information by diving a little deeper into the secrets of timber, joinery, regional production and the art of restoration.

Design experts will apprecite Classical Chinese Furniture’s rich content the most. However it’s a book all can enjoy and would make a wonderful addition to any coffee table or design library.

– Cristin

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Read full story By on December 3, 2012 in antiques, book review, chinoiserie, Features, furniture

Book Review: Sister Parish –The Life of the Legendary American Interior Designer

Sister_Parish_The_Life_Interior_Decorator_Book

These past few weeks, I have enjoyed reading, Sister Parish – The Life of the Legendary American Interior Designer. Written one of Sister’s daughter’s, Apple Parish Bartlett and a granddaughter, Susan Bartlett Crater, the book is comprised of Sister’s own unpublished memoirs as well as hundreds of interviews with family, friends and fellow design icons. I had a feeling I would love parts of the book (I devoured chapter 10 on decorating), but to my surprise the book kept me captivated to the end.

Sister Parish Interior Design and Fabrics

Design Icon Sister Parish Living Room(image via Architectural Digest)

Perhaps is was the fascination of her privileged life. Born into a prominent New York family in 1910, Dorothy May Kinnicutt (better known as Sister – a nickname her brother gave her) spent her childhood attending elite schools, sailing yachts and going to coming-out parties. She met her own husband, Henry Parish II at her own debut party (he was perfectly mannered) and married him at the age of nineteen. During the Great Depression, Sister was compelled to work and launched her first design firm in 1933. Her innate design ability coupled with her upper-echelon social connections, the business was extremely successful. Over the decades, the Parish-Hadley (interior designer, Albert Hadley joined Parish in 1962) firm’s list of clients included the Rockefellers, Astors, Gettys and Kennedys. Even though her client’s homes were scattered world-wide, small and large,  Houses from all over the world In the 1960s, Sister paved the way for the “American Country” style. She championed the humble striped cloth called mattress ticking, which had traditionally covered mattresses, and used it to cover chairs and throw pillows. In Sister’s New York Times obituary, John Richardson, an art historian was quoted, “No one else in America does a room with such patrician aplomb, such life-enhancing charm, such a lack of gimmickry or trendiness.”

Sister Parish Girls Bedroom in PinkSister_Parish_Designer_Fabrics

“She taught me that it doesn’t have to be perfect. That it doesn’t have to match. To follow your instincts.” – Libby Cameron – Parish’s last apprentice.

There are many pearls of wisdom and design tips in this book. It’s a must for any interior designer, but would make a wonderful addition to any design library. With the holidays nearing, this affordable book would make an excellent hostess gift too!

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Read full story By on September 19, 2012 in book, book review, interior design, Interiors, interview, Interviews