I've been making my way through some of the new Spring book releases, which have kept me happily occupied for the past few weeks.
First up is Quintessential Kitchens by Matthew Quinn: Volume One by kitchen and bath designer extraordinaire, Matthew Quinn, owner of the esteemed kitchen and bath studio, Design Galleria. Quinn, a fellow Atlantan with a reputation for being one of this industry's nice guys, has designed kitchens and baths for a slew of high-profile designers and clients both here and abroad. Whether a Design Galleria-designed kitchen is contemporary, traditional, high-style, slightly casual, large, or small, it is, above all, highly functional. The mark of Quinn's work is that practicality is never sacrificed for style.
Quintessential Kitchens profiles fifteen kitchens (some of which can be seen above) that represent the diversity of Quinn's work. Some have a cosmopolitan feel, while others are reminiscent of those great old kitchens of the 1920s and 1930s. What they all have in common, though, is that they convey the "clean elegance and simple sophistication" (Quinn's words) to which the designer strives. Shown in large, compelling photographs, the kitchens will have you seriously considering an upgrade to your kitchen. And if you read Quinn's informative text, you'll also understand the considerable thought and consideration that goes into designing a well-planned kitchen, making this book a must-have title for interior designers especially.
To order a copy, please visit the Quintessential Kitchens website.
Now on to Venice, or, technically, Inside Venice: A Private View of the City's Most Beautiful Interiors. This recently-published title, which had not been on my radar, was such a pleasant surprise. Written by Toto Bergamo Rossi, Director of the Venetian Heritage Foundation, with photographs by Jean-François Jaussaud, Inside Venice takes the reader beyond the threshold of seventy-two Venetian architectural gems, including churches, public institutions, and, most significantly, private homes and palazzos that the public rarely sees. On page after page, you'll find a wealth of centuries-old stucco, frescoes, mosaic floors, and shimmery glass and mirror, all of which reveal Venice's elegant past. And while the churches and museums are, naturally, inspiring, I found the photographs of the private residences most intriguing. No surprise, it was the palazzos appointed with Fortuny fabrics and antique rugs, paintings, furniture, and porcelain that got my heart racing. But even Venice's most modern-minded homeowners seem highly-respectful of their historical surroundings, preserving the architectural integrity of their palazzos while sensitively furnishing them with contemporary furniture and art.
© Inside Venice: A Private View of the City’s Most Beautiful Interiors by Toto Bergamo Rossi, Rizzoli New York, 2016
By now, you've likely read the collective praise for Patina Farm, the second book written by the talented Brooke and Steve Giannetti (designer and architect, respectively.) I concur with other reviewers because the book is a delight to read. No mere room-by-room catalogue of a prettily-decorated house, Patina Farm is the story of a life envisioned- specifically, the desire for pastoral living in Ojai, California- which became a reality thanks to the Giannettis' hardwork and creativity. The book takes the reader on the journey from the farm's conception to full fruition, which is, I must say, quite enviable. I'd like to add that even if your aesthetic is different from that of the Giannettis, the book is nonetheless inspiring. It will remind you of what can happen when you dream big.
And last but certainly not least, Cartier Dazzling: High Jewelry and Precious Objects by François Chaille. Yes, the book is chock full of beautiful photographs of Cartier's sumptuous jewelry, of which I never tire. But if social history is more of your thing, you'll want to join the jewelry connoisseurs in reading this book. Alongside Cartier's signature jeweled panthers and tutti frutti confections are stories about Cartier's history and its rarefied clientele, which, last century, included maharajas and much of café society. In fact, there is a brief chapter on the Cartier jewels that were worn by guests to Carlos de Beistegui's costume ball at his Palazzo Labia in Venice, not to mention mentions of Linda Porter, Daisy Fellowes, and Barbara Hutton. This book will have you pining for Cartier jewelry as well as those bygone days of glamour.
(© CARTIER DAZZLING: HIGH JEWELRY AND PRECIOUS OBJECTS, Flammarion, 2016)