I have recently had the pleasure of previewing several new book releases and wanted to share a bit about them with you as it's never too early to start that Christmas shopping and there is no better gift than a great book, n'est pas?
First up is...
A HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY
Written by renowned architect Peter Pennoyer and his highly sought after interior designer wife, Katie Ridder, this book tells the story of building their dream house.
They spent years looking for the perfect canvas which they found in a narrow, overgrown 6.5 acre parcel of land in Millbrook, New York.
Over the course of several years they transformed the property resulting in an exhuberant, one of a kind Greek Revival-inspired house with woodland and flower gardens that looks as if its always been there nestled amid the gently rolling hills and farms of the surrounding area.
It's often said that an architect or designer's best work is seen in his or her own home.
A House in the Country is the story not just of a house but of a relationship - a relationship between an architect and a designer whose talents come together in a rather extraordinary way.
PIERRE PAULIN
LIFE AND WORK
I loved this book!
A comprehensive study of the life and work of Pierre Paulin, the iconic post-war French Designer of furniture, objects, residential and commercial interiors, sumptously illustrated with over 300 photographs and drawings.
It was perfect timing for me to get my hands on this book as I've been finding myself more and more attracted to a more modern aesthetic.
This book is very different in its approach as the author has deliberately avoided any form of systematic chronology, preferring to approach Paulin's life as a series of periods - namely his beginnings, his roots, his phases of experimentation, and finally his years of personal reconstruction.
Fascinated by the possibilities of new materials, Paulin was both a modernist and a traditionalist, a designer who took equal care designing ordinary objects such as fans, razors, and fondue pots as he did outfitting the private quarters of French presidents Pompidou and Mitterand.
Paulin was a designer who was far ahead of his time. He found a style and a way of thinking about design that supplanted everything that had gone before.
PARIS
by
LADUREE
a Chic City Guide
The very symbol of French sophistication and lifestyle, Laduree shares its favorite Parisian addresses.
Divided into four sections....
Cuisine
Fashion and Beauty
Interior Design
Culture
This chic, pocket-sized guide includes 200 of the best addresses in Paris, advising where to stay, where to eat, and where to see and be seen.
Beautifully illustrated with more than 200 color photographs and illustrations, it is the perfect gift for stylish Parisians and visitors alike.
SUNNYLANDS
AMERICA'S MIDCENTURY MASTERPIECE
I saved the best for last!
This was my favorite book.
I've been going to Palm Spring every Easter for years and never knew that this incredible place was open to the public!
The pinnacle of midcentury style, designed by A. Quincy Jones, one of California's most significant architects, Sunnylands contains the only completely preserved interior by Hollywood's legendary decorator-to-the-stars, William Haines.
Sunnylands: America's Midcentury Masterpiece, offers an intimate tour of this legendary property.
This book has it all... from the history of Walter and Leonore Annenberg, the construction of their modernist dream house built in the middle of their own golf course, and the long list of politicians, movie stars, and corporate leaders who came to relax and reflect in comfort and privacy, it was a vortex of plaid pants, sherbet pastel hats, de la Renta gowns, and socio-economic power!
With its celadon interior, dazzling collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, and long, low sofas that look like vintage Cadillac convertibles, Sunnylands today is a passport to eras gone by.
In Palm Springs, the mecca of midcentury modern architecture, this extraordinary survivor - maintained as fresh as the day it was built - is the undisputed masterpiece.
To help you get a jumpstart on your Christmas shopping just leave a comment below and 2 lucky readers will receive copies of either A HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY or PARIS by LADUREE.
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