Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of meeting author Deborah Needleman at a book-signing party to celebrate her new book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home at the Room & Board showroom here in DC.
Best known as the founding editor of the much missed magazine Domino, Deborah has since made a name for herself at the Wall Street Journal (which I adore!). I received the book last week and I kept joking at the party that it had been to bed with me every night, I love it so!
A great book of basic ways to make a house your home, it is charmingly illustrated with watercolor sketches by Virginia Johnson. As most of the images are well known to us savvy to design media, showcasing drawings rather than photographs really enlivens the book and gives it a great casual personality.
Of course, I knew I was reading the right book when an illustration of Kate and Andy Spade's New York apartment graces the chapter called 'A Proper Welcome', probably my favorite apartment ever published (by World of Interiors Magazine).
With chapters endearingly named and on numerous practical topics such as Places for Chatting, Cozifications, A Bit of Quirk and Delicious Scent, the book should be #1 on everyone's Christmas wish list. It's also a perfect house-warming present, especially at the low price!
Other bloggers I read who have fallen in love with the book and wrote reviews are Style Court, A Bloomsbury Life and My White Shirt (who stood in the book signing line with me!)All images scanned from the book by illustrator Virginia Johnson.
Katie knows color and texture. In my mind, these are things that make a house a home and the book is filled with luscious examples. I love the blue and red combination seen above.
Probably the best part, for me as an architect, were the numerous examples of kitchens and baths. We're always looking for inspiration in these departments!
Something as simple as a patterned backsplash in this vintage looking kitchen makes a world of difference.
In this bath, a morrocan inspired tile is used to create a beautiful line at the top of the wainscot: so easy to replicate at home. Again we see a lot of blue which is surely Katie's favorite color (and mine as well!).
What I love most about Katie's work is that it is unabashedly pretty and comfortable; nothing overly precious. They're simply delightful spaces which I'm sure thrill the occupants day in and day out. Isn't that what design should be all about? 
Filled with incredible photography primarily by Marc Walters, the book showcases the love of exotic Eastern influences which began to inspire the Western world nearly 400 years ago.
Earlier this week, I attended a lecture at the 
Solis Betancourt has been operating out of Washington, DC for 20 years and to celebrate that landmark, they decided to publish a book of some of their favorite projects. One of the first in the book is also one of my favorites (which I've loved ever since I first saw it published), an elegant french styled house here in DC they did in collaboration with 
Above is the living room. In this remarkable renovation, the team turned a pokey little house into an airy and spacious feeling masterpiece with amazing views. One of my favorite parts of the lecture was that they showed the 'befores' for every 'after' which got a lot of gasps from the audience!
The use of natural materials and simple, modern furniture in a classical space was important to the client. Solis stated that their work at the firm is extremely client based and personal. This is evidenced by the broad range of styles seen throughout the book. He believes that the process should be 'amazingly fun' for everyone involved and that the client is the most important part of the process.
In another more recently completed project just outside of NYC, Solis collaborated with architect Ward Welch to create a soothing environment for the client as an escape from the city. Solis believes his training as a painter (and also as an architect at Cornell) has trained him to see his interiors as still-lives and he excels at creating vignettes, as in this bedroom above. One of my favorite spaces was a bathroom in the same house. The modern glass sinks benefit from tons of natural light and the contrasting ornate mirrors add a little excitement to the room. I also love when bathrooms are finished like real rooms with pieces of furniture.
In the end, Solis and Paul left us with some great points. The earlier an interior designer is involved with a project, the better and smoother the end result. Solis believes his training as an architect helped his communication skills with clients, architects and the whole building team and believes that a team process is needed for a coherent project. 
An intellectual as well as an architect, Pennoyer is able to work in many different styles and formats given his broad range of study. Showing this versatility, this 'camp' cabin from the section on country houses is designed in an Adirondack style.
Playing with traditional styles for this area of New York from architects such as Robert Robertson as well as utilizing traditional Norwegian and Russian styles, the house was designed to look like an assemblage of pavilions attached through a series of covered walkways.
You must get your hands on a copy of this book to fully appreciate Pennoyer's work -this is only the tip of the iceberg! Christmas list anyone?
The incredible faux marble walls caught my attention first. I think I like them more than the real marble floors! The Louis XV desk in the entry hall is very useful, especially for hosts who keep a guest book, such as the Windsors.
Here is Hugh Lygon, the 'real' Sebastian -quite dashing in his double breasted suit and slicked back hair- but not quite as handsome perhaps as Anthony Andrews who played the part in Brideshead revisited from 1981.
Above is Lord Beauchamp, the inspiration for Lord Marchmain, who was in exile from England like in the book, but for much more scandalous reasons! The real story behind this family was even more extraordinary than depicted by Waugh in Brideshead, hopefully this new book is a good read. I'll let you know! 
This is probably the design book I refer to the most -my comfort blanket. As an exchange student in high school, I visited this neighborhood of palaces outside of Berlin and knew that this is what my passion was -great residential design. I remember standing in this room above in Sancoucci (which I've blogged about before 
