Feel pretty in print with these three Los Angeles design books that put a twist on traditional, celebrating everything pattern and well-mannered style.
Los Angeles design books that celebrate well-mannered style
Frances Elkins Honors The Most Creative Decorator In History
In this long-awaited book Frances Elkins: Visionary American Designer on interior designer Frances Elkins, author Scott Powell tackles her legendary career by the decade. Elkins, whom Billy Baldwin declared “the most creative decorator we ever had, and perhaps the greatest,” got her start in Chicago, working with her brother, architect David Adler. But she quickly rose to prominence on her own, settling in Monterey, California. From her office on Fisherman’s Wharf and her historic home at Casa Amesti, Elkins maintained her roster of international social connections, single-handedly bringing the work of such luminaries as Jean-Michel Frank, Alberto Giacometti and Salvador Dalí to the West Coast.
Suzanne Rheinstein Explores Serene L.A. Residences
Longtime L.A. designer Suzanne Rheinstein has recently retired, which makes her latest tome Suzanne Rheinstein: A Welcoming Elegance even more of a must-have. “These houses are the last I plan to do,” she explains in its pages. Known for creating refined but livable interiors, Rheinstein explores six new homes in the book, including residences in West Hollywood, Newport Beach and her own Montecito abode. “All of us deserve a place that adds richness and serenity to our lives and that we can happily share with friends and family,” she writes.
Charm School Shares How Designers Give Traditional Decor A Modern Spin
Toile, scallops, checks—Charm School: The Schumacher Guide to Traditional Decorating for Today is a buzzy celebration of the “ruffled rebellion” that sparked a resurgence of old-fashioned interior design. By Emma Bazilian and Stephanie Diaz, it highlights such 20th-century legends as Mark Hampton, Mario Buatta and Sister Parish. But the volume also focuses on how today’s designers, including L.A.’s own Mark D. Sikes, Johnson Hartig and Rebecca de Ravenel, are giving traditional decor’s familiar attributes— skirted furniture, displays of porcelain—a more modern interpretation. “Whether the results are grand or humble, awash in bold color or more quietly elegant,” Bazilian writes, “what these rooms all share is a feeling of being inherently lived-in and, above all, well-loved.”
