I will admit to being a bit of a book junky. You would think, then, that I love frequenting the local library. But, the books I read are typically for reference, so I want to be able to make notes in them and fill them with sticky bookmarks. I want to be able to revisit them again and again. So, one of my favorite places to hang out is the local Barnes & Nobel. A trip there is almost always included in an afternoon out of the house or when Jeff & I are on a date night. And I often come home with a bag heavy with a book or two and maybe a magazine.
In our most recent trip, I came across a delightful book I had never heard of – Maison. My interest was immediately piqued because it was a collaboration between a watercolor artist and an interior designer AND it was about Parisian style. That is a winning combination in my estimation.
As a nice surprise, the cover of the book is a “mood board” poster and the book under the cover is just as beautiful. Isn’t it just yummy?!
The interior is filled with watercolor swatches and sketches that coordinate and tie into the interiors featured in the book.
I love the sentiment expressed in the first paragraph of the introduction…
“A carved eighteenth-century panels lit by a small industrial lamp, a watering can masquerading as a vase, or a hatbox upcycled into a coffee table – these are the hallmarks of a new, as yet unnamed style of interior decoration that has been adopted ever in Paris… A blend of flea=market finds, souvenirs from foreign travels, and treasured unearthed in the family attic, this new style reveals how everything we love can coexist harmoniously.”
It’s a book about collecting, living and decorating with things you love and I’m a big proponent of that as well.
I have acquired a lot of books lately on art and textiles, but this is my favorite decorating book acquisition in a while.
You can buy the book from Amazon HERE or Barnes & Noble HERE.
I just recently checked this book out from the local library. Beautiful indeed!
Ines de la Fressange is a very well known model who has an amazing creative and interior design talent. I’ve never heard of this book and can’t wait to find it. Thank you.
It is such a beautiful, creative book!
I too love pretty books, art books, interior design books, cook books, gardening, on and on. I use the library as a show room to try books out to see if I wish to own them. I am lucky in Seattle we have a great library system that is well stocked with those kind of books. There have been many times I was so glad I previewed the book through the libray instead of just buying it. Not as many photos as I wanted, too much text, not enough inspiration etc, those are the reasons I don’t buy. In some cookbooks the recipe is set up so you have to turn the page and keep going back and forth to do it right. Not good. I spend a lot of money on books and I have saved a lot of money by using the library. This is a beautiful book!
I love my library and will be sure to check this out, thanks.
I’ve recently started buying hard copy books once again. When we moved three years ago I had to dispose of boxes and boxes of books so for quite some time everything I read is on my kindle. However design/decorating books are just not feasible this way. So I’ve started collecting once again. What I’ve found is that most books are available at a much lower price if used. I have been ordering all sorts of books for a fraction of the price by doing this. The books have been in perfect condition, the last one had four page markers but not a mark on the book.
I have several of then used in displays and vignettes around my house but the major problem is having a place to keep them. Looking for them in the library never occurred to me, but I will definitely try that!
Margo, I do this, too! And often find a beautiful $40 or $50 design or art book for under $10. Some vendors even pay for shipping, or if you are an Amazon Prime member and shop their used book vendors, shipping is included. Great way to add to our collections of books that will become “keepers”!
I need to make a trip to B&N soon to look for this book. Two of my favorite things, watercolor and interior decorating. My husband and I often make a date night of a quick dinner out and a long visit to Barnes & Nobel. We rarely come home without a big bag of books!
I have become even more aware of how I love reading a real book since so many books have been digitised & you can read them online – it is just not the same!
A book isn’t just about the text content, but there is something about the texture, the smell of the paper, the weight of a book in your hands, the 3 dimensional experience of viewing each page. Any wonder there is now a move away from digital & back to the real thing – despite predictions that by now all book stores would have disappeared. Just like they thought by the year 2000 we would all be living like the Jetsons! It amuses me how those who predict future styles don’t ever really appreciate that many people will always love antiques or vintage & not 1960’s futurism or stark minimalism.
At one time in my life my mother’s friend worked for a book club & could get us new books that had a small dent in the corner of the cover or a scratch etc for just a few dollars each! I was in heaven & I still have many of those books to this day.
Plus I have suitcases full of imported English Garden & US decorating magazines I have had for over 25 years that my husband thinks I need to reduce – but they are classical styles that never really date – plus those magazines sell for over $20 each here now! So I tell him I’m really saving us money because I can just read those instead of buying new ones all the time!! 😉
Julie, thanks for saying that you keep magazines, too. My husband wants me to get rid of mine, too. Some are 40+ years old and still relevant today. I’ll have to look for some suitcases!’
Marian,
With all due respect, you need to find a local bookstore and patronize it rather than the B & N giant. I am a library girl always and forever but if I want a book for keeps, I purchase it from my local bookstore. Supporting small business is so important in these times with so many businesses closing their doors.
If you saw the movie ” You’ve Got Mail”, you can understand the struggle of the “corner” bookstore – more and more of them disappearing. My local bookstore owner is always glad to order anything she does not stock. Buy local!
Agree wholeheartedly!
As far as I am aware, Barnes and Noble is the only bookstore in Rochester to get this type of book. There is a Christian bookstore, but no other local or “corner” bookstores in town.
I recently watched the movie “Shop Around the Corner” from 1940, starring Jimmy Stewart…did you know that “You’ve Got Mail” was either loosely based on it or plagiarized?! Some of the dialog is word for word!
I too, have always loved books and decorating/design magazines and have some from… the 1960’s! Since we are moving soon, and my husband absolutely hates moving them, they will probably get tossed out…sadly. No one seem to want them!
I hope that you do a post of your fave books sometime. Or perhaps I missed it?. I just love good recommendations for books!
I love this. Great idea!!
LoveLoveLove the hardback covering of ‘Maison’ ~ even more than the paper cover! Sometimes, the art directors get it just exactly right, don’t they?
I will be ordering this book from my independent book store that I love. I agree with Anne.. I have gone to B& N and walked away from their nooks and go to my favorite book store to get the book.?
Do not know that book.
Inès de la Fressange was the muse and friend of Yves Saint-Laurent. She is a slim elegant woman. I had not idea she was into interior decorating now.
Enjoy your new book, it looks lovely.
Monique
I’m with Terrie about the hardback cover ? It’s absolutely gorgeous! While I like the mood board poster cover, it wouldn’t have stood out to me, begging to be picked up. But I wouldn’t have been able to resist picking up the book with the rosy watercolor tile pattern embossed in gold.
Thank you for the recommendation, Marian. I am enjoying reading this book front to cover every day, while I eat my lunch (lol). Several ideas have inspired me already!