Signature Style: Creating Beautiful Interiors
There's more to decorating a home well than simply selecting  furniture and accessories for each room. A well-dressed home has a  certain flair throughout that's stylish and inviting. That sense of  style unfortunately doesn't come naturally to most people, soSignature Styleaims to help you learn from those who have it  in spades. The book features eight American designers, each of whom  has a distinctive sense of style, and all of whom are masterful in  their approach to interior design.Charles Faudree, for instance,  specializes in combining French and English touches, such as toleware  and Staffordshire figures. This artful mix of European high style and  country brings warmth, comfort, and class to all of his rooms. Gary  McBournie, on the other hand, brings a very American look to his homes  with rag rugs, New England furniture, and antique handmade quilts,  while also incorporating European and Asian pieces. Mary Douglas  Drysdale melds neoclassical design with modern pieces and throws in  her trademark detail of antique weathervanes; Kely Amen, on the other  hand, favors the use of bold color over accessories. Other designers  whose works are profiled include Thomas Bartlett, Paula Perlini, Kelly  Amen, Douglas Rasar, and Alessandra Branca.This assemblage of  designers brings an impressive amount of training and knowledge to  their field--many have classical training at prestigious interior  design schools, as well as backgrounds in art, art history, and  architecture, and formative experiences in other countries. But the  proof is in their designs, and the result is always breathtaking.Well written and laid out, this beautiful book is checkered with  plentiful, large color photos of each designer's work. The editors  have done a superlative job of selecting some fine American designers  to feature in the book--each of these artists brings a timeless yet  unique style to his or her work. Readers ofSignature Stylewould do well to take some cues from the designers featured when  trying to formulate their own signature style.--Kris Law