"Human beings feel a universal attraction to light. It is the source of life-giving energy . . . and where there is light there is color." "Color is light made visible," says Donald Kaufman," and the atmosphere of the air we breathe and the quality of the light passing through it affect how we see color." A wall painted terra cotta in Santa Fe will look very different than a wall painted terra cotta in New York. By understanding the nature of the light and atmosphere in the place where you live, paint palettes for rooms can be selected that will enhance the light and create luminous effects. In these inspiring pages filled with breathtaking rooms, Kaufman and Dahl have visited homes in different regions of the country and explored the particularities of the light and air in each to show how colors were chosen to enhance the available light. Whether it be the veiled light of the South and Northwest, the dry air and harsh light of the desert, the misted light of northern cities, the incandescent light over water, the clear light of the mountains, or the glaring light reflected from snow, each has its own way of interacting with color indoors. The reader also learns that, just as colors change with the region, they vary with the seasons and times of day. Molecules of air, water vapor, ice crystals, nearby buildings, or the tree branches and leaves we see outside our rooms all interact with painted interiors. We come to understand that the colors on our walls need not be fixed but can reflect the subtle changes that happen outdoors. In Kaufman and Dahl's Color: Natural Palettes for Painted Rooms, the authors transformed forever the way we see colors in nature and in the paint on our walls. In Color and Light, they take us one step further to help us understand the role of the kinds of light we live with and how we can bring the sun's warmth and luminosity inside.

Color and Light: Luminous Atmospheres for Painted Rooms

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Pittel, Christine

Kaufman, Donald

Dahl, Taffy

Crafts & Hobbies

Clarkson/Potter

By using color, light, and pattern in ingenious ways, even the smallest space can appear larger. Here are some big ideas--all wonderfully shown in photographs--for using every nook and cranny efficiently and effectively. Make the most of tiny apartments, merge rooms, widen doorways, and turn cramped quarters into cozy nooks. Play tricks on the eye with mirrors, take some hints on cutting down the clutter, and lots more!

House Beautiful Small Spaces

Arts & Photography

Architecture

Hearst

Creating your dream house—a prospect as exciting as it is daunting. Michael Smith, a favorite among celebrity clientele, reveals the method of his design magic. Offering thoughtful ideas and practical advice, the designer walks the reader through his process, from the gathering of resource material (from magazines and iconic films to something as simple as a shell or a swatch of vintage fabric), expertly pairing simpler and grander elements (or inexpensive with more extravagant objects), perfecting the editing process, to knowing when a room is finished. Detailing the nearly encyclopedic range of styles he culls from to create his signature style, the designer describes recent examples of his work, beginning with a modest and quirkily designed house in Bel Air, Smith redid for himself. Razed, rebuilt, and decorated over the course of five years, the house allowed Smith to experiment and explore ideas freely and the result is a gracious home, as welcoming as it is stylish. In addition to his California residence, twenty other projects are featured, from a New England clapboard to a Malibu villa overlooking the Pacific to a city townhouse. In each, Smith deconstructs the elements which come together to make the ideal home.

Michael S. Smith Houses

History

Smith, Michael S.

Asia

Rizzoli

Suzanne Kasler is known for her classically inspired rooms, pretty palettes, and comfortable spaces. She brings Southern charm, European sensibility, and a respect for architectural details to her interiors. Her neutral palette, spiced with hits of color, creates warm spaces that are elegant yet inviting. Inspired by fashion, Kasler uses a scarf as a throw, adds grosgrain or satin banding to the bottom of a chair cover, accents draperies with Chanel-like piped borders, or embellishes a bed frame with delicate handpainted patterns. It is these exquisite haute couture details that drive her design aesthetic. Kasler’s mélange of antiques, midcentury pieces, and modern furniture makes her layered interiors attractive and livable. Lavishly illustrated, this beautiful volume showcases a range of Kasler’s projects, from a luxurious Georgian mansion in Atlanta’s Buckhead to a sophisticated farmhouse in Tennessee and a beach house in Watersound, Florida. Offering a wealth of original design ideas that are refreshing and full of verve, Inspired Interiors is a welcome addition to any library of interior design books.

Suzanne Kasler: Inspired Interiors

Religion & Spirituality

Kasler, Suzanne

Other Eastern Religions & Sacred Texts

The newest book from acclaimed designer Michael S Smith is an in-depth look at how to create the perfect American house. Michael S Smith: House and Home is a rare opportunity to experience in great detail the work of this renowned designer. Michael S Smith transformed an ordinary house and its outbuildings into an extraordinary suite of rooms that display the best of this design superstar’s work. As he walks the reader through its myriad rooms and gardens, explaining each decision made, Smith provides a complete, invaluable up-to-date design vocabulary that every homeowner and design aficionado is keen to know, from the initial renovation plans to the finishing details, indoors and out. Interviews with the architect, Oscar Shamamian, the landscape designer, and various craftsmen help Smith guide the reader through the process of creating a house, and in so doing provides a blueprint for anyone building or renovating their dream home. Richly informative, this is a visually stunning, indispensable guide to designing an unforgettable house, one decision at a time.

Michael S. Smith: Building Beauty: The Alchemy of Design

The newest book from acclaimed designer Michael S. Smith showcases his exceptional take on kitchens and baths, the busiest yet most personal rooms in a home. Legendary designer Michael S. Smith has stories to tell about kitchens and bathrooms-those he has designed himself, and those that inspire him. In this fascinating and inspirational book, Smith, who has his own line of kitchen and bath fixtures for Kohler, explains how these rooms define a house. Kitchens and bathrooms are among the most expensive and labor-intensive rooms to design. But they are also opposites, the most public and private zones of a house. In three in-depth case studies and dozens of supporting examples, Smith discusses his design process for these rooms, from big-picture issues such as the social engineering of the kitchen’s layout to details large and small, including the importance of choosing the right cabinet, which can be a crystallization of the architecture of the house, as well as countertops, fixtures, floors, hardware, and more. Also including a sampling of dressing rooms and breakfast rooms, along with a comprehensive resource section, this is a uniquely sophisticated take on a subject of perennial interest.

Michael S. Smith: Kitchens & Baths

Reference

Among the world’s most spectacular indoor and outdoor interpretations, the residential lap pools, ponds, whirlpools, and spas magnificently displayed here are the creations of international architects, designers, and landscapers such as William Turnbull, Jr., Hugh Newell Jacobsen, Jacques Wirtz, and Steven Ehrlich. Plunge into pools that dreams are made of through expert advice and lush illustration.

House Beautiful Pools

Gardening & Landscape Design

Here are some big ideas—all wonderfully shown in photographs—for using every nook and cranny efficiently and effectively. Make the most of tiny apartments, merge rooms, widen doorways, and turn cramped quarters into cozy nooks. Play tricks on the eye with mirrors, take some hints on cutting down the clutter, and lots more!

House Beautiful Decorating Solutions for Small Spaces

The Editors of House Beautiful Magazine

Humor & Entertainment

A panoply of outstanding rooms from today’s leading designers-gathered by America’s leading design magazine, House Beautiful. More than 200 lush color photos accompanied by highly readable text salute the celebrated tastemakers of the last century—including legendary decorator Billy Baldwin, and the phenomenal “Sister” Parish. Contemporary stars such as Mark Hampton and John Saladino reveal how you too can make a beautiful home.

House Beautiful Elements of Style

It’s one of a homeowner’s biggest decorating challenges: deciding what lighting will both provide the desired effect and complement the overall décor. So if you’re in the dark about how to brighten up a space, the pros at House Beautiful have many stunning solutions. You’ll learn about fixtures ranging from simple sconces and Tizio lamps to wacky kitchen treatments to grand crystal works of art, and see how light changes the look of a room. Whether you need a simple reading lamp or a way to focus dramatic attention on your favorite works of art, every photo and page is loaded with smart suggestions.

House Beautiful Lighting: Inspiring Ideas for Lighting Effects, from Simple to Spectacular

Gura, Judith

Home Improvement & Design

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Pittel, Christine. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Pittel, Christine