In her first book, award-winning interior designer Mary McDonald inspires readers to combine old-fashioned elegance with the joy of fearless, exuberant decorating. Consistently ranked one of House Beautiful’s top 100 designers, L.A.-based Mary McDonald’s gorgeous, feminine interiors have graced the cover of every major design magazine. Dubbed the "decorating daredevil" by Domino magazine, McDonald began her career as a milliner and retains a sense of "couture chic" that inspires the look of her interiors, which are simultaneously timeless and of the moment. Her ability to combine bold patterns, chinoiserie, and Indian influences with contemporary lines and an impeccable sense of color has made her one of the most sought-after interior designers working today. Now in her first book, as vibrant and whimsical as Mary and her work, McDonald explores the themes that inform her stylish yet playful sensibility. From her own refurbishment of Buster Keaton’s legendary villa to a stunning range of client projects, McDonald carefully details the colors, fabrics, and accessories she uses to seamlessly pull each look together. Exquisitely photographed, this vivid book is a must for anyone who loves sophisticated, ravishing interiors.
Leading interior designer and owner of Hollyhock, Los Angeles’s renowned antiques and decorative arts mecca, Suzanne Rheinstein is known for her relaxed, elegant style. Style maker and interior designer Suzanne Rheinstein has a keen appreciation for special luxuries. She is a master at taking an eclectic mix of furnishings from the past and arranging them in a fresh, inspiring way. Elegant simplicity and attention to detail are the hallmarks of her look. A timeless quality pervades every room she designs. Rheinstein feels that how you live your life every day is much more important than getting your house together for a special occasion. Beautifully photographed, this inspiring volume shows examples of her work, ranging from a brick farmhouse in the Virginia countryside and a sophisticated rustic getaway overlooking the Big Wood River in Sun Valley to a year-round shingled residence on the beach in Newport Bay, as well as her own homes—a gracious Georgian Revival in Los Angeles and a New York City prewar pied-à-terre. They exemplify her talent for creating attractive homes that make living and entertaining extremely pleasurable.
Food costs these days are outrageous and only growing more each day. In 2008, during a two month period between June and July alone the cost of consumer products rose by more than 1.5 percent across the board, with nearly a 2 percent increase in food costs, according to the Federal Reserve. Added to rising fuel costs and a global food crisis and the costs just continue to rise. So, the prospect of building your own greenhouse and growing your own fruits and vegetables is probably starting to sound more and more viable and like a great way to bypass though prohibitive costs. Of course there is a myriad of issues that needs to be dealt with by anyone seeking to save money with a greenhouse.
This book, by walking you through every step of the process in building and taking advantage of your own green house, seeks to layout those issues and ensure you have as easy a time as possible without any surprises. You will learn the various principles of greenhouse use and the different types of greenhouses you can use depending on your location and the specific needs you may have. Learn how to select a proper site and to set a foundation that will hold the greenhouse effectively in place regardless of weather conditions throughout the year and maintain the heat generated in the greenhouse. Learn how to frame your green house and how to effectively glaze the glass. Learn what kinds of ventilation are needed and what forms of supplemental heat, insulation, and heat sinking you will need to acquire for your greenhouse. Greenhouse and plant experts have been interviewed and their insights have been added to this book to help you make the right decisions about which kind of greenhouse is best for you and how to prepare it.
Making a Family Home is a book of real beauty, one both personal and universal. In describing her home and family life, Shannon Honeybloom shows how she made—and how we can make—a house into a real home as she shares her own efforts, hopes, and lessons in making a safe and healthy home that provides warmth and intimacy for the whole family.
Illustrated in color with lively, evocative photographs, Shannon invites the reader into her home and offers warm encouragement and practical suggestions for virtually every aspect of bringing love, comfort, and beauty to a family home. The chapters in Making a Family Home range from “At Home with Children” to “The Front Porch” and “The Playroom” to “The Backyard and the Garden.”
Shannon Honeybloom is a friend and confidant who offers gentle suggestions and wise insights for parents who wish to surround their family with the best possible home environment.