Words to Give By

Sometimes I wonder if the shop is merely a front for me to buy all the things I love but can't afford to keep. Design books are one of my weaknesses, and I've collected a batch of my current favorites--all of which, conveniently enough, are for sale at Revival Home & Garden. Coincidence?

Surprise your favorite design aficionado with one of these under the tree and you're guaranteed to be rewarded with a gigantic smile.


1. Tony Duquette


Not a new book, but my favorite design book of all time. Hands down, one of the most inspiring designers of all time. I LOVE THIS BOOK!


2. High Style


A glossy, glam effort from the masters of glossy and glam, L.A.'s Ron Woodson and Jaime Rummerfield. Another one of my favorites, this is filled with colorful, over-the-top vignettes from the pair's fabulous California shop, as well as some of their memorable design projects that include the home of former Seattleite Courtney Love.

As an added bonus, the book is beautifully made, with a gilded fabric cover. Never hurts.

3. Celerie Kemble: To Your Taste

Another of my favorite of the new crop of design books....highly readable, great projects influenced by the current Regency madness but all with a timeless underpinning, and informative to boot. After reading it, Ms. Kemble rose a few notches to the upper heights of my favorite designer list.

4. Defining Luxury

Fabulous eye candy.... I want to move into that room on the cover every time I look at it.

5. Inspired Styles

A great premise, this is a compilation of favorite rooms by loads of current top designers including Kelly Wearstler, Michael S. Smith, and more.

6. Regency Redux

An exploration of the hot hot hot Regency style from a historical perspective, written by one of the leading experts on the period (who also has a great new blog, BTW)

7. The New Traditional

A wonderful first book from the new master of cool, serene interiors (and former lawyer!) Darryl Carter.

8. Charlotte Moss: A Flair for Living

A beautiful book from tastemaker extraordinaire Charlotte Moss.