Curated Texan
The best in class books for the warmer months ahead? They are right here at your fingertips and are the perfect antidote to the busy social season, according to our resident bibliophile, Lance Avery Morgan, who chooses favorites from Rizzoli USA and Prestel Publishing.
1. THE WORLD AT YOUR TABLE: INSPIRING TABLETOP DESIGNS
By Stephanie Stokes
Each lush story in this book conjures the spirit of a particular place: Palm Beach’s tropical lushness, Provence’s remarkable charm, Portugal’s artisanal refinement, and so much more. By pairing Stokes’ travel photography with the featured tables, she illustrates how incorporating the treasures collected on one’s travels can capture, express, and spark fresh memories at home. $55. At RizzoliUSA.com.
2. GLORIA CORTINA: INTERIORS, MODERNITY & MYTH
By Jay Merrick
An updated illustrated survey overview highlighting the most outstanding projects by the well-established and renowned Mexican interior and furniture designer.Superbly photographed, this beautifully crafted volume presents Cortina’s most recent interior projects and unique furniture pieces. Cortina’s design inspirations range from Mayan artifacts to cubism, twentieth-century modernist art and architecture, Mexico’s unique arts and crafts heritage, and natural and archaeological environments. $65. At RizzoliUSA.com.
3. A HOUSE IN MAINE
By Nina Campbell
Here’s a tome that displays one of renowned interior designer Nina Campbell’s most exciting projects to date. Grand and glorious, the main house evolved from that summer cottage to a larger Federal-style manse—whose recent reinvention was overseen by New York architects Ferguson & Shamamian—in a landscape with outlets for indoor and outdoor bliss and clarity. Constructed at the turn of the last century, the core of the main house is a simple cottage overlooking a secluded cove. The pioneering couple who built it had no idea that they were creating a legacy that would become central to the lives of future generations of their family, who use the place as a retreat. $60. At RizzoliUSA.com.
4. CHARLES III: A KING AND HIS QUEEN
By Chris Jackson
Marking the historic occasion of the coronation of King Charles III, his royal photographer creates the most intimate and wide- ranging portrait of the new king and his royal family over decades of seismic and historic change leading up to this watershed moment in modern history and in the British monarchy. Jackson’s extensive archive of photographs of the former Prince of Wales and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, now King Charles III and the Queen Consort, chronicles the extraordinary life of His Royal Highness — the longest-serving heir apparent and the oldest person to accede to the British throne, at the age of 73, following the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. $57.50. At RizzoliUSA.com.
5. ATELIERS OF EUROPE: AN ATLAS OF DECORATIVE ARTS WORKSHOPS
By John Whelan
Beginning in the Renaissance, ateliers were established as places for European artists to work and teach their crafts. Centuries later most of these spaces have disappeared, but a select few continue to produce some of the world’s most celebrated and sought-after objects in the areas of crystal, ceramics, wrought iron, fabric, bookbinding, mosaic, wood paneling, and more. Ranging from the well- known to the obscure,this takes readers inside dozens of ateliers from Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Sumptuous double-page spreads feature alluring photography, and fascinating background texts tell their stories. $60. By Prestel. At PenuinRandomHouse.com.
6. FRESH AIR AFFAIRS
By Lela Rose
Welcome to the world of chic outdoor entertaining and decorating, according to native Texan fashion designer Lela Rose, who knows how to throw a party. In the city, in the country, in the mountains, afield or on the range, on the beach, or anywhere where the fresh air is the VIP of the event, Rose creates her magic. The parties featured are inspired by places that matter to her—her childhood home in Texas, a favorite vacation retreat in Jackson Hole, and her home base in New York City—but their concepts can be recreated just about anywhere. This book shows the importance of celebrating life’s everyday moments with the people who matter most. Recipes for meals and nibbles, adult cocktails and refreshing beverages, floral designs and tablescapes, tips for having a Plan B at the ready, and so much more fill the pages of this entertaining must-have for when alfresco is the name of the game. $45. At RizzzoliUSA.com.
7. CREATIVE INTERIOR SOLUTIONS
By Vincente Wolf
Admired for his impeccable eye and unique vision of the world, Vicente Wolf has been at the top of the design industry for over forty years. In his new book, the celebrated AD100 designer shares the expertise he has honed over the years. Wolf’s work is characterized by a passion for integrity and simplicity; a sophisticated sense of space, color, and ease; expert handling of furniture, fabrics, and art; and the use of rare antiques and exceptional handcrafted pieces (many acquired on annual globe-trotting adventures). In fact, this new volume distills his knowledge into wide-ranging and easily applicable recommendations making the book both an object of beauty and an endless source for decorating advice and inspiration. $60. At RizzoliUSA.com.
8. THE ARTISTRY OF FLOWERS
Floral Designs by La Musa de Las Flores
Why not bring beauty in the form of nature into your home and your lifestyle, no matter where you live, through artful floral arrangements, as well as indoor and outdoor flowering plants? This gorgeous book encourages everyone to live with florals and to appreciate their beauty as we appreciate art. Gabriela teaches us how to look at flowers and understand their characteristics from an artist’s perspective. By exploring different shapes, colors, and textures, she shows us how to understand flowers and their living, transitory nature. Drawing on her painting background, she looks at floral arrangements as compositions. She highlights which type of blooms are best for different designs and shares building blocks for floral designs ranging from simple and sculptural to complex and colorful, including arrangements for any mood and different decor. $50. At RizzoliUSA.com.
9. CASA SANTA FE: DESIGN, STYLE, ARTS AND TRADITIONS
By Melba Levick and Dr. Rubén G. Mendoza
Here is the definitive source book for architects, designers, builders, homeowners, and interior decorators seeking to expand their visual repertoire of historically defined and classically inspired architectural details and interior appointments. Desert hues, natural materials, thick hand-plastered walls, and adobe brick construction are hallmarks of the Santa Fe Style, which is as much an expression in architecture, interior design, art, and crafts as it is a way of life. Rooted in a sense of earthy comfort inspired by its history, the surrounding desert, and Native American and Hispanic design influences, the style has a timeless appeal and vibrant ongoing life that has resulted in these extraordinary homes.. $55. At RizzoliUSA.com.
10. CHARCUTERIE
By Ferrandi Paris
If you are looking for a complete course on charcuterie, cooked terrines, pâtés, and savory pies then look no further than this new cookbook. This beautifully illustrated volume written by the school’s experienced chefs includes seventy French charcuterie recipes with step-by-step instructions for preparing doughs, sausages, and a variety of meat and meatless spreads. Recipes are organized by category—pâtés, pies, and tarts; terrines and pressed meats; rillettes and pulled meats and fish; stuffed dishes; and cooked charcuterie—and includes condiments to accompany these mouthwatering delicacies. From country pâté to eggplant miso terrine, Scotch eggs to stuffed tomatoes, blood sausage ravioli to Duck Parmentier, mushroom and potato pie to beef Rossini, chickpea, and vegetable terrine to a revisited croque monsieur, the easy-to-follow recipes are graded for difficulty, allowing home cooks to hone skills over time. $40. At RizzoliUSA.com.
BONUS BOOKS WE COULDN’T RESIST…
FRENCH BLOOMS
By Sandra Sigman
Want to brighten up your home right now? Look no further. Be transported to Paris to gather inspiration from the French flower markets and then in subsequent chapters shows us how to create these stunning bouquets at home for any occasion. As summer’s flowers are beginning to bloom, there is no better time to celebrate with a beautiful Parisian bouquet to make any home immediately much chicer. Projects include a mantle display in Ironstone gravy boats, compote-style dining room arrangements, powder room posies, and be-ribboned hand-tied bouquets. With chapters on choosing the right containers—from vintage stoneware crocks to baskets and white ceramic footed vases—and flower care and tools, along with lush photographs, many taken in Paris, Normandy, and Provence, $40. At RizzoliUSA.com.
INDIA IN FASHION: THE IMPACT OF INDIAN DRESS AND TEXTILES ON THE FASHIONABLE IMAGINATION
By Hamish Bowles
With insightful texts by experts from India, Europe, and North America, author Bowles explores the history of traditional Indian fashion, dress, and textiles and their profound impact on European and American fashion from the eighteenth century to today. To accompany a major exhibition at The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural in Mumbai, this richly illustrated volume features paintings, fashion magazine editorials, and portraits of influential people who championed Indian style throughout history. Readers will find a wealth of archival and contemporary fashion stories with images by photographers such as Henry Clarke in Udaipur in 1967, Arthur Elgort in Jaipur in 1999, and Mikael Jansson in Goa with Indian actress Lakshmi Menon in 2011, to name a few. $65. At RizzoliUSA.com.
