Penny McCormick selects the perfect books for the coffee table curator on your Christmas list…
Featured Image; Taken from Nino Cerruti: Fashion Icon, Cindi Cook.
1. YVES SAINT LAURENT AT HOME text by Jacques Granges, Assouline, €95.
Readers can discover Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé’s savoir faire in their portfolio of houses comprising Chateau Gabriel, the dacha in Deauville, Villa Majorelle in Marrakech and their apartment on Rue de Babylone. Jacques Grange, who oversaw the interior design of each, says, “Yves and Pierre are true collectors. Their homes seem to be haunted by countless storybook characters.” Essential reading for aspiring decoristas.
2. ISLAND FOLLIES, Romantic Homes of the Bahamas, Alastair Gordon and Barbara de Vries, Rizzoli, €52.
Henry Melich is the Czech-born architect who brought a beguiling neoclassicism to the Caribbean. Faux marbled walls, colonnades, tent-like interiors with striped ceilings were his design signatures, as shown in this transportative read.
3. JEWELRY GUIDE, The Ultimate Compendium by Fabienne Reybaud, Assouline, €95.
“Jewellery has the power to be the one little thing that makes you feel unique,” believed Elizabeth Taylor. This comprehensive guide features key pieces, from the Hope Diamond to anecdotes on the club of five and the four Cs and is accompanied by an essential glossary and a list of the best museum collections to see, as well as budding artists to follow and a guide to buying antique pieces.
4. CATHY B GRAHAM: FULL BLOOM By Cathy B Graham, Vendome Press, €49.
In her second book, the acclaimed artist, host and gardener presents a new series of floral creations. With a whimsical style and artful touch, Graham creates a variety of colourful designs for the table, home and party, accompanied by useful sidebars on everything from painted pots to DIY faux trees. This is as accessible for novice floral arrangers as it is informative for seasoned hosts
5. NINO CERRUTI: FASHION ICON Cindi Cook, TeNeues, €46.
“Fashion is balance, with a dash of theatre,” was Nino Cerruti’s belief. His designs for supple, deconstructed suiting laid the groundwork for the postwar Italian ready-to-wear industry. He also designed for cinema, notably Pretty Woman and Basic Instinct. Cook showcases his elegance and creativity in this book, a must for chic coffee tables.
6. OBJECTS OF DESIRE by Maria Hummer-Tuttle, Vendome Press, €57.
For Maria Hummer-Tuttle, the objects she has collected, from the priceless to the flea-market finds, are precious not only for their beauty and craftsmanship but also for their connection to the past and the future. This is a perfect gift for coffee table curators.
