ESCAPE: MY FAVORITE DESIGN BOOK OF THE YEAR
Am I the only one who got a pit in her stomach as we enter ANOTHER season in the pandemic?? One of my few salvations has been distracting myself with beautiful coffee table books. Lucky for all of us, I got to interview the author of the best design book I’ve read this year, “Summer To Summer: Houses By the Sea” (Vendome), Jennifer Ash Rudick. Let me take your mind off the news by following our inspiring conversation here!
Gorgeous design by David Netto, whose whole house is featured in the book (photographed by Tria Giovan)
Jennifer got to go behind the scenes of the most incredible family vacation homes in the country — from author William Styron’s (Martha’s Vineyard), to Sister Parish’s (Islesboro, Maine), to Aerin Lauder’s (East Hampton) below…
Aerin Lauder’s house (and treehouse!) who collaborated with Daniel Romualdez (photos by Tria Giovan)
Q - Lee: “Did you come home after each site visit and feel like you had to rearrange your furniture & change everything in your house — which I’m afraid I would do! — or were you just able to ‘enjoy’ each unique house as its own place?”
A - Jennifer: {without missing a beat} “Oh no, I WISH I was that well adjusted!:) But fortunately I’m too busy to actually make all the changes I thought about…”
(Note: Since interviewing Jennifer, I saw her on an Instagram Live session at her house in NYC and can see that she has no need whatsoever to rearrange a thing there!)
A beautiful house in Maine - one of many in the book that feature painted floors, which are such a New England classic (photo: Tria Giovan)
Although the houses in the book are diverse in style, there are many common elements — including the use of dedicated space for art or creative projects.
Photo: Tria Giovan
Photo: Tria Giovan
Believe it or not the Japanese-design style sawhorses above are actually from Home Depot! I looked online for them & couldn’t find exact style - but here are some that would do the trick in a small corner of a spare bedroom or home office…
Simple Scandinavian style desk from Wayfair
A smart corner unit would be fairly unobtrusive
It’s not glam but here’s my basement studio, where I’m attempting block printing this Fall. Inspired by John Robshaw, Molly Mahon, Peter Dunham et. al., I ordered wooden blocks and ink from India via Etsy. Stay tuned:)
Another theme in the book is improvisation - a hallmark of easy summer living - and seems pretty on point with the strange times we’re in. I love the side chair cum nightstand below…
Photo: Tria Giovan
Of course the level of improvisation required during The Era of Pandemic Decorating is a bit more extreme — e.g; our guest room below, overtaken by my husband’s corporate logo backdrop for a Keynote presentation. Good times:)
What attracted me to Jennifer’s book (who knew she also was the producer of one of my favorite documentaries, Iris!?) is that she picked houses that were so original and personal to the owners. No stage sets here!
Jennifer explained to me that she feels “a house is like a living portrait of a person.” Amen! She wanted to show each space “en jus,” meaning that each room should be an authentic reflection of the owner and its geography. She & her photographer Tria Giovan definitely succeeded in that & it sets the book apart from many other glossy coffee table books.
That ceiling! The natural light! Couldn’t you just sit there & read magazines for an entire day??
Little Cranberry Island home of the owners of Quadrille
I love how the framed pressed leaves are elevated into a sophisticated tableau, with the texture & pattern of everything around it. Perfection!
The scene above is from a 1940s era house on Mount Desert Island (Maine), designed by Isamu Noguchi and Wallace Harrison for descendants of the Vanderbilt family. The house itself is like a sleek sculpture, but not at all cold, as it’s lined with warm wood, soft rugs & beloved art pieces.
Above is a charming bedroom in the late great Sister Parish’s house, now owned & carried on in great style by her daughter Apple Bartlett.
Well, I could go on & on but perhaps you have other things to do today!? I hope I’ve been able to offer you some visual stimulation during this crazy time or set your sights on natural beauty at least…
If you want to check out Jennifer’s book more, you can find it here.
In the meantime, please stay in touch (Lee@ElegantMayhem.com) & stay healthy!
xo
Lee