High Style, by Ron Woodson and Jaime Rummerfield, is a book on style that serves two purposes. Its beautiful pictures will inspire any home decorator, and the book itself is lovely enough to work as a piece of art on a coffee table.
Elements of Design – Pattern, Scale, Color, Texture & Proportion
Great rooms are not just tossed together randomly; they are created with some thought given to these five design elements. High Style shows beautiful rooms that were built with these elements in mind, and gives brief descriptions of what works and what doesn't in each category.
West Coast Style
The authors both profess a love for Los Angeles, whose homes come in a surprising array of styles. Houses are decorated according to the dominant style of their neighborhood, such as Craftsman bungalows, Malibu estates, old Hollywood Beverly Hills, modern Hollywood Hills, and Mediterranean style homes on the east. Photos of homes the designers have decorated reflect these different ways of creating a unique environment.
Hollywood Glamour
There are some fabulous examples of glamorous decorating in the Hollywood chapter. The authors have designed beautiful spaces that reflect old school Hollywood, and this style has a charm that never seems to fade. Find design inspiration for an entire room, or simply a new leopard-print chair cover.
Shopping for Decorative Impact
The items that make a home truly stylish are often found by accident, and according to the authors, that gives everyone license to shop. They share their tips for recognizing quality and style-worthy components in a special chapter on hunting for treasures that will help a home decorator find just the right accent piece.
Entertaining Outdoors
Extraordinary outdoor parties don't just happen in ugly spaces. While nature provides most of the view, a really great party is most likely to happen when a host has put some thought into the outside décor as well. Lots of beautiful people partying in even more beautiful spaces highlight the pages of this outdoor decorating section.
Living in the Moment - Design That Reflect a Lifestyle
There is a fun chapter at the end of the book which reflects the different lifestyles that these designers have had to work around. For example, they created the Los Angeles offices of PETA, and in doing so were required to design a facility without the use of any animal products. Most home decorators have some sort of personal rule that guides choices. This chapter shows how to do it in style.
Summary
This gilt-edged, cloth-bound book screams style without any help from the title. The pages are a glimpse into Los Angeles glamour, and it is a fun coffee table book. While not intended for those seeking step-by-step home decorating instructions, the book does offer inspiration through its photographs, many of which include both authors in name-dropping pictures with celebrities. The style of the design projects and the book itself have a West Coast feel. Not a serious design guide, but a good escape.
- Title: High Style
- Authors: Ron Woodson & Jaime Rummerfield
- Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2008, 255 pgs., $60
- ISBN: 978-0-8118-6141-0
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