Charlotte Moss Decorates: The Art of Creating Elegant and Inspired Rooms [Hardcover]

Charlotte Moss (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 22, 2011

The interior designer’s singular vision revealed through an extraordinary collection of her acclaimed rooms. With her inimitable flair for style, Charlotte Moss has led a celebrated career in the interior design world. Recently honored with Elle Decor’s Vision Award, Moss’s design philosophy of "couture living" describes her preference for gracefully curated spaces in which one is meant to live, enjoy, and entertain. Charlotte Moss Decorates affords the reader a glimpse into the methods behind her magic. For each of the rooms featured—from a sumptuous Directoire-style bedroom inspired by the incomparable Pauline de Rothschild to a gentlemen’s billiard room with rich details and a smart tailored feel—Moss breaks down the various stages of her design process, revealing her inspiration and storyboards, as well as sketches and notes she develops for every project. In each chapter, she offers the reader quick "doses" of decorating advice with her signature "Why Not?" decorating maxims. The book also includes Moss’s recommendations for her favorite flowers and fragrances for the final flourish in creating the perfect room. Her interiors, with a nod to both the historical elegance of the past and the modern necessities of today (comfort and livability), are truly sublime spaces. With over 200 sumptuous photographs, Moss graciously invites the reader to be engaged, inspired, and "ready to decorate."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Charlotte Moss Decorates is an entertaining and insightful read. Packed with more than 200 photographs of sublime interiors, coordinating scrapbooks for each space, as well as an abundant offering of Ms. Moss’ “Why Not?” decorating maxims, it’s impossible not to feel uplifted and inspired after finishing the book. It’s a resource to turn to again and again. We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did our time talking with Ms. Moss, who exudes great warmth, humor and Southern charm." ~HGTV.COM

"We were lucky enough to snag a review copy and can assure you it is worth the purchase. In the book we are treated to gorgeous photographs of the amazingly layered, perfectly British stylings of this accomplished decorator who has continued to shape the World's interior one room at a time... Moss creates atmosphere, charm, and character like no one else." ~LoftLife Magazine

“Brace yourself. The queen of ‘why not’ approach to decorating spills her trade secrets and methodology… a fan before. An avid fan after reading this.” ~Life in a Venti Cup

"Told through over 200 photographs, scrapbooks and collages for each room, and a whole lot of "Why Not?" decorating suggestions, the book is a terrific decorating resource - one you'll want to turn to again and again. Even if you're not a big fan of her style, the decorating process she and writer Mitchell Owens describe can help anyone come up with an inspired decorating plan." ~About.com

"Rizzoli presents Charlotte Moss Decorates: The Art of Elegant and Inspired Rooms, by one of the world's most celebrated designers. In this book, Moss reveals the secrets of her 'couture living' philosophy, breaking down her creative process by sharing notes, sketches, and storyboards from some of her signature projects." ~Lonny Mag

"It'a about... saavy at its best, coming in the dynamic form of Ms. Charlotte Moss and her latest book." ~decoratorsinsider.com

About the Author

Charlotte Moss is a renowned interior designer and author. A trusted voice on design and style, she has authored six books, lectures frequently about her design philosophies, is featured in design and shelter magazines worldwide, and has appeared on national television and radio.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (March 22, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847833690
• ISBN-13: 978-0847833696
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.1 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not up to par March 25, 2011

By Beth Wilkinson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I also eagerly anticipated Charlotte Moss's new book, and was also disappointed. The collage pages just come off as messy, and although they might inspire Ms. Moss in the design process, they do nothing for me, and detract from the book. What a better use more pictures of the actual rooms would have been. The question and answer format is also not productive. I did like the one small "before" picture of the rooms. I have come to expect much more from this designer.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Expected March 25, 2011

By Patricia

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My book arrived yesterday and I eagerly opened the box. How very disappointed I am in this book. Charlotte Moss has decorated so many beautiful homes but this one is almost a text book. There are page after page of suggestions in question form and many collage type pages of objects. The cover is inviting but the content is not a wow factor. Maybe on a lazy summer day of lots of reading I might appreciate this book more. For now I wish I had just looked at it in a book store.

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Inspired Rooms March 29, 2011

By L. M. Keefer TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you appreciate romantic, colorful, textured, feminine, patinaed, sensuous, dressmaker-detailed rooms with unusual accessories, you'll enjoy this book. The room on the cover of this book is my idea of perfection in a living room. It doesn't look decorated to me; rather, it appears that these elements came together naturally from family heirlooms, favorite antique shops, art fairs, travels and an interesting life. I can picture a Henry James' heroine living in that room. The room is more than the sum of its elements, but you want to study the elements to see why they combine so artfully. And that's why I enjoyed this book. Ms. Moss explains how the art and inspiration of creating a room unite for her.

She shares the storyboard collages of beautiful images which she used to design particular rooms. Looking at these images you see the mood or atmosphere she aspired to create. Then you see how these images take form in a room.

The book includes 11 rooms she designed along with the design "why not" maxims she employed for the featured room which make them so deeply original and intriguing. Some favorite maxims of hers I loved were why not:

* slipcover a bergere (chair) to reveal its beautiful frame rather than conceal it?
* use (ladies) fans as decorative objects?
* hang landscape paintings in a small room to trick the eye into seeing views beyond?
* enliven a color scheme with a brilliant accent, such as chartreuse, orchid or Granny Smith apple green?
* use little chairs to hold books & pictures--at least until visitors arrive?
* bring a planter indoors & change its contents seasonally--boxwood in winter, tulips in spring, daisies in summer and dahlias in autumn?

If you appreciate Ms. Moss's romantic style, you'll enjoy an intimate view of how she approaches decorating. Some of the rooms you may have seen before such as a blue showhouse bedroom with bed which floats in center of room (I appreciated seeing more close-ups of corners of this room), a bedroom with a blue and cream Polonnaise bed and a gray and red showhouse living room. The book may leave you wanting to see more of her rooms--I wished it were longer. If you want to learn how inspiration unfolds for a designer, this book is a lovely resource which provides those insights.