Customer Reviews

Design Inspirations, Vol. 1

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been a Charlotte Moss fan for years, beginning in the late 80's when she opened her decorating shop in New York City in the 1980's and consider her books, "A Passion for Detail" and "Creating a Room" to be my very favorite interior design books (and I have quite an extensive collection). So, when I understood that her latest design book, "Design Inspirations" was being published, I was very much looking forward to it and ordered it sight unseen. Sadly, I found it quite disappointing and not nearly in the same league as her other decorating books.

First, I should explain that the book examines four rooms that she has designed in recent years for interior design showhouses in NYC. It is not her rooms that I find fault with -- all the rooms are absolutely gorgeous, as I have always found her designs -- but the book itself is the disappointment. Unlike her previous efforts, this book is a thin volume -- not even 100 pages in total -- and unexpectedly small -- not much larger than a standard paperback. It is not the substantial, coffee table beauty that I've come to expect from this author. The illustrations are lovely, but there's very little text at all and I don't imagine the author spent much time writing the text and organizing the illustrations. In addition, one of the four rooms, the bedroom, has been covered and illustrated extensively in at least two recent home decorating magazines. The other three rooms are also well illustrated on her website, so there will actually not be too much new to be found in this book.

Maybe it's me, but this book seems more like a little companion guide -- with some pretty illustrations -- to the showhouses in which she participated, than the beautiful and substantial "Passion for Detail" that I have revisited with enjoyment many times since it was published almost 15 years ago. In summary, I probably would still have bought this book, had I seen it first, but it would not have been the automatic purchase I thought it was when I ordered it.

Perhaps if the reviewer "Decorating Diva" had read the information regarding the dimensions of the book and the page count (not to mention the price) she--or he--would not have been so disappointed.

While it's true that this is no coffee table book--and there are plenty of other decorators' coffee table books out there if that is what you are interested in (and, further, from what I understand, Ms. Moss will have a new one of her own coming out later this fall)--what I loved about this book was its almost keepsake aspect documenting four of Ms. Moss' favorite rooms from decorator showhouses. Though diminutive, this book is packed with information--96 pages is A LOT to learn about only 4 rooms. And, since showhouses exist for such a short period of time, this was an interesting memoir approach to the process of their creation.

While many people in the design world often talk about their "Inspiration", it is very rare that you actually hear first-hand the actual experiences/images/dreams that lead up to the creation of something beautiful. In addition to being talented, Ms. Moss is a very interesting woman personally, and that is what shines forth in this book--how the essence of the creative person translates into her work.

A worthwhile purchase for Ms. Moss' fans, as well as anyone interested in the ideas behind ideas.

This is a brief overview of Design. I found it unsatisfactory. I was expecting a book similar to Charlott Moss' book "Winter Home". Winter Home is a delightful book. Design Inspirations, Vol 1 was not.

Charlotte Moss has the gift of vision, which means she will always have something to impart to us all. This book drew me into it's cozy, aristocratic, without being stuffy, design sensibility. I carry it in my purse when I know I'll have time to trek over to the design district on Melrose. It's a great tool.

I think Charlotte Moss is a wonderful designer and love her books. This one, however, is my least favorite. First, it is actually a very small book - not only in the number of pages, but the length and width is much smaller than most decorating/design books. Second, it is one of those books that is nice to look at once. I won't be grabbing it over and over for inspiration.