Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives [Hardcover]

Helen O'Neill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 2007

In a volume as captivating as its subject, Florence Broadhurst paints an unforgettable portrait of a woman ahead of her time. To this day, mystery shrouds her myriad personaestarlet, couturier, painteras well as her unsolved murder. One thing, however, is certain: Broadhurst's place in the history of interior dcor. Recognized worldwide for her groundbreaking wallpaper patterns, this enigmatic Australian left behind a trove of exquisite work, brilliantly displayed here in the first-ever authorized biography of the design icon. Broadhurst's wallpapersout of circulation for nearly 20 yearsare just now being restored and sold globally to much fanfare. This amazing package showcases more than 100 never-before-published patterns and popular printssuch as those owned by Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, and Carly Simonalongside a fascinating murder mystery.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Helen O'Neill is an award-winning journalist and regular contributor to Condé Nast Traveler. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1St Edition edition (April 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811859371
• ISBN-13: 978-0811859370
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful collection of designs, May 5, 2007

By 

Sheena Farmer (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives (Hardcover)

All in all I really enjoyed the book. I thought that the title built up the story to be more than it was, I could have used a lot more text (Keep all the photos though). There wasn't as much detail into Florences life as I would have liked. But the book introduced me to another great designer and all her (or someone elses) great work. A wonderful reference for designers

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating designer!, September 1, 2007

By 

G. Fugler "wallpaper obsessive" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives (Hardcover)

I had heard of Florence Broadhurst but didn't know a lot about her. I read this book cover to cover (granted, it is not that thick) without putting it down, it was so interesting! I never realised the amount of scandal involved in one of Australia's greatest designers of the time. I found her life fascinating and her wallpaper designs so beautiful. I did feel that the book could have shown more designs but it was excellent as an introduction to Florence Broadhurst and her more popular wallpapers.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Queen of Wallpaper!, June 26, 2007

By 

kime Buzzelli (Los Angeles , CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives (Hardcover)

This book is perfect for the design fanatic- especially prints and home decor. The cover is made of a sweet fabric and seems precious. The inside features amazing color images of Florence Broadhurst's one of a kind work. There are many great wallpapers and prints that span the art deco style to modern geometrics. As a painter I found the patterns fascinating. Makes for a great gift.