Kitsch Deluxe [Hardcover]

Lesley Gillilan (Author), Dave Young (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2006

It’s fun, it’s fanciful, it’s kitsch! Celebrate the art of cool imitation, fantastic escapism, and nostalgia for late 20th-century populist culture that lies at the heart of this lighthearted and contemporary design style. These 18 fabulous spaces are aimed at those who want to create a feeling of irreverence and fantasy in their homes while still maintaining a semblance of style and glamour—and the extraordinary and exuberant interiors include those of Zandra Rhodes in London and Pierre et Gilles in Paris. A riot of a book, packed with vivid colour, humor, extravagantly themed décor, and inventive low-budget ideas, Kitsch Deluxe is an essential read for devotees of the wacky, weird, and wonderful.

 

 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: MITCH; 1ST edition (July 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840007168
• ISBN-13: 978-1840007169
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,091,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars from the 'LESS IS A BORE' school of decorating, November 17, 2003

By 

Robert Rechter (Melbourne AUSTRALIA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kitsch Deluxe (Hardcover)

KITSCH DELUXE by Lesley Gillilan, with photography by Dave Young, is an eclectic crazy colorful cavalcade of a coffee table book as well as a stunningly fun and informative reference work on collecting kitsch and tasteless popular culture. It also gives new-comers a great introduction into various themes of kitsch , as well as showing the more advanced collector some extraordinary interiors in the real homes of the truly tasteless. From Elvis to Big Eyed Art to Jayne Mansfield to Barbie and Barbarella, this book wil help you discover those areas of bad taste and camp, that you wish to explore. The lavish pictures are in your face, from the truly hideous to the divine, lush cool cocktail lounge style to trailer park treasure. The book also includes a directory of shops, cool online sites, museums and architecture of interest.
Today, sadly, most of the best books on the subject of Bad Taste are now hard to find. The classics 'KITSCH: An Anthology of Bad Taste' by Gillo Dorfles (1968), 'KITSCH' by Jacques Sternberg (1971), 'KITSCH-IN-SYNCH' by Peter ward (1991) and the fabulous 'The ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BAD TASTE' by Jane & Michael Stern (1991) an invaluable source, are all out of print. But help is at hand with '20th CENTURY POP CULTURE' by Dan Epstein (1999), 'THE BOOK OF TIKI' by Sven A. Kirsten (from Taschen 2000), 'Just Above the Mantlepiece' by Wayne Hemingway (2000) see my review, 'BEATSVILLE' by Martin McIntosh (2003), 'BIG EYED MASTERS' by Megan Besmirched (2003), and of course this style guide you're reading about....... 'KITSCH DELUXE'.
This book also includes bizarre chapters on the homes of true eccentrics like artists Pierre et Gilles, fashion designer Zandra Rhodes and Tom Bliss (from the 'less is a bore' school of home decorating). Its a book for those wanting to relive their childhood with no rules, for those willing to create their own Valley of the Dolls or Elvis's Tiki Room at home. Enjoy. (Nov. 2003)

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To have bad taste, you must first have very good taste., March 14, 2005

By 

Anastasia M. Heonis "Electric Voodoo Priestess" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kitsch Deluxe (Hardcover)

Just because my funds are a bit low, I checked this book out of the library, but I WILL be purchasing this book after seeing first hand how great it is. I'm not sure if some other people were looking for some kind of great literature here or not, but it is what it is; a book showcasing kitsch homes. I was afraid the book, PAD (my Bible) was the only book to show off such inspirational rooms; but Kitsch Deluxe gave me a whole new range of rooms to drool over and become inspired by. There was only one room in the Kitsch Deluxe book that was in my PAD book. I don't seek to copy any of the rooms I've seen, but instead see bits and pieces I might be able to incorporate into my own ideas. Kitsch Deluxe isn't really giving you a history lesson and I think for one, trying to give kitsch a history is just a waste of time. You like it, you like it. It's tacky, it's glam, it's Vegas, it's fun, it's so many different things. The book isn't a how to, it's just presenting some great homes and a little bit of why the owners decorated the way they did. I'll be purchasing this one soon and flipping through it's well worn pages for ideas.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Ideas!, August 11, 2008

By 

D. Davieau (Anchorage, AK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kitsch Deluxe (Hardcover)

Though there are no "how to's" in this book, it is a great source of ideas and inspiration! If you are longing to break free from the same old decorating things, this book will help you on your way. Not all the ideas will be practical for everyone. If you are a fan of minimalism, clean, tidy lines and so forth, look elsewhere. But if you are yearning for something different, this is a good place to start.