For the Love of Old: Living with Chipped, Frayed, Tarnished, Faded, Tattered, Worn and Weathered Things that Bring Comfort, Character and Joy to the Places We Call Home [Hardcover]

Mary Randolph Carter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2006

This stunning volume focuses on the qualities of the old things in our homes (the patina of an old table, pewter dulled by age, old floorboards that creak) and how to live with and incorporate them into our personal aesthetic. Divided into chapters by the qualities of old—peeling, dried, tarnished, faded, chipped, frayed, rusty, and mossy—this unique book not only pays tribute to furniture, textiles, china, silver and other accessories with these qualities but also shows us how best to preserve, adapt, and arrange them. Lavishly illustrated with beautiful photographs that highlight the warm colors and rich textures of wood and paint, cloth and leather, For the Love of Old also includes ideas and recipes for saving old items from the junk pile, preserving and caring for the old things you have, giving newer things a lived-in feel, and bringing an enduring personality to every home.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...this book reminds us that we all get better with age." -- Feb ON-THE-TOWN MAGAZINE

"The many lavish photos in this large book will delight your eyes and imagination." -- 12/20/06 VIRGINIAN-PILOT

".....finding a certain comfort and familiarity in the heft and subtle texture of the cover and gilded lettering." -- SHELTER INTERIORS, April, 2007

"....Part memoir, part how-to-guide, this work invites you into Cater's homes... -- TOWN & COUNTRY, December, 2006

"This beautiful book is chock-full of the peeling and romantic furnishings, books and mementos Carter surrounds herself with." -- PAPERCITY MAGAZINE HOUSTON, November, 2006

"Old is the new black..." -- 9/28 NEW YORK POST

"The book is lovingly written and photographed..." -- 10/20 DALLAS MORNING NEWS

"This beautiful book is chock-full of the peeling and romantic furnishings, books and mementos Carter surrounds herself with." -- Nov 06 PAPERCITY MAGAZINE HOUSTON

About the Author

Mary Randolph Carter is an author, photographer, and avid collector of junk. She is the author of the Junk books, a series of books on discovering, adapting and using junk to bring something new to interior design, and American Family Style. She grew up in old houses and continues to be inspired by them. She lives in New York City and in her old country house in upstate New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (October 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847828476
• ISBN-13: 978-0847828470
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #513,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rescue Mission, December 12, 2006

By 

Karen Ewing "dog lover" (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For the Love of Old: Living with Chipped, Frayed, Tarnished, Faded, Tattered, Worn and Weathered Things that Bring Comfort, Character and Joy to the Places We Call Home (Hardcover)

There is a certain type of person who is drawn to stray dogs, sad stories, and unfortunates of all sorts. I believe it is the same type of person who often "adopts" other people's cast-off objects. A chair past its prime; crackled paint on an old cupboard; or the worn pads of an old Teddy bear speak to our hearts of home, childhood, and simple comforts. Author Mary Randolph Carter is definitely a connoisseur of the crumbling.

Collectors, lovers of garage sales and flea markets, and those who enjoy feathering their nests with their finds will love this book. I knew it was special the moment I saw the endpapers, a montage of sewn-together printed silk patches that appear to be old cigarette silks--a premium that came with each cigarette pack. Carter has this item displayed in her Garden Hutte, pictured on p. 201.

All of Mary Randolph Carter's books are special, and I treasure them not only for their obvious merits, but also because each is imbued with the author's heart and soul. Check out the chapter called "The Secret Cupboard"--her stash of precious childhood mementos--and you'll see what I mean. I love the glimpses of her private world, the rooms and things she treasures. Her love for her family is touchingly evident, just as it is in her other books.

Beautifully photographed by the author, "For the Love of Old" is divided into chapters detailing Carter's collecting interests: tarnished metals; worn textiles; old photos; etc.

If you aren't a junk devotee already, Carter's book will help you look at other people's discards with a new eye. You, too, will find yourself on the hunt for the unloved, abandoned, and imperfect. This is not your ordinary "shelter" book. It will appeal to not only collectors, but to those disillusioned with our throwaway culture.

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Romance of Rust!, October 28, 2006

By 

Maximum Toile (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: For the Love of Old: Living with Chipped, Frayed, Tarnished, Faded, Tattered, Worn and Weathered Things that Bring Comfort, Character and Joy to the Places We Call Home (Hardcover)

I was so disappointed with this book! I wanted to see clear, colourful pictures of rooms glorying in sagging wing chairs and balloon shades that have seen better days, but most of the photos were fuzzy close-ups of peeling dolls, family photos or *evocative* bowls of rocks. I love *old* but I guess I am a still a Middle-Aged Fogey who cannot appreciate the Romance of Rust.

By the way, what's with the ribbon marker, Rizzoli? I thought this book was supposed to be about the Joy of Living with Dust.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Imperfect On Purpose........ Wabi-Sabi & Windex, October 29, 2006

By 

LKP (Ancram, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: For the Love of Old: Living with Chipped, Frayed, Tarnished, Faded, Tattered, Worn and Weathered Things that Bring Comfort, Character and Joy to the Places We Call Home (Hardcover)

I like the ultra-personal aspect of this book very much, including grainy photography, distinctive typography and "extras" like the

ribbon book mark and gold-stamped touches. The book provides behind-the-curtain insight into a designer who loves creating a creative and distinctive home, using anything that comes to hand. Her trademark appreciation of old worn things and chipped distressed surfaces is a strong point of this book, and she is unapologetic about her love of funk and junk. Well-done. However, I had the feeling that some "evil twin" made her add an overabundance of "household cleaning tips" to the text of the book, and these needlessly-fussy instructions are distracting and trivial. For example, a grainy close-up of tarnished silver knives with ivory handles is over-printed with "Dishwashers can do in your cutlery by producing rainbow-like stains. When this happens, try wiping them down with a little lemon juice!". Perhaps this kind of information, if needed at all, could have been organized into a final chapter or "almanac" at the back of the book? I thought the insistence on adding housekeeping information alongside images of frankly-distressed and funky/relaxed interiors was an unfortunate decision that ruined an otherwise-distinctive book.