Hilary Walker Susses Out Art and Design Books at Not So “Arty” Prices

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May 1st, 2013 9:23am
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design_booksI am all about a good stack of art and design books. (You might even say I’m a stackaholic.) The challenge? Finding said books for said stacks without dipping into my daughters’ college funds.

Luckily, our lovely contributor Hilary Walker is here with a solution.

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By Hilary Walker

Some say a home is only as good as its book collection. I’d actually expand that notion a bit to include amazing art and music collections too. But in the interest of keeping things manageable, let’s focus on the tomes, shall we? After all, a well-attended book collection is certainly a beautiful and smart enhancement to any home.

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Reminder: The Big Read Giveaway

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April 2nd, 2013 4:08pm
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You have one more day to enter to win two special-edition copies of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. We’re reading and discussing the book (along with the rest of the city) to support The Big Read. The special edition includes a D logo and a note to readers on the first page–only 25,000 of the special edition copies were printed and 21,000 of them have been handed out to DISD students. All you have to do is tell us which design book is your favorite. Read with us!

Go here to win. You’ve got until noon tomorrow.


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Tuesday Design Goodness: Veranda Book Signing and A Cozy Giveaway From IBB Design

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December 4th, 2012 10:15am
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My Monday was filled with all manner of mishap, including, but not limited to, locking my keys in my car after an appointment in the Design District. (Genius, yes?) So I’m welcoming Tuesday with open arms. Good riddance Monday!

And so far, Tuesday’s not letting me down — smooth commute into work, nice cup of joe from Pearl Cup, fun design happenings in my inbox…

First, the lovely Shay Geyer  of IBB Design told me about the swell giveaway on their blog today in which the lucky winner will receive that cozy, pool blue “Ziggy” throw pictured above. (You can get the full details and enter the giveaway here.)

Then I got a note from the folks at Wisteria letting me know that Veranda magazine founder Lisa Newsom will be in store from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. today signing her book The Houses of Veranda. I own a copy, and let’s just say that it is chock full of gorgeousness. A signed copy would be the perfect holiday gift for the design lover in your life.

Happy Tuesday!


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Found: The Coolest Cookbook(s) Of All-Time

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May 15th, 2012 3:23pm
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A dramatic title I realize, but hang with me.

I was tooling around the Sur La Table on Travis yesterday, sleuthing out  goods for an upcoming story, when I stumbled upon the massive, six-volume, Lucite box encased awesomeness that is Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking.

No matter that I have zero interest in molecular gastronomy and therefore have no intention of actually cooking anything from the collection’s 2,438(!) pages. Who cares that I’m not the least bit intrigued by the promise of owning, “the most comprehensive guide yet published on cooking sous vide, including the best options for water baths, packaging materials, and sealing equipment; cooking strategies; and troubleshooting tips“?

And we can just disregard the small issue of the $625 price tag, ok?

Friends,  I. want. these. books. (And the Lucite box they’re housed in.) Bad.

I want them for their endless pages filled with artful, gorgeous food photography. I want them for their ability to make me feel like an über-modern, cutting-edge foodie just by their potential proximity to my earthy, well-worn, slightly hippie Chez Panisse cookbooks. I want them because the covers are insanely cool. (I’m not afraid to admit it…I sometimes buy books solely for their covers.)

Did I mention that they come in a Lucite box?


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Who Doesn’t Love Big, Sexy Coffee Table Books?

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March 29th, 2012 3:37pm
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Very little makes me happier than coming across a particularly good cache of beautiful, well-curated coffee-table tomes. (And the fact that it’s a somewhat rare occurrence ups the happiness ante even more.) So the massive book goodness I’ve encountered in the past couple of weeks has me pretty jazzed to say the least.

Standouts selections include a slew of classic titles chicly arranged on a spacious table at Laura Lee Clark and an artful trove of more obscure (and decidedly edgier) reads at Grange Hall (both pictured above).

I have to say, all that lovely book action has me seriously itching for stack of new titles to add to my bookshelves for spring…


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Why Is All this Decorating Stuff So Important Anyway?

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March 5th, 2012 11:59am
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If you’re reading this blog, chances are, you don’t have to be convinced of design’s benefits. You’re already in… You get it. But if you’re like me and you, well, breathe it, then you’ve probably been forced at least once to explain to a naysayer “why the heck it matters so much anyway”.

So when I came across a couple of passages in Domino Magazine (RIP) founder Deborah Needleman’s book The Perfectly Imperfect Home that seemed to perfectly encapsulate why decor was darn important and essential, I knew I had to share.

Here goes:

“The point of decorating, as far as I can tell, is to create the background for the best life you can have.

Decoration can be life-enhancing. It can  make dinner parties more fun, kids happier, relaxing easier, talks more intimate, guests at ease. And to think, decorating is often considered frivolous. Making a charmed and happy home is a noble endeavor.

The simple secret is making sure that every decorating decision contributes to the creation of beauty and comfort. Beauty to uplift our senses (to transcend the mundane) and comfort to make us feel taken care of (to embrace us in the mundane).”

Well said Madame Needleman, well said.

We do this home beautifying thing — this fabric fixating, wallpaper waxing, pillow pondering, candle lighting, furniture obsessing enterprise because it makes life better.

Simple as that, yes?

(Image of Deborah Needleman’s living room via Martha Stewart Living.)


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Grange Hall’s Latest Obsession

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February 24th, 2012 3:23pm
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When our quirky alternative style friends at Grange Hall say something is their latest obsession, you know its going to be a little edgy—most likely involving the taxidermist’s realm, but in an entirely ethereal non-dead animal kind of way. Enter “Skull Style”, 500 pages immortalizing the most ancient of symbols. No longer a symbol of death or poison, now it’s a contemporary figure of fashion; encrusted in diamonds, one skull fetched a cool $100 million at auction. So here it is, you know we love chairs, but buy the book for $125 so you can check out 524 other pictures. Think how impressed your mother-in-law will be when she sees it on your coffee table.

Skull Style at Grange Hall


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We Need This: The Stylist’s Guide to NYC

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February 23rd, 2012 2:51pm
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Are you looking for ways to avoid doing your work? I can help. First, buy The Stylist’s Guide to NYC by Sibella Court. Next, read the book. Last, please create one for Dallas. Thanks.


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I Want Taschen’s Emilio Pucci

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February 22nd, 2012 3:47pm
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Sorry for my absence. I’ve missed you all, but I’ve been busy toiling away on the March/April issue of D Home. I can’t wait for you guys to see it! One of the features is about what the 2012 Best Designers in Dallas are loving at the moment. It was great fun getting the answers, but now I have a problem. I want everything So if you’re looking to buy a gift for me, might I suggest  Emilio Pucci, a limited addition book that is bound with a selection of Pucci fabric? I promise I will love it. And you know, while you’re at it, you should probably get a copy for yourself.


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Decorating Wisdom from John Waters… (Yes, “The” John Waters)

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February 21st, 2012 11:19am
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There’s this John Waters quote that I find quite wise. Due to its vulgarity, I will restrain from repeating it verbatim here, but here’s the gist:

If you go home with somebody, and they don’t have books, don’t have romantic relations with them.

Or something like that… You get the idea.

The first thing I do when I walk into somebody’s home is scan their bookshelves. I just think it’s the best way to suss out their interests, see what they’re all about (plus it feels more refined that a prowl through their medicine chest).

(*Update — And it appears I’m not alone. Behold this commentary on books by our fearless leader, Christine Allison…)

Although it should be noted that I can’t be sure of the accuracy of my investigative approach, given the fact my own bookshelf houses both Kelly Wearstler’s Domicilium Decoratus (mine) and a beat-up copy of Guns, Germs, and Steel (my husband’s)… Suffice to say our bookshelf is suffering from a bit of an identity crisis.

But accurate arbiters of a person’s tastes aside, there’s no denying that books impart warmth and personality on a home. They give it heart and soul, serve as conversation pieces, and make for great coffee table decor.  When I’m feeling like a room is lacking in some way, I hit up the Half Price Books mothership on Northwest Hwy. for a few old art tomes (they boast a stellar collection). It inevitably does the trick.

John Waters would be proud…

 

(Image of Lauren and Andrew Blake’s bookshelves in our July/August 2011 issue.)


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