Around Beauty by Barbara Barry

AROUND BEAUTY by Barbara Barry

 

A truly beautiful book, in a very different style to the more French influenced books we also stock.  I love the grown-up feel this book has.  It is very easy to read and full of stunning photographs to inspire you.  From a design perspective, I really connected with a lot of Barbara's design philosophy and have added one of my favourite excerpts ...

 

 .... " The smell of baking emanates from the kitchen calling one to come and sit.  What's in the oven?  Your nose can often tell a buttery quiche from a blueberry crumble or a poppy-seed scone.  But what it can't possibly guess is what's behind those tall cupboard doors.

 

As much as I love the part of my work that is all about what is seen when we walk into a room, I also love the part of my work that is about what is not seen.  Or at least not seen by everyone - the inside of the cabinets, the full refrigerator, the silver drawer and the well-stocked pantry, they too can be things of beauty, artfully arranged to inspire when given even a cursory glance.

 

Kitchens are about celebrating what we have: food from the abundant grocery stores and the farmer's market.  Our everyday dishes and linens sitting happily alongside the cherised things we have collected over the years.  The antique dish, the large oval platter and the thinnest fragile teacups, sometimes collected one at a time and most likely endearingly mismatched.

 

And the part that is often overlooked and perhaps can bring the most joy is seeing how all of these things - the heirloom, the collected and the new - join together in endless combinations, both inside the cupboards and out."

 

 

The first book from acclaimed Interior Designer Barbara Barry explores the beauty and principles of good design.

 

Barbara Barry's work has long been praised for its quiet refinement, soothing palette, and gracefully composed furniture.  In her first book, Barry explores her design philosophy, meditating on the transformative power of beauty.  Through a discussion of her principles of good design - simplicity, proportion and harmony, we discover how to apply these principles to our rooms, and to our lives.

 

Through page after page of gorgeous, subtle, transformative interiors, Barry explains her design process and shares thought provoking stories.  She discusses what inspires her, from the quality of light to the colours in nature and illustrates how she utilizes elements of nature in decoration.  From the simple strength of a white plate to the sensual elegance of a well made bed.  Barry explains why a gracious life, a well-ordered life, a life centred around beauty is the only one worth living.

 

Comprehensive and beautifully designed, this unique book will be a collector's piece for every design enthusiast.

 

Hardback with dust jacket

320 pages