“Simply Romantic Decorating”

I flipped past the Foreword of this book to the first photograph and went, “O.M.G.”! It’s that beautiful. Simply Romantic Decorating, by Jessica McClintock (with Karen Kelly) will not disappoint her fans. Every page is vintage JM. Jessica herself describes her style as “Old World, soft, and subtle. It’s a blend of muted colors, curved and feminine lines, beautifully proportioned arrangements, and dramatic architecture”. In short, what’s not to like?? As it turns out, her philosophy is closely aligned with mine. She sees romantic style as timeless, bringing history into the home without having to slavishly replicate period furnishings”. Her designs are meant to evoke comfortable refuge, and the monochromatic palette provides a perfect background for individualized accents. That’s what I’m talkin’ about. You can honor a historical house while making it yours. And it can be comfortable and welcoming, as it should be. One of her fundamental philosophies is to always keep your eyes open to possibility – drawing inspiration from everything around you. That’s exactly how I feel! So much possibility, all around us, and it is in the transformation – from flower garden to boudoir, from forest floor to library – that you find the magic. Jessica recommends that you not only keep a journal in which to keep all your design inspirations – paint chips, fabric swatches, pictures – but that you take it with you everywhere so that you are always ready to capture that next possibility. I love this idea. I save stuff. Oh man, do I save stuff (hence my license plate – PACK RT) but I never thought about carrying a journal with me. Makes total sense. You never know when inspiration will strike, and you don’t want to let it get away!

Bibliographic Information Simply Romantic Decorating:

Jessica McClintock’s Simply Romantic Decorating

Simply Romantic Decorating [Rodale] [Hardback] [2007] Jessica McClintock

Contents: Approximately 50% Text/50% Photographs

Comments: Stunning photography of a variety of rooms, individual furniture pieces and décor items on beautiful glossy pages with some bonus tutorials and projects thrown in towards the end.

Keywords: Book reviews, Jessica McClintock, Simply Romantic Decorating, Décor, Furniture, Projects, Tutorials, Photography