Looking Homeward
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__PALM BEACH SPLENDOR
The Architecture of Jeffery W. Smith__
At first glance, the homes of Palm Beach architect Jeffery W. Smith appear to be delightfully grand 1920s mansions whose elaborate forms and exquisite materials were channeled from some exotic Mediterranean ideal. Most of this is true; only the houses are new. Smith has borrowed the best from the Palm Beach boom and made it his own, and Architectural Digest contributing photographer Kim Sargent has immortalized these buildings, with narratives by fellow Smith devotee Joyce C. Wilson.
Rizzoli , $75
CREATING THE NEW AMERICAN TOWN HOUSE
Since his 2000 book, The New American Town House , architect Alexander Gorlin has found a renaissance in the building form, which he says has "begun to fulfill its promise as a tool in the reconstruction of the inner city." Calm, airy projects from Shelton, Mindel; Jim Jennings; Hariri Hariri; and the author himself might leave some yearning for glass walls and Escher-like stairs.
Rizzoli, $50
__A DASH OF DARING
Carmel Snow and Her Life in Fashion, Art, and Letters__
Carmel Snow may be the most influential doyenne of fashion you have never heard of—until now. Architectural Digest contributing writer Penelope Rowlands peels back the layers to reveal the woman who, as editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar , launched careers, embraced literature as fervently as fashion, had a passion for fortune-tellers and wore a red suit to her daughter Brigid's wedding, which left them talking for years. This unassuming yet wise biography may very well get them talking again.
Atria Books, $29.95
__ROBERT A. M. STERN
Houses and Gardens__
"Architecture should be an affirmation of place," New York architect Robert A. M. Stern reminds readers in his latest monograph, a companion to Houses , released in 1997. Twenty-six American residences, some of which have appeared in the pages of Architectural Digest , are presented—floor plans and all—in a depth reserved just for this format. With its soothing cover and vibrant photographs of stunning houses and gardens that certainly affirm their places, it begs to be the book on the low table.
The Monacelli Press, $85
HARRY BENSON'S AMERICA
From the man who accompanied the Beatles on their first trip to America and helped make them more famous (and vice versa) comes a collection of photos focusing on subjects from the heartland to Hollywood. Harry Benson has the skill and right-place-at-the-right-time luck required to make history. The pictures remind us that, though we all reside somewhere, we live in Harry Benson's America.
Harry N. Abrams, $40
__CECIL HAYES 9 STEPS TO BEAUTIFUL LIVING
Dream, Design, and Decorate Your Home with Style__
If you can't go to designer Cecil Hayes , she'll come to you. Beginning with "Get to Know Your Space," Hayes walks readers through what she believes are the nine most important steps to transforming interiors into the best they can be. When you think you've hit a design impasse, Hayes is there to pick up the pieces with a helpful "Cecil Says" pause, informative captions and a review at the end of each step. The guide will be released in time for spring redecorating.
Watson-Guptill, $29.95