Luster » books

Back to School

Luster — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:08:39 +0000

I try to re-organize myself every fall by cleaning up my desk and buying myself a few fun new office accessories to keep motivated. I am having a hard time letting go of summer, so I can’t think of a better wake-up call then these bright pops of color that are around the marketplace right now. When I saw Andreas Samuelsson’s print it made me want to go back to elementary school and start playing with Spirographs. Poppin is a great company that has a variety of office basics in a rainbow assortment of colors. They were kind enough to send me this red notebook and these ballpoint pens which I love and have been happily using since. (Thanks, Poppin!) Good luck getting back to the grind!

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The Stylist’s Guide to NYC

Luster — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:41:28 +0000

I loved Sibella Court’s first book Etcetera, so I have been anxiously awaiting her second book: The Stylist’s Guide to NYC filled with all of her favorite haunts. A native Australian, Sibella spent the last 10 years living here in New York as an interior stylist. She has since returned to Australia to open a hardware and haberdashery store: The Society Inc. Her second book is every bit as gorgeous as the first, with stunning photography and beautifully designed pages incorporating a collage of textures and type. I love the paper used in both books that brings out the rich colors and nostalgic feel of her subjects. It has that “good book smell.” With the warmer weather approaching, I am looking forward to retracing her footsteps.

All images from The Stylist’s Guide to NYC by Sibella Court. Published by Murdoch Books Australia

:::: Peter Beard ::::

Luster — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:08:24 +0000

I received this two volume coffee table book set of artist/photographer/illustrator Peter Beard’s work this past Christmas that has been incredibly inspiring and continues to captivate me. Spanning four decades, this tome chronicles his life and artwork in New York City, Montauk and Kenya through 784 pages of collages, photographs and interviews.

Born in 1938, Beard was raised in New York City, Long Island, and Alabama, and studied at Pomfret academy entering Yale University as a pre-med student. He quickly changed his major to art history, and after life-changing trips to Africa in 1955 and 1960, he returned after graduation and settled in Kenya on a property adjacent to Karen Blixen’s.

He began keeping diaries at a young age to chronicle trips, and throughout his lifetime, he has amassed these incredibly beautiful, fascinating accounts of life on two continents. I first found out about him this summer when I was reading I Married Adventure by Martin & Osa.

I don’t think I could ever tire looking through the pages and pages of handwritten diary entries, photo collages, hand drawn illustrations, clippings from the media, and photographs from Africa’s wild. Every time you look, you see something new.

Left to Right: A collage from 30 years in Montauk, NY. Beard working in his studio {for sale as of 2009}, on the lawn at Andy Warhol’s with Mick Jagger, Catherine Deneuve and Andy.

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Fore more, visit Peter Beard’s website. All images via Peter Beard 2008, Taschen

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::: Books & Libraries :::

Luster — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 08:25:13 +0000

Whatever home my husband & I end up settling in will have to have some serious built-in bookshelves given our love of books, and coffee table books for me especially. Actually, as long as I am going down daydream lane…a library would be even better. Here are some book storage ideas collected with the help of Pinterest.

Images top to bottom: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Some books I would like to be leafing through right now. Clockwise L-R Library Lamp | Leo Fuchs: Special Photographer from the Golden Age of Hollywood | A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of a Misspent Life | The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge | Encyclopedia of the Exquisite | Gecko magnifying glass | Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People {one of my favorite wedding gifts I received} | DIY Tassel bookmarks and Penguin Classics books | Vintage Cocktails | Agate Bookends | American Fashion Designers at Home | Etc | Cecil Beaton: The Art of the Scrapbook | Library Books mug | Engraved Book plates | Red reading glasses

Two of my favorite places in New York city to browse coffee table books are Clic Bookstore & Gallery by former Calypso owner Christiane Celle and Assouline, located inside the Plaza hotel’s mezzanine {images via Luxist}

Home page photo via Book Shelf Porn