A Passion for Interiors [Hardcover]

In her own words designer Carolyne Roehm takes you on a tour through three of her design projects: her New York apartment, her Georgian home in Connecticut and a ski lodge in Aspen. Her red bedroom in Connecticut is on the cover of this book. Roehm describes what she loves in design: "classical details...supported by decor that is livable as well as lovely--and enlivened with a dash of glamour--the result can be magical."

Classical details she loves include: columns & pillars, a mix of period style furniture, canopied and four-poster beds, chinoiserie, large mirrors, chandeliers & sconces, leopard prints, paintings & sculpture, old books, blue & white china, and vibrant jewel colors. If you love these elements, you should enjoy this book. Roehm makes the case that classic design is stylish AND modern. She quotes her art professor: "You have to understand: Picasso could draw as well as Michelangelo." The fact that classic elements have been passed down through the ages to thrive in the present day make them deeply modern. They're timeless.

So what does her combination of classic and modern look like? Her New York apartment radiates glamor. Her aim is a style that is "reassuring rather than intimidating". She wants you to be able to picture Myrna Loy, the 1930's actress, elegantly descending the staircase. However, Roehm claims, "I am as down-home a woman as you're likely to meet--I've cleaned up after more dogs I'll bet than any human being in history--but I do love glamour!" While it's hard to imagine her dogs, who clearly aren't intimidated by classicism, having the complete run of these rooms, you can see her emphasis on comfortable fabric-driven design in her pale blue bedroom and creamy, dreamy guestroom. Her master bath has an Edwardian feel "which brings out my Winston Churchill side," she jokes. (For an amusing Winston Churchill bathroom story see the end of this review.)

If Myrna Loy and Churchill inspire Roehm's glamorous New York apartment, Jane Austen's and Charlotte Bronte's heroines would be comfortable in her Connecticut home. This 1765 Georgian home was designed to resemble a British estate. Her famous blue and white bedroom here had to be redecorated (those dogs!) and she chose a "gutsy" red. Her red bed with feathered crown is a reproduction from a London antiques shop. Among her guest rooms, the Chinese Room is decorated "en suite" in a fetching yellow print with stripes and leopard spots and is juxtaposed winsomely with black chinoiserie furniture. "En suite" style, in which every fabric is the same in a room, is a classic style that is most successfully used in a bedroom, says my designer friend Georgette. This is my favorite room in the book.

Roehm explains her love for using classical historical styles by quoting anthropologist Margaret Mead's admonishment, "Don't forget your grandmothers!" Her appreciation for grandmothers and their style is remembered with affection in these unforgettable rooms. If you love the cover of this book, as I do, you'll love touring the interiors inside with Lady Carolyne. Even Jane and Charlotte would approve.

(Amusing Winston Churchill anecdote: "The Labourite Clement Attlee was at the urinal in the men's room of the House of Commons. Churchill came in and, seeing Attlee, moved away. "Feeling standoffish today, are we, Winston?" Churchill replied: "That's right. Every time you see something big, you want to nationalize it." True story from p. 12 of Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship.)

In my first read through of this book I was enthralled. The visual perfectionist in me gorged on the symmetry, high celings, gilt touches, blue and white porcelain, marble statues and fabulous oil paintings throughout. The fabrics are sumptuous, and the colors divine. The classic lines and decor are incomparable. But... as I paged through the book a few more times over the weeks to get my visual fix after, say, a hectic day at the office or stressful nighttime routine with my 2 small kids, I began to get kinda freaked out. The interiors are TOO perfect. They're unsettling, in fact. There are no traces of human life - no photos of people, nothing out of place, nothing left on the floor, peeking out of a corner or thrown together in a moment of inspiration. There are no photos of any closets, kitchens or bathrooms - places where people live, eat, get messy and enjoy life. Nothing odd, daring, or whimsical exists in these rooms that would give you a clue as to the person living inside the house. Even the bedrooms have been scrubbed clean of any true personality - like every other room they are excruciatingly correct and absolutely spotless... and totally freaky. Does Ms. Roehm have kids? Friends? Lovers? Hobbies? Can she cook? What does she do in her spare time besides oversee the polishing of the floors and marble figures? I know Wikipedia could answer these questions, but shouldn't pictures of one's home(s) do so as well? Oddly enough, this book ended up stacked next to a book I have on the Frick collection, and as it turns out they are perfect partners.

Captivating!
Finally a book about interior design of timeless elegance.
Stunning photographs of finished interiors.
Not surprised that Carolyne Roehm will design every room to be unique, charming and chic.
This is without a doubt a five star book.
Thank you for sharing you style!

Brava!