It was no surprise when long time blogging friend, decorator and now author, Gaye Tapp shared her book idea for How They Decorated with me. Passionate about the intersection of fashion and interiors as well as how the past informs today, Gaye has amassed a following fascinated by her astute and insightful musings. I immediately knew she would do justice to the marvelous subject matter in an original and intelligent manner, one that capitalized on her voluminous knowledge of fashion and decor history as well as her expert design sleuthing skills.
Within its pages, How They Decorated illuminates the creative expression of sixteen of the twentieth century’s most stylish women. And somehow “stylish” does not quite do justice to the inimitable quality that defined each woman and connects them all. As Charlotte Moss explains in her foreword, these inspiring women are related “by a thin red thread” with “their own personal brands of je ne said quoi: the indefinable, coveted ‘name your price, sorry not for sale’ quality that most people call style yet is actually elegance, rarer than rare.”
illustration by Jimmie Henslee
With the spark of an idea from another long time blogging friend, Barbara Mangini, Gaye and I collaborated on a little insider look at her inspiring tome that we hope will give you a tantalizing taste of the pages within How They Decorated.
For those of you with brimming tearsheet files (or Pinterest boards) of these timeless icons, their alluring interiors and lives well lived, put How They Decorated on your list. Because true elegance and an enduring passion for beauty are always in style.
This is a thoughtful and beautiful book, right down to the colors chosen for the hardcover and its liner.
This is going to be FUN.
This little snippet sure tickled my fancy.
Thanks for sharing.⭐⭐⭐
Marvelous! Thank you so much for highlighting this beautiful book that speaks to artful personal style!
What a great idea, to preview Gaye’s book in this fashion.
Nicely done!
Stacey, so thankful and appreciative. it turned out beautifully. xx Gaye
Who is reading this? (Just wondering — )
Hi – perhaps I wasn’t clear but it is Gaye, the author!
So stylish! This was the real art! Love this so much!
There’ a starting point but seems never an end. franki
This is a must have! Love the whole idea.
Interior design, fashion and history. This is a keeper!
The most brilliant book! Brilliant!!!
Stacy, Thank you for the illustration highlight. It was certainly a wonderful experience, plus inside design “class” lessons, collaborating with Gaye on the original illustrations for HOW THEY DECORATED. Always a delight to see Quintessence’s posts. J