The Perfectly Imperfect Home by Deborah Needleman

Ridder goes beyond the old-and-new mashup.

In this volume by acclaimed decorator Katie Ridder, readers get a visual breakdown - room by sublime room - of mastering the modern-meets-antiques remix. Though purging that rule of thumb can be wonderfully liberating, mix-and-match methodology isn't necessarily straightforward. The days of conforming to a single decor genre are officially gone. Katie Ridder Rooms: By Heather Smith Mac-Isaac (The Vendome Press, $57.50). Throughout, you'll find style tips, history lessons, cheat sheets and guides to folding bathroom towels, creating salon-style hangings and (finally) resolving once and for all the question of the acceptable size and number of pillows for your boudoir. The book's unusual take consists of well-layered chapters such as 'A Bit of Quirk.' The section covers 'irreverent accents,' which Needleman says are necessary to impart a not-so-serious flavor, and what she refers to as 'jolifiers,' or sentimental objects whose function is to convey joy. In this whimsically illustrated guide, she takes a refreshing approach to demonstrating her point by offering up 80 essentials that design acolytes ought to consider. The founder of Domino and editor of WSJ magazine, Needleman believes that the most stylish homes are equal parts comfortable and beautiful. The Perfectly Imperfect Home: By Deborah Needleman (Clarkson Potter, $30). Though black and white is the starting point, Kemble establishes that it can create abundant possibilities for showcasing natural wood elements, colorful trims, metallic accents or perhaps the cool silhouette of a bold blue headboard. Rather, she divulges the complex side of black and white, with advice on selecting finishes, techniques for succumbing to white walls, incorporating texture, collecting complementary accessories and blending in accent colors. In visits to more than 75 homes, Kemble reveals that this classic, timeless pairing is anything but limiting.

Trends of late have dictated retreating to interiors chock-full of color consequently, the black-and-white palette has faded into the background. (Just in time for the peak of the entertaining season.) Here are some favorites:īlack & White (and a Bit in Between): By Celerie Kemble ( Clarkson Potter, $50). These generous guides also offer cues for stocking the pantry, setting the table and selecting dining-room chairs. Ripe for plucking off bookshelves are library-worthy releases that convey decor proclivities from quirky illustrated pages to black-and-white splendor and some colorful riffs on shabby chic. Author and DwellStudio founder Christiane Lemieux might have declared 2011 the year to 'Undecorate,' but the latest crop of home decor books suggests that not everyone is ready to throw out design advice.

The Perfectly Imperfect Home by Deborah Needleman