Product Description

Celebrate what’s beautiful about traditional style while breaking some of its rules: Take a page out of a designer’s book and add your own sense of relaxed whimsy and exuberant personality to create spaces that are versatile, original, and truly livable.

That’s designer Celerie Kemble’s philosophy in a nutshell. It’s all about blending a classic sensibility with a dose of irreverence and a dollop of humor to achieve a home that’s tasteful, eclectic, always evolving, and always welcoming.

Celerie takes you by the hand, gives you a detailed look at many of her signature interiors, and enthusiastically reassures you that, with the right information and attitude, you can overcome challenges and artfully achieve the ultimate design goal—a perfect blend of beauty and comfort.

From finding inspiration in childhood memories, current trends, and favorite belongings to working around real-life design dilemmas (such as a lack of space or light, or awkward floor plans) to selecting just the right furnishings (including rugs, lamps, and accessories), Celerie Kemble: To Your Taste infectiously proves that when making a beautiful home, the process is the best part.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14288 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-04
• Released on: 2008-11-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

About the Author
CELERIE KEMBLE is a principal in Kemble Interiors, a design firm started by her mother, renowned designer Mimi McMakin. Celerie is one of the most sought-after decorators, with designers like Tory Burch and Lela Rose turning to her for fresh home interior looks. She has been featured in such publications as the New York Times, Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home, House Beautiful, and Domino.

Customer Reviews

Readable, relatable, practical
Class bias ("Look to your parents' decorating style" - what, TV trays and laminate furniture?) notwithstanding, Celerie Kemble has written an eminently readable, relatable, and practical guide to beautiful design. From the general - create an interesting conversation between the pieces in a room - to the specific - side tables should be 2 inches below arm height - Kemble educates us and inspires us in equal parts. She's provided a guide to great rooms that helps a novice visually dissect the elements. I know what I like, but now I know how to recreate what I like in my own home. This book is a gem and a keeper for reference forever.

best guide out there
rife with eloquent & entertaining prose, this decorating guide is just that...a guide. unlike many other decorating books, this one combines the inspiration of beautiful photography & the practicality of an explanation. if you're interested in finding a book that explains why designs work & why others don't...this is the book for you. of the many, many decorating books i own, this one is the absolute best.

if i could give it 6 stars, i would.

NY Times Review
Elegant but No Dilettante
By JULIE SCELFO
Published: October 29, 2008
The New York Times
It would be easy to dismiss Celerie Kemble. First off, her name is Celerie. Then there's her privileged childhood in Palm Beach, and the fact that she joined an interior design firm founded by her mother. But that would mean missing out on the talent that put her at the forefront of a new group of society designers and that is evident throughout "Celerie Kemble: To Your Taste" ($45; Clarkson Potter). A tiny nine-point font was used to fit all her advice into the 256-page volume, which shows, step by step, how to design rooms that are elegant and personal. It isn't often a decorating book includes a tribute to artisans and an apologia, but these sections, along with what must be Ms. Kemble's genetic predisposition toward humor (her mother named her Celerie, after all), are what make the book so engaging.