with Jan Showers’ new book, Glamorous Rooms! I read it all in one sitting. It is 206 pages of fabulous eye candy and noteworthy design advice from the Dallas based interior designer.
With a foreword by her friend, Michael Kors, and a book case created to look like one of her favorite fabrics, Hinson and Company’s Snow Leopard, this book goes down in history as one of my favorite coffee table reads!
There are so many jaw dropping images throughout her book. I gathered my favorite Jan Showers’ rooms to share with you (as well as quotes), until you can go out and buy a copy of the book for yourself! It’s too bad this book wasn’t a magazine or I would have torn out a bunch of pages to keep on hand in my Style Book!
“Create an aura of glamour with some or all of these classic design elements: warm silver-leaf tea paper on the walls, a fabulous Murano-glass lamp, gilded mirrors, a pair of eighteenth-century painted Italian slipper chairs, and a graphic animal skin on the floor”- Jan Showers
“Rugs should be kept understated and elegant. Though it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, low-contrast rugs typically work best. However, you may opt for a high-contrast black and white graphic rug to mitigate the vastness created by a double-height ceiling.”
“Mix textures and styles liberally. Cashmeres, low-sheen satins, linens, silks, velvets, mohair, and wonderfully ironed and waxed leathers are favored textures in living rooms.”
“Mixing silver and gold is always a good idea”
“Never be afraid to mix patterns, periods, and wood finishes.”
“Too much upholstery is one of the most prevalent mistakes made in present-day design, because it lacks detail and interest. Detail is critical to establishing the singularity and quality of any piece.”
“Two lighting elements are central to all my dining room designs: chandeliers and lamps. Frequently people are surprised when I suggest that lamps be placed on buffets. They create a luscious glow in a room that can be quite challenging to illuminate.”
“One shortcut to an atmosphere of warms is the use of dining chairs with upholstered backs. At a rectangular or oval table, have the host and hostess chairs upholstered in a different fabric than the other chairs if they are a different style.”
“The opulence of bedrooms should extend to the walls themselves. Soothing colors such as soft greens and French blues are just right. Ivories and pale peaches complement skin tones, which is a very good idea in the bedroom.”
Her first book definitely aims to please!
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