Steven Gambrel: Time and Place Hardcover – Illustrated, April 1, 2012

Some decorating books are monographs, providing the best projects that illustrate the designers style. Others provide inspiration and guidance on how to make your own home the best it can be. Then there are coffee table books, purchased mostly for their large size and pretty photos. Steven Grambel's book falls solidly into the monograph and coffee table book categories. These books are usually of less interest to me as I can't directly relate them to my own house, however this book is an exception. The photos are stunning and I love the use of color.All the projects included major renovations and his clients are obviously of means

Steven Gambrel is a genius & seems to have the midas touch when it comes to decorating. In every gorgeous image, you can tell he has a true eye for detail. Whether it's in the architecture or his custom designed furniture, he manages to perfectly blend modern with the traditional in a fresh & inspiring way that doesn't feel "done" or like anyone else's work.I especially love his use of texture & color - the combinations are unique & bright while still being sophisticated & timeless. I must say, you can tell he has clients of means because everything is super high-end but that's lucky for us readers, as this book is a real visual treat! The only thing missing is his autograph, but I think I would not be able to stop gushing about how much I love him if I ever met him.

Love the content of the book, beautiful work by the author/designer - however, the book that was shipped by Amazon looks like it is a laser print knock-off - the cover looks like a dull color copy printed on regular paper and you can tell that all the interior photos were digital laser printed. Very disappointed by this, thought I was ordering a publisher's copy, not a knock-off. I want a gloss cover, and real printed pages. Amazon, how do I get that and return this one??

Apparently, you CAN judge a book by its cover. I was intrigued when I saw the front and back covers of the book, which appear to show two different interpretations of the same space. I was especially drawn to the presence of historical details and the modern sensibility. I decided to buy the book on a hunch, and I'm so glad I did. First, you must notice the dimensions listed for this book, as it is much larger than many design books. The paper used for the book is heavy and very high-quality. The designs depicted inside are gorgeous--all are refined yet remain completely approachable and inviting. (The photography, by Eric Piaseki, is absolutely exquisite.) Steven Gambrel uses color in a brave manner, so if you're a fan of bold color in interior design, you will almost certainly love this book. I am especially enjoying the progress photos, and the words that Steven has written to accompany the photography. I've never been more impressed by a design book. I am a new fan of Steven Gambrel's work, and I thank this gorgeous book for the introduction.

"I think the unexpected remains our greatest tool," says Gambrel. Unexpected--that quality distinguishes Gambrel's rooms: an unexpected mix of materials-color-pattern-silhouette evoking time and place.Interiors by Steven Gambrel are distinctive and highly original. If you like Gambrel's design vision and enjoy deconstructing the magic behind design, you will enjoy this book. Gambrel writes as articulately as he designs, and shares in his own words what informs his design.Materials. As an University of Virginia-trained architect, Gambrel clearly has a reverence for materials which is revealed in his work. His passion for salvaging materials and using his Sag Harbor homes and West Village Townhome as design laboratories is infectious. You will want to start frequenting salvage sites looking for the odd treasure to incorporate in your home after reading this book. Slabs of marble from the Museum of Modern Art sculpture garden which floor his Sag Harbor kitchen are a sublime foundation for his creamy kitchen. Gold-gray marble from an old bank lobby warm up his master bath floor. In a client's home, a mid-century gun-metal Parisian shower surround provides panache. You can picture Gregory Peck or Jimmy Stewart sticking a wet shampooed head out of the shower and greeting you in that room.Other innovative uses of material include using what looks like shiny black paten leather (like your childhood Sunday shoes) on a dining banquette, mixing mica dust in ceiling plaster for shimmer, and repurposing a lighthouse lens as a lantern.Color. "A hit of lucid color" is how Gambrel describes his color choices. High gloss bottle green walls, inspired by the galleries of Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, connect all four floors of his West Village townhome. He combines lacquered deep tortoise-like walls with a glossy amber ceiling in a client's library. What keeps these colors from being lightly lurid, and dashing instead, is a mix of restraint and balance. "I like the contradiction of a super saturated color with an alternating serene one, just like the strength found in pairing timeworn pieces with those that are polished and modern," explains Gambrel. "I view dense color as luxurious, a reaction that hails from an era when merchants used pigments, then precious commodities, as flagrant displays of wealth."Pattern. What also gives a pleasant jolt to Gambrel's rooms is a bit of unexpected and exuberant pattern. Pattern like in an argyle sock might cover an armchair, or Gambrel's partner Connor's favorite Irish cable knit sweater inspired a cable pattern in a rug for their living room (see cover). A brass grate design patterns a daring black and white rug for a client's black and gold living room. A mostly serene room may have a dollop of pattern splashed onto a pillow or emanating from wall art.Silhouette. You may notice there's not a lot of curve in Gambrel's rooms--mainly lines, angles, squares and rectangles with an occasional circle or organic shape. Some curve is in the black headboards he designed for his guest beds based on silhouettes of Flemish home facades he sketched from a walk in Brussels. Clean lines, defined angles and crisp tailoring are softened by tufted furniture, textured fabrics and rugs, and the luxurious use of color which embraces and envelops you. I like Gambrel's mid-size and smallish rooms best which are like jewel-boxes, even if they are neutral like his french limestone-colored cellar kitchen in his West Village home. The rooms sparkle and delight.Gambrel believes we should "keep the good parts of what already exists, while layering our lifestyle and unique time in history onto that place....images of place are the core vital tool for future generations to learn about our time....Design is not just about inventing new ideas, but also about layering successful ideas inspired by traditions and shared culture." His hope and purpose for this book? "...I hope to share a small window into what I think about the time and place in which I live."If you like the original and thoughtful room on the cover of this book, you should like the unexpected and welcoming style inside.

Gambrel’s projects are fabulous. I especially love his architectural details. His ability to simplify traditional elements along with his knowledge of proportion is very inspiring.

I enjoyed this book very much,there's a lot of use of modern elements combined with rustic and traditional ones that makes for an updated yet timeless look.this is not a fuzzy,girly take on decorating,it's a more masculine,edited look with beautiful colors and textures and terrific style.If you are someone with a tendency for a certain style,this book will make you think outside the box and you'll want to color outside the lines.Highly recomend it.

I found the interiors inspiring in this book. One beautiful room after another that showcases the author unique style and individuality. I highly recommend this book to friends and keep it on my coffee table with over favourite reads.

Do you like the cover photo?Take the punt.This is a hardback book of Gambrel's interiors, superb quality of book production. luscious photographs fillevery page.That glamorous fifties-vibe of Hollywood-esque interiors- buy the book.

A brilliant interiors book. I have lots and would definitely recommend this one. Gambrel's use of colour is fab and the photography is wonderful.

Thought that a book by one of the USA's most successful modern decorators would be interesting and inspirational. Some of the images that one finds on Google for Stephen Gambrel are stunning. He is capable of using colour and scale in a very original and stylish way.In this book there are one or 2 nice interiors (mostly his country house, which takes up a large section of the book) but this is ultimately conventional. Many of the room schemes are unattractive, some just plain weird. The text is pretentious and silly. It's an oddly self-congratulationary book short on charm and ideas.Incredibly disappointing.

I love this book ,, the images are very polished and are great inspiration for anyone who loves interior design ,,,, can't wait to re and then re read it ,,,