The Age of Elegance: Interiors by Alex Papachristidis - Alex Papachristidis (Boek)

*****
One of today’s eminent tastemakers, Alex Papachristidis is known for arresting, elegant interiors that meld classical motifs with a modern perspective and sophisticated details. This volume pays homage to Papachristidis’s refined sensibility and celebrates Alex Papachristidis Interiors’ twenty-fifth anniversary. Papachristidis has decorated homes for an international clientele—featured projects range from grand New York apartments to idyllic beach houses in the Hamptons and Cape Cod. Inspired by legendary designers such as Renzo Mongiardino and Sister Parish, he is known for wall-to-wall luxury. The hallmark of his style is an unwavering attention to detail, from gilded finishes and stenciled floors to his use of passementerie and creative layering of fabrics for upholstery. Papachristidis’s multifaceted approach and fresh color palette make his rooms the perfect backdrop for glamorous living and an easy elegance. He discusses style strategies such as draping hall tables and hanging matchstick blackout shades beneath bedroom curtains, and he opens his international address book to share favorite resources for fabrics, furniture, and antiques.

Review
"Papachristidis enjoys nothing more than turning a home space into art work. After making the list of Elle Décor’s A-List designers, he has leveraged his 25+ years of experience as a professional interior designer, to deliver this extraordinary book on how you to can obtain his one of a kind “look.” ~Thesocietydiaries.com

"...sophisticated interiors created by the New York decorator..that highlight antiques from all eras. For most of us, this is a wish book, but solid tips written in the author's voice make the haute interiors seem doable." ~Tribune Media Services
About the Author
Manhattan-based Alex Papachristidis Interiors was founded by Alex Papachristidis in 1987. An Elle Decor A-list designer, the firm’s projects are profiled in publications such as Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Architectural Digest. Alex Papachristidis Interiors has a carpet line with Beauvais Carpets. A founding editor of the New York Times Styles section, journalist Dan Shaw has cowritten several books, including Mary McDonald: Interiors. Affectionately known as the Prince of Chintz, Mario Buatta is one of America’s foremost decorators. Photographer Tria Giovan is a contributor to House Beautiful and Veranda.

"Thoughtful, personal, livable, charming, eclectic, evolved, cozy, sense of history and comfortable" are words renowned designer Mario Buatta uses to describe Alex Papachristidis' rooms in the forward of this book. As you peruse Papachristidis' elegant book you will note striking design elements the designer generously employs such as: chinoiserie, elegant antiques, jewel-toned colors, animal prints, sumptuous beds, custom-designed patterned carpets, a rich mix of dress-maker details such as lush fringe and contrasting welts and plentiful mirrors to reflect all of the beauty.

Sixteen residences are featured from New York City townhomes to Hampton and Greenwich mansions to a Cape Cod beach home to one of my favorites a French-accented home in Litchfield, Connecticut. Also loved a jaw-dropping 1940's French-styled apartment in Manhattan. The designer's previous and present New York City apartments are also included--one of which was featured in and on the cover of ELLE DECOR magazine this month.

How does Papachristidis approach design to create these elegant interiors?

"My passion for elegance makes me a very traditional decorator in many respects," says Papachristidis. "I am drawn to the eighteenth century, when some of the greatest furniture ever designed was made. To my mind, even the best modern furniture references eighteenth-century shapes and silhouettes which have a classic, timeless quality. I like to layer historical elements into every interior because if everything is new, a home can only have a superficial charm, and I believe a home should have depth of character. My approach is in its way very old school as well: I like to have a relationship with everything in a home, so it is filled with conversation pieces--things that possess not only style but also stories. I have to sit in a chair and touch a piece of fabric before making a decision about a purchase."

Legendary designers who have influenced Papachristidis' work include Sister Parish, Renzo Mongiardino, Billy Baldwin, Elsie de Wolfe and John Fowler.

The book is filled with large colorful photos with background information on each residence.

If you would love to return to an 'age of elegance', you will enjoy immersing yourself in this book. The room on its cover is indicative of the style you'll find inside.

http://www.amazon.com/Age-Elegance-Interiors-Alex-Papachristidis/dp/0847838811/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362832333&sr=1-1&keywords=interior+design+books+best+sellers+2012

http://www.AlexPapachristidis.com