More Than Just Pretty

Have you ever noticed that some people become more and more attractive, the more you get to know them?

And doesn't that hold true for fashion, as well as interiors?

I know that the clothes I wear most often are those that are simple and refined, but make me feel and look good. As well, interiors that slowly reveal themselves – through details, subtle interplays of textures and finishes, and a sophisticated color palette – will be much easier to live with in the long run than the flashy, trendy and uninspired.

Getting to know Suzanne Kasler through her new book has been a similar experience. Her work is certainly beautiful, but there is substance too, that reveals itself on page after page of rooms that pull you in for closer inspection. And you are rewarded to find much to gaze upon – as you discover that she is not always predictable. Her commentary accompanying each photo is icing on the cake.

The details are everything ...

Click on this image for an enlarged view. Suzanne's interest in couture fashion is especially evident in the fabrics and details in this vignette. I'm crazy about that nailhead studded, grosgrain ribbon trim on the sofa. She uses this trim often, even on a few pieces in her Hickory Chair collection.

Not quite what we've come to expect from Ms. Kasler, this room is sophisticated, with a European flair for combining classics and modernism. She says she has never put a label on her style.

A range of textures and a subtle palette shimmer in an elegant Palm Beach residence. This decor is reminiscent of the work of Michael S. Smith ... but with a more delicate touch.

Revelations from Ms. Kasler:
• White is her signature color
• She likes to add a little bit of color for big impact
• She has a love of French culture
• She translates details from haute couture into her upholstery designs

My observations:
• Her use of modern art freshens and enlivens traditional settings
• One of my favorite of her projects shown in the book is a log cabin in the South Carolina low country, which features a witty approach to hiding the TV in the master bedroom.
• She seems generous and down-to-earth {How often do you see designers devote a full page to acknowledge their clients, photographers, publishers, as well as the magazines and their editors for publishing her work?}
• She is as hard-working, as she is talented. {In addition to her interior design business, she has developed her own lines of fabrics, furniture, paint and lighting, and is apparently adding a line of notecards to her accomplishments.}

Hustle over to her website now to order your very own signed copy of Suzanne Kasler, Inspired Interiors. {See what I mean by generous? Even though I have received an advance copy from Rizzoli, should I splurge on a signed copy? I'm thinking YES - one to keep and one to give!}
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Suzanne Kasler, Inspired Interiors by Suzanne Kasler with Christine Pittel, Rizzoli New York, 2009. Available next month. From the top: photo by Quentin Bacon; detail of photo by Thibault Jeanson, courtesy of Veranda; detail of photo from Meredith Corp.
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A few pieces in Suzanne Kasler's Hickory Chair collection.

Her Argonne sofa.

Suzanne didn't forget about the back. The Argonne looks great, coming and going.

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