Reviews

Style and Substance: The Best of Elle Decor by Margaret Russell

mrsthrift's review

2.0

This is a big ol' coffee table book of the "best of" Elle Decor. There is not a lot of commentary - just a short intro, some style tips, and a sentence or two on each photograph. It is supposed to be a Unique, Special Look at the extraordinary homes that Elle Decor has published over the years, but since I have never read Elle Decor religiously, it was almost entirely new material for me. The photographs are nice, bright, and clear. Even though many of the pictures are quite small, the charm and carefulness of each room is readily apparent. It is a little strange to peek into the homes of so many elite designers, decorators, models, and actors. Even though the celebrity is not entirely the point of the book, it is fascinating to think, "Of course that's what Cindy Crawford's terrace would look like!" but strange at the same time. And to round out the collected lifestyles of the rich and famous, a disproportionate number of the rooms belong to gay couples. Yes, of course gay men are the masters of the interior decor universe.... Anyway, there are some truly inspirational rooms and effects, some really boring beige spaces, and a wide variety between the extremes. Worth a trip to the library, not the $45.00 suggested retail price.