As the only female founder of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Beatrix Farrand is remembered as one of the most significant landscape architects of the early 20th century. Throughout her career, she created grand gardens for some of the country’s most prominent families, including the Rockefellers, the Harknesses, and the Blisses. Farrand may be best known for her design of the landscape at Dumbarton Oaks, a once-private residence that now serves as a research center for Harvard University surrounded by a naturalistic park. To celebrate Farrand’s influence on succeeding generations of women in the field, landscape historian Judith B. Tankard highlights the designer’s finest works, many of which are currently being studied, restored, and opened to the public.
Co-producers of the popular “At Home With” video series on their Quintessence YouTube channel, Susanna Salk and Stacey Bewkes team up to give readers an inside look at the homes of top designers and tastemakers. These interiors are not only full of inspirational ideas and creativity, but they also give us insights into the personal style and passions of the creatives behind them. Featured homes include those of designer John Robshaw, photographer Pieter Estersohn, and chef Lulu Powers.
When it comes to how we entertain, many of us rely on the traditions and lessons we learned from watching our own mothers and grandmothers welcome guests into their homes. Lifestyle expert Kimberly Schlegel Whitman and designer Shelley Johnstone Paschke explore this theme by featuring 34 style-setters who share how they embrace their heritage for entertaining, whether it’s incorporating a recipe passed down through generations or blending inherited dinnerware into their modern tablescapes. Tip boxes throughout also help readers replicate the ideas and create their own family traditions.
Socialites Nancy Astor and Nancy Lancaster were known as two of Britain’s most influential party-givers. A collaboration between descendants of both women, this book features original photography highlighting many of the sophisticated menus, interior décor, table settings, and flower arrangements that were hallmarks of the women’s English Country style. Readers are also treated to 75 of their classic recipes, along with a handful of previously unseen family photographs.
By Julie Gillis