Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe best decorating book of the holiday season
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2007
Flash review: The perfect gift book for this season.
This new book, timed for Xmas giving, features a selection of the best homes shown in Vogue in the past several years. It is a large-scale book, filled with wonderful color photography. Although Elle Decor and Architectural Digest have come out with similar books this season, neither can hold a candle to Vogue's tome. If you are familiar with the 1968 publication, "Vogue's Book of Houses, Gardens, People", which now sells for $400 and up if you can find it, you will know what is in store for you.
Maximum emphasis on homes you would love to see in person, owned by people of impeccable style: Janet de Botton in the south of France, Marella Agnelli in Marrakech, David Cholmondeley's stately, etc.; minimal number of celebrity digs done by decorators of questionable taste which you tend to see in Architectural Digest. The style and taste of the featured houses, gardens (and, yes, people) are on an entirely different plane than those shown in the new books by the other two lifestyle magazines.
July 2010 Follow up review:
Just how tight is the upper class of England? On page 312 we meet the Hanbury girls, mom looking beautiful and daughters Marina, 21 at the time the story was originally done in 2003, and Rosie, then 19, obviously both gorgeous, as they gambol about their lovely Devon estate. Now, in the June 2010 issue of Tatler, we read about the marriage several years ago of Rosie Hanbury, at age 25, to David, Marquess of Cholmondeley, 49, who was discussed on page 358 of the book as the owner of Houghton Hall. You may remember that name from the Treasure Houses of Britain exhibit. He is one of the wealthiest men in England, an intimate of the Queen, and Rosie has now given him two sons.
The older Hanbury daughter, Marina, now 28, has recently been engaged to Ned, Earl of Lambton, 48 years old and heir to Lord Lambton who we visited on page 132 of this book. The late Lord Lambton was shown at his Tuscany home, Centinale, which he shared with his long time mistress, Claire Ward, mother of the beautiful actress Rachel Ward. Centinale is just one of four estates inherited by Ned upon the death of his father, along with a huge pile of cash. If one were a cynic, one might say that neither Hanbury daughter has let mere money, titles or stately homes stand in the way of their love for these men old enough to be their father, but I would never make such an observation. Nor would I note that Lord Cholmoneley met young Rosie at Centinale, tying all three families together yet again.
This book is great fun and an immediate classic.
