New Classic Interiors (Preview)

U.S. $60.00 Canada $78.00 U.K. £34.99

New Classic Interiors

By Alessandra Branca with Christine Pittel

Italian-born Alessandra Branca divides her time between New York, Rome, and Chicago, where she founded her design firm in 1984 and opened her retail store in 2008. She is developing her Branca Home licensed collections, featuring furniture, rugs, tabletop, textiles, and lighting designs.

Her award-winning work has been featured in such publications as House & Garden, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Veranda, and Elle Decor.

Christine Pittel is a prominent interior design writer and contributing editor to House Beautiful. She co-wrote STC’s An Affair with a House with Bunny Williams.

200 full-color photographs 272 pages, 10½ x 13" Hardcover with jacket ISBN 978-1-58479-787-6 US $60.00 CAN $78.00 UK £34.99 Interior Design Rights: World Pub month: October TO PLACE AN ORDER Please call your sales representative or Hachette Book Group USA at (800) 759-0190 or fax (800) 286-9471 TO INQUIRE ABOUT PUBLICITY Please call (212) 229-8823 or fax (212) 366-0809 Stewart, Tabori & Chang An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 115 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 www.stcbooks.com Printed in China

Jacket photographs © 2009 by Thibault Jeanson Book design by Doug Turshen, with David Huang

F

or Alessandra Branca, living means living comfortably.

Growing up in Rome, Branca was always surrounded by exquisite art and architecture. She learned early on that beauty is meant to intermingle with everyday life, and to this day her interior designs, while abiding by classical principles, comfortably accommodate her clients’ lifestyles. “You can’t just do something that looks pretty,” she says. “It has to work.”

New CLASSIC

INTERIORS

In this book, the designer—based in Chicago—generously reveals her step-by-step creative process, offering invaluable guidance to anyone who wants a home that is both gorgeous and livable. Beginning with her own Chicago townhouse and interweaving insights drawn from several other prominent projects, she shows how she assesses each space’s form and function, selects foundation elements, chooses furniture and lighting, and, finally, incorporates decorative elements that reflect the resident’s personality. Illustrated with 200 lush photographs, the book offers a welcome introduction to Branca’s enchanting and livable interiors.

A L E S S A N DR A BR A NC A

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U.S. $60.00 Canada $78.00 U.K. £34.99

New Classic Interiors

By Alessandra Branca with Christine Pittel

Italian-born Alessandra Branca divides her time between New York, Rome, and Chicago, where she founded her design firm in 1984 and opened her retail store in 2008. She is developing her Branca Home licensed collections, featuring furniture, rugs, tabletop, textiles, and lighting designs.

Her award-winning work has been featured in such publications as House & Garden, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Veranda, and Elle Decor.

Christine Pittel is a prominent interior design writer and contributing editor to House Beautiful. She co-wrote STC’s An Affair with a House with Bunny Williams.

200 full-color photographs 272 pages, 10½ x 13" Hardcover with jacket ISBN 978-1-58479-787-6 US $60.00 CAN $78.00 UK £34.99 Interior Design Rights: World Pub month: October TO PLACE AN ORDER Please call your sales representative or Hachette Book Group USA at (800) 759-0190 or fax (800) 286-9471 TO INQUIRE ABOUT PUBLICITY Please call (212) 229-8823 or fax (212) 366-0809 Stewart, Tabori & Chang An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 115 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 www.stcbooks.com Printed in China

Jacket photographs © 2009 by Thibault Jeanson Book design by Doug Turshen, with David Huang

F

or Alessandra Branca, living means living comfortably.

Growing up in Rome, Branca was always surrounded by exquisite art and architecture. She learned early on that beauty is meant to intermingle with everyday life, and to this day her interior designs, while abiding by classical principles, comfortably accommodate her clients’ lifestyles. “You can’t just do something that looks pretty,” she says. “It has to work.”

New CLASSIC

INTERIORS

In this book, the designer—based in Chicago—generously reveals her step-by-step creative process, offering invaluable guidance to anyone who wants a home that is both gorgeous and livable. Beginning with her own Chicago townhouse and interweaving insights drawn from several other prominent projects, she shows how she assesses each space’s form and function, selects foundation elements, chooses furniture and lighting, and, finally, incorporates decorative elements that reflect the resident’s personality. Illustrated with 200 lush photographs, the book offers a welcome introduction to Branca’s enchanting and livable interiors.

A L E S S A N DR A BR A NC A

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12 CONTENTS CONTENTS

ROME—where it all began.

COLOR is your accent, your

punctuation. Color expresses emotion PATTERN is energy and movement. Pattern is life

3

CHICAGO —making a

home for my family.

LAYOUT—building a furniture arrangement—how to make a room work for you.

COMFORT is the great luxury.

Rooms you can really live in.

NEW YORK—living and

working in the same space.

NEW SPIN ON OLD—express your own personality—details make the difference.

MULTI-TASKING—one room, multiple functions

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hy Rome? Because it is where everything started for me. I find it very reassuring to shop for my family’s meals at the open-air market in the Campo dei Fiori, the same market that has been there since the 16th century. The fruit vendor’s stall is a picture of abbondanza—glorious abundance—with apricots and peaches and grapes arranged in perfect heaps. Even the pharmacist around the corner has somehow managed to make the medications in his window look utterly appealing.

To be born in Rome is to be born with the design gene. The Italians have an instinct for beauty, and my eye was honed by my upbringing. My grandfather was an art historian and critic for the Vatican City newspaper, and one of my earliest memories is of trying to get my nose over a display case at the Vatican museum. I was so small that he had to lift me up to see the exhibits inside. He would pose my hands—with the little finger just so—to mimic a figure in a painting by Guercino. In Rome, around every corner is another majestic building. You may be standing in line at the bank, but don’t forget to look up at the ceiling or you’ll miss a magnificent fresco. The great masterworks of art and architecture become as familiar as old friends. My concept of color was formed by Raphael and Giotto; my sense of scale and proportion was shaped by Bramante and Bernini. After school, I would duck into a favorite church on my way home, thrilled to know I was walking on the same cobblestones as Michelangelo. Those granite cobblestones are like a river of black that flows through the city, taking you from one neighborhood to another, and one century to another.

And one café to another. The city is ancient and gregarious. In Rome, you don’t spend your life inside, confined by four walls. You live outdoors, at café and restaurant tables

I’ve never done a home without a touch of red. Red is exuberant. Red is happy. It sparks up a room and gives it life. Here, every lampshade is red, from the picture lights to the swing-arm lamps to the chandelier. And then I used a bright red fabric to create my own extra-large stripe for the stools. That bold stripe on the white painted stools sets up an intriguing contrast to the antique pedestal table and takes any stuffiness out of the room.

AB_BLAD_interior_FIN.indd 4-5

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W

hy Rome? Because it is where everything started for me. I find it very reassuring to shop for my family’s meals at the open-air market in the Campo dei Fiori, the same market that has been there since the 16th century. The fruit vendor’s stall is a picture of abbondanza—glorious abundance—with apricots and peaches and grapes arranged in perfect heaps. Even the pharmacist around the corner has somehow managed to make the medications in his window look utterly appealing.

To be born in Rome is to be born with the design gene. The Italians have an instinct for beauty, and my eye was honed by my upbringing. My grandfather was an art historian and critic for the Vatican City newspaper, and one of my earliest memories is of trying to get my nose over a display case at the Vatican museum. I was so small that he had to lift me up to see the exhibits inside. He would pose my hands—with the little finger just so—to mimic a figure in a painting by Guercino. In Rome, around every corner is another majestic building. You may be standing in line at the bank, but don’t forget to look up at the ceiling or you’ll miss a magnificent fresco. The great masterworks of art and architecture become as familiar as old friends. My concept of color was formed by Raphael and Giotto; my sense of scale and proportion was shaped by Bramante and Bernini. After school, I would duck into a favorite church on my way home, thrilled to know I was walking on the same cobblestones as Michelangelo. Those granite cobblestones are like a river of black that flows through the city, taking you from one neighborhood to another, and one century to another.

And one café to another. The city is ancient and gregarious. In Rome, you don’t spend your life inside, confined by four walls. You live outdoors, at café and restaurant tables

I’ve never done a home without a touch of red. Red is exuberant. Red is happy. It sparks up a room and gives it life. Here, every lampshade is red, from the picture lights to the swing-arm lamps to the chandelier. And then I used a bright red fabric to create my own extra-large stripe for the stools. That bold stripe on the white painted stools sets up an intriguing contrast to the antique pedestal table and takes any stuffiness out of the room.

AB_BLAD_interior_FIN.indd 4-5

2/9/09 6:02:29 PM

I don’t do period rooms, although I may follow classical principles Balance and symmetry are useful tools. Most people would have hung similar paintings on either side of the fireplace, but I balanced a group of nine watercolors with one framed collection of intaglios. Isn’t it fascinating how the eye makes it work? There are also sofas on either side, but one is a banquette that wraps the corner and the other is a more traditional Louis XVI settee. Yet both furniture groups seem to have equal weight. I tend to gravitate to the corners of a room, so I always make sure there is someplace comfortable to sit. We’ll often spread food out on the coffee table and have dinner, sitting on the banquette.

My daughter likes to read on the settee by the window. The room can adapt to different purposes. The palette of red and ocher, taupe and cream holds it together, and then there is that strong note of black in the two chairs, trimmed in nailheads that accentuate their curves.

AB_BLAD_interior_FIN.indd 6-7

2/9/09 6:02:30 PM

I don’t do period rooms, although I may follow classical principles Balance and symmetry are useful tools. Most people would have hung similar paintings on either side of the fireplace, but I balanced a group of nine watercolors with one framed collection of intaglios. Isn’t it fascinating how the eye makes it work? There are also sofas on either side, but one is a banquette that wraps the corner and the other is a more traditional Louis XVI settee. Yet both furniture groups seem to have equal weight. I tend to gravitate to the corners of a room, so I always make sure there is someplace comfortable to sit. We’ll often spread food out on the coffee table and have dinner, sitting on the banquette.

My daughter likes to read on the settee by the window. The room can adapt to different purposes. The palette of red and ocher, taupe and cream holds it together, and then there is that strong note of black in the two chairs, trimmed in nailheads that accentuate their curves.

AB_BLAD_interior_FIN.indd 6-7

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Since we’re in Southampton near the beach, I chose a blue and white and coral palette, with blue banquettes in two corners and coral-covered Swedish chairs at a large pedestal table in the center of the room. You can stretch out on a banquette with a novel or set the table for a candlelit supper. The room can be as formal or informal as you feel. The colors are deep and rich and vibrant, but what really makes the room interesting is scale. Everything is big, even the oversized paisley pattern on the walls. The room is oddly shaped, with various angles, and instead of trying to mask them I covered them in fabric and outlined them in blue braid. Rather than curtains at the windows, I used portieres on the doors. The chandelier is encased in sheer white scrim. There’s something enticing about a thing only half-seen a secret fashion designers have known for ages.

Since we’re in Southampton near the beach, I chose a blue and white and coral palette, with blue banquettes in two corners and coral-covered Swedish chairs at a large pedestal table in the center of the room. You can stretch out on a banquette with a novel or set the table for a candlelit supper. The room can be as formal or informal as you feel. The colors are deep and rich and vibrant, but what really makes the room interesting is scale. Everything is big, even the oversized paisley pattern on the walls. The room is oddly shaped, with various angles, and instead of trying to mask them I covered them in fabric and outlined them in blue braid. Rather than curtains at the windows, I used portieres on the doors. The chandelier is encased in sheer white scrim. There’s something enticing about a thing only half-seen a secret fashion designers have known for ages.

AB_BLAD_interior_FIN.indd 10-11

2/9/09 6:03:03 PM

U.S. $60.00 Canada $78.00 U.K. £34.99

New Classic Interiors

By Alessandra Branca with Christine Pittel

Italian-born Alessandra Branca divides her time between New York, Rome, and Chicago, where she founded her design firm in 1984 and opened her retail store in 2008. She is developing her Branca Home licensed collections, featuring furniture, rugs, tabletop, textiles, and lighting designs.

Her award-winning work has been featured in such publications as House & Garden, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Veranda, and Elle Decor.

Christine Pittel is a prominent interior design writer and contributing editor to House Beautiful. She co-wrote STC’s An Affair with a House with Bunny Williams.

200 full-color photographs 272 pages, 10½ x 13" Hardcover with jacket ISBN 978-1-58479-787-6 US $60.00 CAN $78.00 UK £34.99 Interior Design Rights: World Pub month: October TO PLACE AN ORDER Please call your sales representative or Hachette Book Group USA at (800) 759-0190 or fax (800) 286-9471 TO INQUIRE ABOUT PUBLICITY Please call (212) 229-8823 or fax (212) 366-0809 Stewart, Tabori & Chang An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 115 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 www.stcbooks.com Printed in China

Jacket photographs © 2009 by Thibault Jeanson Book design by Doug Turshen, with David Huang

F

or Alessandra Branca, living means living comfortably.

Growing up in Rome, Branca was always surrounded by exquisite art and architecture. She learned early on that beauty is meant to intermingle with everyday life, and to this day her interior designs, while abiding by classical principles, comfortably accommodate her clients’ lifestyles. “You can’t just do something that looks pretty,” she says. “It has to work.”

New CLASSIC

INTERIORS

In this book, the designer—based in Chicago—generously reveals her step-by-step creative process, offering invaluable guidance to anyone who wants a home that is both gorgeous and livable. Beginning with her own Chicago townhouse and interweaving insights drawn from several other prominent projects, she shows how she assesses each space’s form and function, selects foundation elements, chooses furniture and lighting, and, finally, incorporates decorative elements that reflect the resident’s personality. Illustrated with 200 lush photographs, the book offers a welcome introduction to Branca’s enchanting and livable interiors.

A L E S S A N DR A BR A NC A

AB_BLAD_flaps7.indd 2-3

2/9/09 5:02:50 PM

U.S. $60.00 Canada $78.00 U.K. £34.99

New Classic Interiors

By Alessandra Branca with Christine Pittel

Italian-born Alessandra Branca divides her time between New York, Rome, and Chicago, where she founded her design firm in 1984 and opened her retail store in 2008. She is developing her Branca Home licensed collections, featuring furniture, rugs, tabletop, textiles, and lighting designs.

Her award-winning work has been featured in such publications as House & Garden, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Veranda, and Elle Decor.

Christine Pittel is a prominent interior design writer and contributing editor to House Beautiful. She co-wrote STC’s An Affair with a House with Bunny Williams.

200 full-color photographs 272 pages, 10½ x 13" Hardcover with jacket ISBN 978-1-58479-787-6 US $60.00 CAN $78.00 UK £34.99 Interior Design Rights: World Pub month: October TO PLACE AN ORDER Please call your sales representative or Hachette Book Group USA at (800) 759-0190 or fax (800) 286-9471 TO INQUIRE ABOUT PUBLICITY Please call (212) 229-8823 or fax (212) 366-0809 Stewart, Tabori & Chang An imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 115 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 www.stcbooks.com Printed in China

Jacket photographs © 2009 by Thibault Jeanson Book design by Doug Turshen, with David Huang

F

or Alessandra Branca, living means living comfortably.

Growing up in Rome, Branca was always surrounded by exquisite art and architecture. She learned early on that beauty is meant to intermingle with everyday life, and to this day her interior designs, while abiding by classical principles, comfortably accommodate her clients’ lifestyles. “You can’t just do something that looks pretty,” she says. “It has to work.”

New CLASSIC

INTERIORS

In this book, the designer—based in Chicago—generously reveals her step-by-step creative process, offering invaluable guidance to anyone who wants a home that is both gorgeous and livable. Beginning with her own Chicago townhouse and interweaving insights drawn from several other prominent projects, she shows how she assesses each space’s form and function, selects foundation elements, chooses furniture and lighting, and, finally, incorporates decorative elements that reflect the resident’s personality. Illustrated with 200 lush photographs, the book offers a welcome introduction to Branca’s enchanting and livable interiors.

A L E S S A N DR A BR A NC A

AB_BLAD_flaps7.indd 2-3

2/9/09 5:02:50 PM