Chris Casson Madden (1948–2022)

No actual projects, no real 'tips & tricks,' but lots of inspiration. Over 3 dz spaces. Three things struck me:

First, these rooms & retreats are works in progress. Almost all the women have collections, seasonal flowers, another set of linens... ways to change up the room as they progress on their journeys. Most other decor/ design books that I've been reading lately are about the finished product... 'we've been working all these years to pull it together and here it is, voila'!'

Second, a lot of the rooms have *several* places to sit. And I don't mean just, she can choose to recline on the daybed, sit at a desk, or perch at a drafting table. I mean, they had seating enough for a small book club or a family!

Third, many the women who use these spaces tend to use them briefly, as a place to recoup their energies. It's almost as if the author is saying 'if you don't have a thriving design firm and three kids, you don't need a private space.' I'm exaggerating, but not by a lot.

About the reviews that say this is dated... huh? These spaces are about ideas, about what kinds of ideas work well for different people. And besides, many of the furniture and decor pieces are antiques. It isn't dated, because there's nothing in here that represents any particular period in time. I say to the ppl who wrote those reviews - it's your space, and you get to create it the way you want to; you get to choose (or make, or have made) whatever pieces you want. This is not a catalog or a plan-book.

Btw, I have no idea why I'm giving it four stars. I have no take-away from it (except a bit of envy, of course). I didn't particularly love any of the spaces. But I really liked the book overall, so there you go.

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