Catalogue published in conjunction with the exhibition "Extravagant Inventions: the Princely Furniture of the Roentgens" on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from October 30, 2102, through January 27, 2013.

Extraordinary Furniture presents some of the world's most opulent, inventive, skillfully made, and unusual pieces of furniture. Author David Linley has compiled a magnificent array of objects that span the history of furniture design and craftsmanship, from the medieval period to the present day. Viscount Linley, son of England's Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon and nephew of Queen Elizabeth II, is a furniture maker and designer of international renown. He introduces the book with an essay on the strong connection between handcrafted furniture and the people who have commissioned, designed, owned, and loved it, and discusses the influence of earlier designers on his own work. Five lavishly illustrated chapters divide the furniture according to the feature that makes each piece extraordinary: extravagance, design, craftsmanship, mechanical complexity, or eccentricity. Organized chronologically to highlight the evolution of styles and manufacture, each chapter offers a series of thought-provoking combinations: the gilded elegance of Empress Josephine's bed forms a striking contrast to the purity of Shaker work; both illustrate extraordinary design. The superb photographs show the pieces in full and in close-up details, and often in their original settings. Many are from England's Royal Collection, a superb assemblage of rare and exceptional furniture. Other works are from important European and American sources, including the noted contemporary furniture designer Wendell Castle. A listing of the houses, castles, and museums where some of the furniture can be seen by the public adds to the book's value.

In Furniture with Soul, author David Savage explores the philosophies, careers, and pivotal moments of struggle and inspiration for today’s most talented and influential woodworkers. He traveled throughout the U.S. and Britain to interview these renowned artists, including John Makepeace, John Cederquist, Jack Larimore, Judy Kensley McKie, Michael Hurwitz, Tom Hucker, Rupert Williamson, Gary Knox Bennett, and Peter Danko. With a telling eye and refreshing intimacy, he reveals their thinking, creative processes, and rise to prominence. He takes the reader into their workshops and their hearts. Savage seeks to illuminate the soul of the artists’ work, and the influences and experiences that shaped them.

Charles Rohlfs (1853-1936) ranked among the most innovative furniture makers at the turn of the twentieth century. Praised by the international press and exhibited throughout the United States and Europe, his beautiful works grew out of an interesting mix of styles that included Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and proto-modernism. This book presents the first major study of this important American designer and craftsman, drawing upon new photographs and fresh sources of information. Alongside traditional historical approaches, the book presents detailed formal, structural, and stylistic analyses of Rohlfs's well-known masterpieces from major museums, together with lesser-known objects in public and private collections. Topics include discovering the contribution of Rohlfs's wife--mystery novelist Anna Katharine Green--to his designs; the far-ranging sources of his idiosyncratic motifs; his influence on Gustav Stickley's designs; his commissioned interiors; his efforts at self-promotion and marketing; and his attempts to define a conceptual framework for his artistic endeavor. Handsomely designed and illustrated, the book also features a complete set of unpublished period illustrations of over seventy works.

"Richard Riemerschmid's impact and influence as a designer of fantastical everday objects-model radical experiments of a critically re-evaluated modernism"--

The first comprehensive collection of Nest, the magazine that revolutionized the way we look at interior space and decoration Published from 1997 to 2004 by artist Joe Holtzman, Nest magazine eschewed the conventionally beautiful luxury interiors of other magazines and instead featured non-traditional, exceptional, and unusual environments. The Best of Nest, created by master bookmaker and former fashion designer Todd Oldham, includes selections from all 26 issues in a series of portfolios featuring the work of iconic writers and photographers such as Michael Cunningham, Patti Smith, Nan Goldin, and Derry Moore. The book includes an introduction by Oldham, as well as an extensive essay by Holtzman, filled with new observations and a behind-the-scenes look at each issue's creation. Arranged chronologically, The Best of Nest presents each issue in a 16-page portfolio. An edit of the best stories, the best photographs, and the best design treatments have been selected and amplified in this lavish volume. Replicating many of the clever and singular design elements that endeared Nest to its passionate fans around the world, The Best of Nest including gatefolds, foldouts, diecuts, and covers with silver foil and glitter. The Best of Nest includes visual and written contributions to the magazine by Tina Barney, Michael Cunningham, Lydia Davis, Barbara Gallucci, Nan Goldin, Matt Groening, Rem Koolhaas, Catherine Opie, Stephen Sondheim, Amy Sedaris, Matthew Stadler, and the legendary British interiors photographer Derry Moore. Photographs by Candida Höfer, David Seidner, Horst P. Horst, Martin Parr, Antoine Bootz, and Jason Schmidt are also highlighted throughout.