The newest book from acclaimed designer Michael S. Smith showcases his exceptional take on kitchens and baths, the busiest yet most personal rooms in a home. Legendary designer Michael S. Smith has stories to tell about kitchens and bathrooms-those he has designed himself, and those that inspire him. In this fascinating and inspirational book, Smith, who has his own line of kitchen and bath fixtures for Kohler, explains how these rooms define a house. Kitchens and bathrooms are among the most expensive and labor-intensive rooms to design. But they are also opposites, the most public and private zones of a house. In three in-depth case studies and dozens of supporting examples, Smith discusses his design process for these rooms, from big-picture issues such as the social engineering of the kitchen’s layout to details large and small, including the importance of choosing the right cabinet, which can be a crystallization of the architecture of the house, as well as countertops, fixtures, floors, hardware, and more. Also including a sampling of dressing rooms and breakfast rooms, along with a comprehensive resource section, this is a uniquely sophisticated take on a subject of perennial interest.

The long-awaited insider's look at one of the design milestones of the twenty-first century: Michael S Smith's celebrated decoration of the Obama White House, featuring a foreword by Michelle Obama. 2020 HONORABLE MENTION FOR THE FOREWORD INDIES AWARD IN HOBBIES/HOME Created for design enthusiasts, political aficionados, and students of Americana, Designing History documents Michael Smith's extraordinary collaboration with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Not since Jacqueline Kennedy's iconic work on the White House has a designer of Michael Smith's stature been commissioned to bring a new design spirit to the mansion. Through extensive photography, behind-the-scenes stories, and rich archival material, the book places the Obama White House within the context of the building's storied past and its evolution over the past two centuries. The book beautifully documents the process of updating the country's most symbolic residence, revealing how Smith's collaboration on the decoration, showcasing of artworks, and style of entertaining reflected the youthful spirit of the First Family and their vision of a more progressive, inclusive American society. Ultimately, this book will serve as both a historical document and a voyeur's delight, capturing a specific moment in time for the White House, the Obamas, and the American experience.

A lavish exploration of unmatched savoir faire, this volume showcases the rooms and creations of the world's most prestigious decorative woodwork firm. The French woodwork purveyor Féau & Cie has supplied architects, designers, and museums with period paneling since 1875. Featuring documents, drawings, plaster models, panels, and antique boiserie rooms, its archive of 25,000 pieces--many from the eighteenth century and Art Deco era--is an unrivaled source of inspiration for re-creating heirloom spaces as well as for constructing spectacular contemporary pieces. Though the house remains best known for its magical historic rooms, it has collaborated with architects and decorators on original projects since its beginnings, and today's design greats--including Michael S. Smith, Brian J. McCarthy, and Robert Couturier, among others-- regularly call upon the firm for elaborate projects. In this first book of the firm's work, Féau & Cie reveals a selection of its most exceptional projects, from magnificent historical abodes to daring modern creations, including a palace in Tuscany and residences in Paris, London, New York, Malibu, and Atlanta. Dazzling images of finished interiors are accompanied by details of panels, doors, and decor, while exclusive photographs by lensman Robert Polidori explore the house's Parisian atelier. The unique savoir faire of joiners, sculptors, gilders, and painter-decorators shines through in this visual celebration of decorative masterpieces, which is bound to delight design masters and art lovers alike.

A master of his craft, interior designer Smith offers advice and lots of inspiration to create the perfect home, in this follow-up to "Michael Smith's Elements of Style." 200 illustrations.

The first architectural monograph covering the first African-American member and Fellow of the A.I.A. who designed over 3,000 projects from the 1920s to the 1970s. 200 illustrations, 100 in color.

Michael S. Smith’s first collection of new interiors work in seven years. Appearing at a seminal point in Michael Smith’s life and career, The Curated House is also his most personal book, tracing the origins and influences of his design philosophy in depth and presenting a substantial offering of new projects. In the first section of the book, illustrated with images of Smith’s own dramatic Los Angeles house, his spare desert retreat, and his ornate Manhattan apartment, Smith explores his California roots and explains how they still infuse so much of his work; the importance of California’s own deep traditions; and how his recent work in Spain has influenced him through its architecture, fabrics, and history. Smith reviews the constants of his interiors, what is integral to his style and why, and how they can work for the reader: from the forms that repeat themselves to the layering of fabrics and patterns, the use of subtle colors, and the idea of comfort in every room. The second part of the book offers case studies of Smith’s most recent interiors work, including a high-style Manhattan pied-à-terre, an airy London townhouse, a Montana mountain retreat, and a sophisticated Malibu beach house. Substantive and arresting, The Curated House will be Smith’s most comprehensive book to date, and essential to those aspiring to his refined, popular style.