Caribbean Elegance is an illustrated survey of the lifestyles, dwellings and varied furniture styles and decor of the island groups that make up the Caribbean region. It also includes a brief history of the islands and their economies.

For collectors of 19th-century silver and china, or people interested in the etiquette of the period, the Schollanders draw from old etiquette books and other sources to explain how to entertain in proper Victorian style, with authentic menus to taste.

""Analyzing French fashion prints and what these images represent and reveal about the fashion and culture of the seventeenth-century."--Provided by publisher"--

As the "soul of the samurai," the sword is famously both the symbol and instrument of Japanese military prowess. Less known, at least in the west, is its role as a fashion accessory or status symbol. More than the weapon itself, it was the sword's metal fittings--from the hand guard to the small decorative plates on the hilt--that reflected the complexities of samurai life. Some fittings were meant to convey the honor and self-control expected of a samurai, while other, more flamboyant fittings reflected the samurai's leisure-time persona as "man about town." Later, when the wearing of swords spread beyond the samurai class, both the decorative function of the fittings and the variety of their designs increased, leading to some of the most accomplished metalwork ever created. Now in paperback for the first time, Lethal Elegance presents 150 of these remarkable sword fittings, and is one of the few books to focus on their styles and techniques. It discusses the visual effects achieved with different alloys, the evolution of fittings following changes in warfare, symbolism and standards for connoisseurship. Though these objects were created for violent ends, their variety and beauty also reveal them as wonders of self-expression.

The refined rustic style of WRJ, the preeminent interior design firm in the Mountain West Natural Elegance showcases the award-winning interiors of WRJ Design, headquartered in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and led by Rush Jenkins and Klaus Baer. The firm's homes are set against the backdrop of dramatic western landscapes from the Rockies to the Pacific. Their interiors are infused with a unique elegance--one versed in the beauty of the wilderness combined with sophisticated contemporary design. Juxtaposing a warm palette with rugged elements, they create homes that have a deep connection to the natural world just outside the windows. Illustrated with photographs by the masterly William Abranowicz, the book features more than a dozen gloriously sited houses decorated in WRJ's signature rustic yet refined style.

AD100 and Elle Decor A-List designer Timothy Corrigan shares his secrets for creating rooms that are elegant and comfortable, luxurious yet livable. Throughout his career, Corrigan has established a look that is layered and detailed, while always suitable for the way people live today. His distinctive approach encompasses practicality as well as beauty, merging European refinement with California comfort. Here, Corrigan shares homes in which he has defined a new contemporary elegance, including a John Fowler-inspired London townhouse, a Hollywood Regency-inspired Los Angeles Colonial, an art-filled Chicago apartment in the sky, and Corrigan's own Paris pied-à-terre. Corrigan includes advice throughout on how to adapt classic design principles and traditional forms to make them work for busy modern lives. Between each chapter are instructive interludes in which Corrigan outlines the building blocks of successful decoration, with fundamental topics such as scale and proportion, symmetry, architectural details, and working with color.

"The paintings of Willem van Aelst are known for their remarkably fine finish, carefully balanced compositions and elegant subject matter. Each work featured in this monograph represents a phase of the artist's career"--Nielsen Book Data.