Inside "Inside Design"

I'm feverishly working on an article right now, so I'm going to rely upon Michael Greer to carry this post. You remember Michael...his 1962 book was on my top ten book list last week. For some, the mention of Greer's name prompted a walk down memory lane, while for others, his work was entirely new.

His book, Inside Design, is chock full of practical design advice that still holds true today. And the photos of his work that accompany the text? Well, truth be told, a little of it is dated. Most people just don't live like that anymore. But to me, that's beside the point. He had a well-honed sense of color, a predilection for decorative flourishes, and a way with curtains and valances. Sounds okay to me.

Decorative painting and trompe l'oeil were seen often in a Michael Greer interior.



According to a very knowledgeable reader of mine, this is the living room of Charlton Heston. Yes, the man who starred in "Planet of the Apes" had curtains made from one of our favorite Pierre Frey prints.



Here's the dated look that I was talking about. Still, there's an interesting use of color here. And see what I mean about those valances?



How I wish this were my terrace.



A masculine, restrained, and symmetrical composition.



Love that royal blue screen.



Greer used this photo to demonstrate his use of vinyl tile flooring. I'm starting to rethink vinyl...

(Top photo by Jennifer Boles. Remaining images from Inside Design by Michael Greer.)