Michael S. Smith Houses

by Michael S. Smith, Christine Pittel

Creating your dream house—a prospect as exciting as it is daunting. Michael Smith, a favorite among celebrity clientele, reveals the method of his design magic. Offering thoughtful ideas and practical advice, the designer walks the reader through his process, from the gathering of resource material (from magazines and iconic films to something as simple as a shell or a swatch of vintage fabric), expertly pairing simpler and grander elements (or inexpensive with more extravagant objects), perfecting the editing process, to knowing when a room is finished. Detailing the nearly encyclopedic range of styles he culls from to create his signature style, the designer describes recent examples of his work, beginning with a modest and quirkily designed house in Bel Air, Smith redid for himself. Razed, rebuilt, and decorated over the course of five years, the house allowed Smith to experiment and explore ideas freely and the result is a gracious home, as welcoming as it is stylish. In addition to his California residence, twenty other projects are featured, from a New England clapboard to a Malibu villa overlooking the Pacific to a city townhouse. In each, Smith deconstructs the elements which come together to make the ideal home.

Genres: Nonfiction, Interior Design

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 21, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Michael Sean Smith (born 1964) is an American interior designer.

Reviews

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are beautiful rooms in beautiful houses in fabulous settings. Initially, They seem WAY beyond possible for “regular” home owners, but if looked at carefully, some ideas and moods here are achievable without needing a castle setting or a million dollars. He captures some beautiful tablescapes, and beds/bedding. The overall feel in these homes is a serenity, more spare than layered, furniture with integrity and history. I would love to move into any of these homes, but his own most of all, which is “chapter 1.”

I liked the writing in his Obama White House book better, but those rooms are less my style and less attainable overall, as a “regular person,” in my option, unless you win the Presidency, of course.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not what I anticipated. I was looking for more information on the process of design and integration with architecture, this book focused too much on celebrities and by the end I didn't even like the style of the design--too much, too over the top, I was wishing for minimalist or midcentury modern