The New Traditional: Reinvent-Balance-Define Your Home

by Darryl Carter

Darryl Carter is a leader in the design world, recognized for his restrained, distinguished, and livable environments. Known for seamlessly mixing the modern with the classical, Carter presents a comprehensive guide to creating a home that balances individual comfort with a timeless aesthetic.

Comfort is the essential element of a successful interior, but also the most elusive. Too often our design decisions are driven by others. In The New Traditional, Darryl Carter encourages you to be true to your own lifestyle. More than a stunning book, this is an accessible resource for making an elegant, inviting home, responsive to the people who live in it every day.

A fresh take on American design, Carter’s work has been lauded as the New Traditional for effortlessly blending classic and modern elements to create personal environments. Patinated furniture, subtle textiles and lighting, and chalky washes of color are among the details that transform a house into a home. Carter explains how you can translate these details into inspired and always calming surroundings. Ignore the obvious. Redefine a dining room so that it doubles as a library by lining the walls with bookshelves and using wing chairs in lieu of dining chairs. Stain wood floors white to create a greater sense of space. Build rooms around art. Carter shows that designing your home is a process to be enjoyed.

Genres: Design, Interior Design

208 pages, Hardcover

First published August 26, 2008

Reviews

[Joanie]

0/10 would never recommend.

[Stephany]

3.5 stars

[Emily Vander Ark]

I wasn't particularly drawn to any of the images in this book. Just not my style.

[Terri]

Every interior decorator has his/her personal style- almost a signature- Darryl Carter's is neutral, clean, sophisticated.

This is a book full of photos that I love because I am drawn to the minimal colored decorating scheme where tonal whites and beiges are used. If you are more of a bright colors and lots of details (think Mario Buatta) Darryl Carter will probably not appeal to you. However; even for the louder taste, he has a lot of advice on how to choose your furniture, your art, your collectibles, what function different rooms should serve.

Darryl Carter is all about creating visual harmony and calm in an environment.

If you love a more clean look but with character, or wish you could get there, this will be a great resource full of pleasant rooms and great ideas.

[Rhode PVD]

Incredibly dull and one- noted. His color palette extends to white, white, cream, off white, white and some white. Mixed in with wooden furniture for tone. Rooms only a set decorator for a chilly foreign movie could love. No creativity aside from the sheer breadth of upholstered furniture which is all uniformly now upholstered in white or light off white. Does the author have a color phobia?

[Jane]

Good narrative, but not specific, design process fundamentals. Visually the book is very spare. Not a go-to for visual inspiration, but definitely recommend if you are newly starting out in the design process, as I am.

[Evan]

A little too "spare" and "gray" for me. I'm of the opinion that traditional style doesn't have to be cluttered or fussy, but it should evoke *some* warmth--something this book does not do.

[Lauren]

Went to a book signing at High Point market and met Darryl - what a nice person. He was very gracious and personable.

[Ebrown]

While most of Mr. Carter's design choices rely on rather high end antiques, his ideas can form a basis for a beautiful interior regardless of budget.

[Sonu]

Did a blog series with this author and designer. It's a great philosophy on how to live with design as a guiding principle. Darryl embraces the idea of Living in a Space- Love him and the book!

[Heidi]

Beautiful, but awfully beige.

[Jennifer]

I love the design style represented in this book. Wish there were more pictures to represent the examples he mentions. Great discussion on art and fabrics.