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Design Remix: A New Spin on Traditional Rooms

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The first book from AD100 interior designer Corey Damen Jenkins, known for his colorful, youthful traditionalism.

Corey Damen Jenkins's bold interiors have won a devoted following. In his first book, he presents his take on classic interiors that have been beautifully reimagined for today's taste, sharing the building blocks of this fun, vibrant traditional look. "Bold Standard" is about how to use color in unexpected ways. "Good Bones" showcases architectural details. "Less Is More" focuses on creating a minimal look within a traditional interior. "Eclectic Exuberance" celebrates a collected appeal. "Night and Day" is a new look at the classic, graphic pairing of dark and light colors. "Haute House" looks at accessorizing with fashion-inspired elements. "Age Appropriate" is about creating rooms that cater to lounging, and kids' bedrooms, family rooms, reading nooks, homework areas. With sidebars on practical questions such as how to hang a salon-style picture wall and choosing the right window treatment, this is a must-have book for fans of a fresh, traditional look.
With sidebars on practical questions such as how to hang a salon-style picture wall and choosing the right window treatment, this is a must-have book for fans of a fresh, traditional look.

240 pages, Hardcover

Published March 23, 2021

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Corey Damen Jenkins

2 books3 followers

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5 stars
31 (50%)
4 stars
19 (31%)
3 stars
8 (13%)
2 stars
2 (3%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Krista.
23 reviews3 followers
August 8, 2021
I enjoyed Jenkins’ personal story and the photographs of gorgeous rooms with exquisite details. His bold use of color and integration of traditional styles speaks to my heart. However, many of his tips are too vague to be helpful. For example, a tip for paint color like “Accent Thoughtfully. The purpose of an accent wall is to draw a person’s attention. But don’t just throw bold paint onto any wall. The wall’s position and function in the room determines whether it can take a strong swath of color.” Sure, but which position and what function?

I’m going to go through the book again to see if there is any applicable advise I can use.
184 reviews
June 11, 2022
Traditional rooms with an eclectic twist, it featured rooms you could live with happily for years. I really enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for Lucy.
1,294 reviews15 followers
May 22, 2021
Detroit-born Corey Damen Jenkins had a hard time getting started in the interior design business because he's black, and gay. He set out to knock on doors until someone responded or he hit 1000 doors, whichever happened first. He had success before he knocked on 800 doors.
I like a lot of what he shows, especially the use of color instead of the all-white that's so popular now, especially his use of blue, my favorite color.
However, I dislike intensely his use of books. He treats them as though they were blocks of wood, painted whatever color he wants. He also takes dust jackets off the books so he can have a lot of white or black books for decorating, but not for readers. He also uses a lot of sets: encyclopedias, among others, again as decorating objects, not seeing them as books to be read. Both these show up on the cover (sets) and back cover (white books). I also don't like that he attaches pictures to the front of the bookshelves, even considering this a favorite trick of his; this is shown on both front and back covers. Another problem is his use of the word needlepoint to refer to some framed doilies which are lace and probably crochet (it's hard to tell for sure), and another of embroidery, also called needlepoint. He should have used the specific words crochet (or lace) and embroidery, or just needlework. Needlepoint is a particular technique of needlework.
His chapters are: The Bold Standard (color), Good Bones (architectural details), Less ˃ More (minimalism), Eclectic Exuberance (using a lot of what you like), Night & Day (black & white or navy & white), Age Appropriate (decorating for children), Haute House (decorating based from fashion).
There are some helpful sidebars with decorating tips: Pattern Harmony, Hosting the Salon (a collection of pictures and other artworks on the wall), The Art of the Shelf (books and other things), Style Cues (let your favorite clothes be the start of decorating: patterns or not, what colors), Color Coordination (check all colors before painting, check how light changes affect colors), Change It Up (decorate simply and use accessories for children's current taste, easily changed), Special Treatment (window treatments).
Profile Image for Laianna.
458 reviews
April 22, 2021
I love the Corey Damen Jenkins design approach - “eclectic exuberance,” as he calls it - and I am inspired by this gorgeous portfolio of a coffee table book. I am sure that I will refer back to Design Remix again and again. I particularly loved the advice to turn to your own wardrobe for room theme inspiration (brilliant). My only critique is that I would have liked a bit more on rugs/flooring specifically, and I could have used a whole chapter on luxury bathrooms. This book does not go into detail on specific rooms or decor, but it does offer an excellent introduction to storytelling through interior design. I would recommend to anyone as captivated as I am by the author’s bold, vibrant aesthetic.
Profile Image for Dani.
223 reviews13 followers
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May 22, 2021
I’m not sure what I think of this one. It was fun to look through and Jenkins’s writing is good; I enjoyed his story (an intersection of his own determination with the kindness of others) and he has clear inspirations and vision. Many of the rooms are straight up gorgeous, but more than a few are impersonal and hotel-like — he includes some commercial spaces he designed, but I’m not referring to those — and a few of the rooms are simply unattractive. No doubt he has a clear design approach, though it’s way, way above my income bracket.

Not one I’ll want to own, but fun to look through anyway.
Profile Image for Sandra.
103 reviews
March 24, 2021
get inspired! been a fan of CDJ for several years and he is deserving of every accolade, along with his well-earned meteoric rise in the design world. this is filled with eloquent candor along side his talented visions of bold elegance made real. these are spaces your best self wants to live in. his wit, wisdom, kindness, humility, and generous spirit are evident as you get to know him through these pages. Check out the hardbound cover under the dust jacket - no detail overlooked!
876 reviews2 followers
January 21, 2022
For people who love color and cheerful yet glamorous spaces, also for fans of the designs of Jamie Drake (who wrote the foreword), Anthony Baratta and David Hicks. This is a fun book showcasing Jenkins’ designs, not exactly a how-to but a celebration of traditional (Some might say transitional) style with some great tips. My favorite design book of recent memory!
Profile Image for Nadia.
430 reviews38 followers
May 13, 2021
Bold, colorful, and inspirational interiors along with lots of practical tips. This would make an excellent coffee table book!
Profile Image for Karen.
234 reviews3 followers
February 3, 2022
If you love traditional design, but want to see gorgeous ways to live with it in modern life, check out this book. Joyful use of color!
Profile Image for LD.
666 reviews
August 25, 2023
Really love this take on traditional/ eclectic style.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews