I've become a bit obsessed with Thomas Britt lately. I remember seeing the crazy pied-a-terre he did for Elizabeth and Clarke Swanson, parents of the chicest girls in the universe, Claiborne Swanson Frank (photographer), Veronica Swanson Beard (half of the dynamic duo behind Veronica Beard), and Alexis Swanson Traina (creative director of her family's Swanson Vineyards) a couple of years ago in Architectural Digest and it was love at first sight for me. You can just see where these girls get their liberated yet refined cool girl style. Britt uses color with wild abandon. And it is crazy but, yet, it's super traditional at the same time. I love it!
I just got his book, Fabulous! The Dazzling Interiors of Thomas Britt, and I can't stop studying it. When you get it and start to flip through it, you start to recognize all of the other interiors he did and you begin to realize that he has quietly amassed one of the best resumés in the business. And, what's more, his decorating style truly allows the personality of the client show through. The only unifying factor, often, seems to me to be the bold use of fabulous color, a sense of daring, and exceptional execution.
The lead photo is probably my favorite. This blue and white striped den was done in 1998!! I know, I know!! Blue and white stripes are timeless. But, I associate them with the current trend and with Billy Baldwin's and Albert Hadley's chic late sixties and early seventies vibe. I love that Britt was doing them at at a time when no one else was.
The other thing I love about the book is that Britt did a number of homes in the 1990s. And, while that decade is not currently my favorite, I have lived long enough to know that all things come back around. I am so glad to have this reference book in my library.
Books are my favorite gift to give and to receive. Grab it here at Rizzoli or here at Amazon!
