Printed Matter: My favorite book covers

Books and magazines are my lifesavers when decorating a room. My nature is compulsively matchy-matchy when it comes to choosing colors for fabrics, rugs and paint in a room, so I've come to rely on "my stuff" to make it all appear less perfectly put together. Sometimes art on the walls or a pillow in an odd color can do the trick, but mostly I rely on printed materials both old and new to add both personal style and a more realistic lived-in feeling. I never grow tired of my books, they're relatively affordable and the array of colors to choose from is endless. Here is my Hall of Fame of great "decorating" book covers:

The first time I saw this book I wanted it right away, but when I went online to buy it, it was a fortune. I found it years later for sale on a sidewalk on the Upper West Side. It was $1.

I went to Taryn's show at Gagosian Gallery in LA a few years ago. I loved the show. And I found this catalogue irresistible. It's front and center in my living room.

This picture captures everything I love most about DVF. She's an empowered woman who exudes self assurance and freedom. 

Francesco is one of my favorite painters and this is my favorite catalogue of his - partly because of the exquisite watercolors inside and partly because of the vivid purple looks so good on top of a book pile.

I found this at the JCrew "Liquor Store" in Tribeca when it first opened. I love the old school men's vibe, and you can't help but pick it up and look through it.

This is a book about Wimbledon. I bought it solely for the chic 70's preppy cover. Reminds me of my childhood summers in Palm Beach.

This is a fantastic book both inside and out. I'm sure a lot of designers have used it for inspiration, especially Nicolas Ghesquiere. If you like the 70's, you must buy it. Mine lives at our surfer-y beach house in Long Island.