Rose Cumming : Design Inspiration

If you've been following my blog for a while, you already know that I collect vintage design books.  It's so fun to look through these books to see that some of the decor elements that are trendy right now were popular and on the cutting edge of design decades ago.  When I was given the opportunity to review "Rose Cumming: Design Inspiration",  I jumped at the chance!

Rose Cumming, Elsie  de Wolfe, Syrie Maugham, (and later Dorothy Draper) defined the profession of Interior Decorator around the turn of the century.  Rose's design style was the most flamboyant. She took big risks with bold color and pattern both in the rooms she decorated and in her own legendary shop in New York City.

Rose Cumming loved beautiful things.  And she didn't discriminate. She was as happy to sell a beautiful empty candy box as she was to sell a pedigreed crystal chandelier. Could this have been  the beginning of the high/low mix we still love today?

The image above is Rose Cumming's Music Room in her New York apartment.  She loved to combine jewel tones with dirty colors in the same way that nature displays the gemstones that come out of the earth. 

The image above is Rose Cumming's legendary drawing room.  She also used a lot of Chinoiserie elements, saturated color and satin fabrics.  Note the mix of furniture styles and the mirrors.  She loved some sparkle!

A stairwell by Rose Cumming featuring a Chinoiserie wallpaper mural

Drama is created in a hallway with an oversize Pagoda sculpture set against mirrored walls.

The book also includes some  images of Rose's fabulous hand blocked fabrics and design sample boards she did for clients.

Thank you to Jessica Napp at Rizzoli for giving me the opportunity to review Rose Cumming: Design Inspiration.  If you are equally enamored of the great lady decorators of the early 20th century, you'll want to add this book to your collection!

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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