"To be the best, you have to work with the best!" is one of Roger Banks-Pye's favorite sayings. Banks-Pye's book Interior Inspirations allows you to do just that -- "work" alongside one of London's preeminent interior decorators, a fixture at the venerable firm of Colefax and Fowler . Started in the 1930's, the company is known for its "18th-century country house" interiors, as well as its fabrics and wallpapers, sold in the US through Cowtan & Tout.
While the book portrays a wide variety of projects through hundreds of photographs, and gives many examples of Banks-Pye's unique and often irreverent design style, my favorite thing about it are the curtains and shades, which are simple yet beautiful. (I'm not a fan of overly decorated windows, no dripping jabots and fringes for me, thank you very much!) This book has "inspired" several window treatment designs over the years (it was first published in 1997), and I often bring it with me to client meetings.
In short, it's a must-have for any design library.
