Jeffrey Bilhuber’s Design Basics
by habituallychic
07 . 28 . 08
I’ve had a few people ask me to recommend a good design book for the non-professional and I never had a good suggestion until I came across Jeffrey Bilhuber’s Design Basics. It’s well written and gives great advice on how the design process works whether you’re working with a professional or doing it yourself. And as you can see by the examples here, Bilhuber knows of what he speaks. Oh, and he’s Anna Wintour’s interior designer. She wrote the foreword to his book and you know if she stands behind someone, they’ve got to be good! He also has a new book coming out this October, Defining Luxury: The Qualities of Life at Home. I know I for one can’t wait!
“Jeffrey’s totally American with a candor and lively spirit embraces whatever he does in a very attractive way.” – Albert Hadley
” Jeffrey’s great at taking one’s own taste and making it better.” – Anna Wintour
“Jeffrey Bilhuber’s interiors have the all-American elegance of a latter day Billy Baldwin.” – Hamish Bowles
“He has a sensitivity, trying to get a sense of clients of what they really like and how they live, and a sense of proportion and comfort.” – Elsa Peretti
“I feel that I have lived here forever and that we’ve done it ourselves. That’s due to Jeffrey’s gift for listening and taking everything and everyone, in.” – Mariska Hargitay
“Bilhuber has the ability to make complicated things seem simple and to translate difficult ideas with clarity and wit.” – Miguel Flores-Vianna
“Bilhuber works a polished American style that makes traditionalism look like the next great trend.” – Sarah Medford
“She wanted something with a modern sensibility but didn’t want to turn her back on the past.” – Jeffrey Bilhuber
“I just feel so lucky.” – Andrea Stark
12 Comments
Thanks for the tip and the link! I’ve ordered the book and look forward to perusing it.
What gorgeous rooms! Really enjoyed this post – lots to take in. Tracey
he’s goooood.
Just love those brown walls!
dunno, seems not that extraordinary. a tad above normal interior designers, meaning people who fancy themselves as “designers” or “decorators”. none of the images stick to my mind afterwards, unlike some of the other things you’ve profiled over the year.
doesn’t matter a whit if anna wintour or whoever loves their work.
Jeffrey is in the air! I just posted his peacock room. Thanks for sharing his book with us.
He is wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
Have to say that I agree with Candace Guardini. All of these rooms look “done” by an interior designer, and they are a notch above average, but I don’t find any of them compelling.
The strongest rooms in these pictures are the ones with bold architectural features — extra large windows, arched windows, big stone fireplaces.
I like his tailored style very much. The only thing keeping me from ordering the book, and maybe you can cast some light on this, are the less than stellar reviews about the quality of the photos. Can you speak to that? I’d love to have this book. He’s up there with Miles Redd in my book.
Love it, off to order my own copy!
I find all the spaces luxurious as well as easy to live with.
does anyone know who the artist is that painted the picture of the wolf in the second picture of this post?
Jeffrey Bilhuber is hands down my favorite designer since Billy Baldwin. I talk about both of them quite a bit on my own blog. Keep sharing their amazing work and I will do the same!