Galerie Half - by Cameron Smith (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Lauded by FT's How to Spend It as "one of the world's best antique and vintage furniture stores," Galerie Half offers a stylish blend of twentieth-century design, European antiques, and eclectic rarities.

A favorite purveyor to the Los Angeles design cognoscenti, Galerie Half is imbued with a sense of timeless imperfection. Pieces from disparate design traditions converge seamlessly in a single room: a bleached Gustavian daybed is flanked by a Roman statue, a Venetian mirror reflects African masks, and a rustic farmhouse table is framed by caned chairs. Galerie Half is talented at constructing such diverse compositions. A vivid hue can create synchronicity between the timeworn patina of a glazed terracotta planter and the softened leather of an Advocat and Press chair by Le Corbusier-Pierre Jeanneret. A monochromatic palette of contrasting textures can ground a room, creating harmony between luxurious and humble materials, or signed and anonymous designs. Similarly, complementary shapes can provide balance--the horizontal stripes on a Finnish floor lamp echo those in Marcel Breuer's 1932 armchair, and the seductive curve of Carlo Mollino's Suora lamp mimics that of Rick Owens's marble stool. The genius of Galerie Half and the celebrity homes that they have appointed lies in this artful curation of individual elements with soul.

The transcendent gallery is a haven for Los Angeles interior designers and star Hollywood clientele, including Ellen DeGeneres, Amanda and Jason Bateman, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham.

Review Quotes

"This exquisite book is a showcase of my very favorite store...ever! It's not just a coffee table book...it's a piece of art." --Actress Courtney Cox

"Over the past decade, Galerie Half has emerged as one of the premier vintage design galleries in Los Angeles. Its Melrose Arts District storefront regularly attracts such high-profile clients as Ellen DeGeneres, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who have leaned on his expertise to help furnish The Row's boutiques with rare, timeworn furnishings that impart a restrained elegance in dialogue with the garments. The mélange of luxurious and humble touches is palpable in the gallery, where a home-like ethos pervades for both himself and his tight-knit team of nine. While no two visits to Galerie Half are the same, Smith has spent the past four years documenting the hundreds of pieces that have cycled through the gallery for his first-ever book. Galerie Half: Selected Works/Spaces, out through Flammarion this month, journeys through the world's design traditions from the eyes of a seasoned curator who seems to make them all coexist harmoniously." -- SURFACE

"As a purveyor of 20th-century design, Galerie Half is considered one of the best antique and vintage furniture shops in the country. This volume is a love letter to designer enthusiasts with a curated collection of interiors that celebrate one-of-a-kind antiques." --VERANDA

About the Author

Cameron Smith is a collector and cofounder of Galerie Half. Kathleen and Tommy Clements run Clements Design. Rosa Park is the cofounder and editor in chief of Cereal magazine and founding director of Francis Gallery. Shade Degges, a lifestyle photographer, regularly contributes to Architectural Digest.