Nancy Braithwaite - (Hardcover)

About the Book

Braithwaite takes the reader deep into her singular vision. Divided into five sections, the book begins with her manifesto on simplicity and the aspects of design used to achieve it, including architecture, scale, color, texture, pattern, and composition. She then presents three categories of style--country, classic, and contemporary--and explains and illustrates each with iconic rooms from her portfolio. Finally, she presents several houses as case studies, displaying the power of these principles in action and emphasizing the importance of craftsmanship in design.

Book Synopsis

Interior designer Nancy Braithwaite's long-awaited first book is a striking tutorial in the power of simplicity in design. In the world of interior design, Nancy Braithwaite is known for her single-minded devotion to the principle that has guided her work for more than forty years: simplicity. Braithwaite's work is luxuriously minimalist, its beauty inextricably tied to its Shaker-like purity. While her work varies from art deco to country, the underlying rules remain the same: every element should strive to be simple and powerful without compromise, and every room must have a level of power that comes from commanding scale, repetition of elements, subtleties of color, or the sheer beauty of forms. In Braithwaite's world, excess is not opulent. Simplicity is opulent. Braithwaite takes the reader deep into her singular vision. Divided into five sections, the book begins with her manifesto on simplicity and the aspects of design used to achieve it, including architecture, scale, color, texture, pattern, and composition. She then presents three categories of style--country, classic, and contemporary--and explains and illustrates each with iconic rooms from her portfolio. Finally, she presents several houses as case studies, displaying the power of these principles in action and emphasizing the importance of craftsmanship in design, from a stunning modern seaside retreat on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, to her unforgettable country house in Atlanta.

Review Quotes

A New York Times Best Seller!

"...interior designer Nancy Braithwaite's first book Simplicity is a striking tutorial in the power of simplicity in design. Divided into five sections, the book begins with her manifesto on simplicity and the aspects of design used to achieve it...she presents several houses as case studies, displaying the power of these principles in action and emphasizing the importance of craftsmanship in design..." -Editor at Large

"...guaranteed to inspire just about every corner of your life. Seeing the luxurious restraint of a room designed by Nancy Braithwaite is enough to make even a maximalist consider paring down. It's no wonder her first book is one the design world has been breathlessly awaiting for years. Readers can delve deep into her guiding principles of simplicity with a particular focus on craftsmanship in design, or just flip through the images and drool." -One King's Lane

"...Simplicity features page after glorious page of her stunning work, with a diverse showcase of homes-- classic to contemporary--beautifully photographed." --Southern Seasons

"Required for fall reading" -Veranda

"...a stunning assemblage of rooms created with extraordinary form, color and shape." -Papercity

"The 296-page book is filled to the brim with breathtaking images of both interior and exterior spaces, but it also provides a thought-provoking narrative that helps readers understand the principles that work together to pack a powerful visual punch...this is a book that will not only look beautiful on the coffee table but also will provide hours of serious contemplation..." -Indulge Magazine

"She's a minimalist designer, but Nancy's work is far from sterile. Her iconic and distinctive taste is beautifully mapped out on 295 pages with peeks and insights into her rules of design and architecture. We love that dotted cover too." -Southern Living

"Positively elegant in every way" -Bask

"The 296-page book is filled to the brim with breathtaking images of both interior and exterior spaces, but it also provides a thought-provoking narrative that helps readers understand the principles that work together to pack a powerful visual punch... this is a book that will not only look beautiful on the coffee table but also will provide hours of serious contemplation about architecture and composition, as well as color, pattern and texture and the incorporation of art and crafts." -Star-Telegram

About the Author

Nancy Braithwaite started her acclaimed Atlanta interior design firm in 1969. Over her forty-plus-year career, her work has graced the pages of numerous shelter magazines. Dara Caponigro is the former editor-in-chief of Veranda and the founding editor of Domino.