What's in Their Library: Michael Devine

In my humble opinion, Michael Devine designs some of the freshest fabrics around. The charming, breezy prints- hand stenciled and hand printed- have garnered many fans including Charlotte Moss and Aerin Lauder. Not one to let grass grow beneath his feet, Devine also owns and manages a popular design shop in Kinderhook, New York.

The Kinderhook home of Devine and his partner Thomas Burak was recently profiled in Domino magazine, and their amazing library was prominently featured on the first page of the article. After seeing that collection of books, I knew Michael would provide us with an interesting list of his favorite books. Of course decoration books feature prominently in this list, but Michael also included a few books on gardens as well as a smattering of French classics. I hope you find some inspiration from this list as I have.

(To read my post on Devine's fabric line, click here.)



À la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust. Everything but everything is examined in detail: life, love, art, food, and music; a rich exhaustive work that is endlessly inspiring.

Flair for Living by Charlotte Moss. Charlotte's latest oeuvre is more than fabulous photography of exquisite rooms; I feel it's the most intimate of the books she's written to date. I fell in love with it the minute I read her definition of luxury: breathing.


Visions of Paradise by Marina Schinz. I can spend hours with this book in the winter months dreaming up new combinations for my own garden.


House and Garden Complete Guide to Interior Decoration; 5th Edition, 1953. A great reference book of classic decorator style- post war.


La Decoration Pierre Levallois, editor. For those days when I need a dose of ormalu and Louis furniture.


La Petite Maison by Jean-Francois de Bastide. The Little House is an 18th c. treaty in creating the most sensual and seductive environment for pleasure possible.




Kitchen Gardens of France by Louisa Jones. This book was the book of choice when I designed my own Jardin du Cure.

Colefax and Fowler: Interior Inspiration by Roger Banks-Pye. Pye is the master of the blue and white rooms- I often refer to it when I design my fabric collection.



Interiors by Minn Hogg. Minn Hogg and the World of Interiors together forever, a must for any design library.



The Personality of a House by Emily Post. The instructions for the French seam slipcovers make the book invaluable; the description of the way to run a house is good for a giggle.