I recently spent the most enjoyable evening reading Nicky Haslam's newly released (as in today!) book, Nicky Haslam's Folly De Grandeur: Romance and Revival in an English Country House. As most of you are probably aware, the book profiles the Hunting Lodge, Nicky's enchanting country house that once belonged to John Fowler. Perhaps it was the allure of these two designers that had me eagerly anticipating the release of this book. Whatever the reason, the book turned out to be exactly as I had hoped: interesting, inspirational, and hands down a fun read.
Nicky's book is charming and engaging for a number of reasons. First, he is an excellent writer, one who throws out all kinds of interesting historical tidbits and practical decorating advice along with humorous, and at times naughty, quips thrown in for good measure. For those of you who are eager to learn about Nicky's thoughts on fabrics, floors, and like, you won't be disappointed as he includes numerous chapters focused on such aspects of decorating. And if you are a devotee of the country house style, then you'll enjoy reading about the evolution of the house as well as studying the luscious photos of forty years worth of decorative layers.
In fact, even without Nicky's well-written narrative, the book would still be a success, I think, because of Simon Upton's photos. There are large room shots as well as many detail photos that capture all of Nicky's amusing and entertaining mementos. There is just so much to look at in this house- and this book- that one could spend hours studying these pictures. Wait, I did spend hours studying the book's pictures!
I'm not sure what Nicky's follow-up book is going to be, but whatever it is, I am eagerly awaiting that one too.
© Nicky Haslam's Folly De Grandeur: Romance and Revival in an English Country House by Nicholas Haslam, Rizzoli New York, 2013. Images © Simon Upton may not be reproduced in any way, published, or transmitted digitally without written permission from the publisher.
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