Barbara Barry: Around Beauty

I really did enjoy this book but in some ways I was dissapointed. Here's why... I was left yearing for more interior room pictures, and specifically more photos of the whole room. While the photos are very beautiful the shots included in the book are often only part of the room, like a vignette on a table or corner of the room. I really wanted to be able to see the whole room and understand how elements within the room were balanced but there are very few whole room shots. Additionally, this book has about 315 pages... with about 200 or so photos BUT more than half the photos, while pretty, are not interior room shots but instead represent her design inspiration source. For example, there is a two page photo spread of just her paintbrushes (really? and who cares?!), photos of a leaf, flowers, shoes etc... The inspiration shots were way overdone. My husband said "if you're not happy with the book, why don't you return it?"... sigh... because what little you can see is just so beautiful I can't give it up...Here's an update to my original review... while initially I rated this book only four stars, I have changed the rating to five stars. I must admit though I had yearned for more pictures of whole interiors initially I actually have picked this book up over and over again rereading all the text several times and lingering over the beautiful pictures. It is a decorating book with a different approach and now that I have laid aside my original expectations, I am totally captivated. I have even been inspired to buy myself some nice water color paints and brushes :)

This is a thoughtful, elegantly written and beautifully photographed tome that adopts an unconventional approach to an interior design book. Barbara Barry is a real aesthete who has the gift of seeing beauty in almost everything, such as the aftermath of a dinner party, to which she devotes one of her vignettes, entitled "An elegant mess". Barry doesn't go into great detail on how she achieves her admirable results, but shares her sensitive attitude to the world around her and her enthusiasm for those special, sometimes almost imperceptible details that make for great design. The influence of nature on her design work is palpable, reflected in her beautifully understated rooms with their soft, restful palettes. She obviously has her favourite fabrics - a gorgeous cut velvet -, accessories - a crystal globe on a miniature stand -, and lighting of her own design that she uses repeatedly in different projects, but they never become monotonous. The only criticism that could be levelled at Barry's work is that it is perhaps almost too tasteful - but this is obviously what her clients want, and she goes to great lengths to achieve the desired results. One has the feeling that she decorates every home as if it were her own. What greater sign of dedication than that? I would recommend this book to anyone who loves subtle, gentle colours and sensual forms, and anyone willing to have their eyes opened to the sources of inspiration that are all around us, but perhaps not immediately obvious.

I adore Barbara Barry - I remember my first encounter with her work so vividly - reaching for a covered sugar bowl that was part of her Musical Chairs collection for Wedgwood named for the beautiful silhouettes of some of her famous chairs. The black dipped tip of the cover thrilled me then as it does now. In her book, Barry articulates the creative process that is behind her soothing but still interesting aesthetic. It is zeitgeisty to classify design as mod, traditional or eclectic (such a kind word for thoughtless - just kidding people!) but Barry's work has that rare quality of unfussy, timelessness because of how attuned she seems with natural beauty but thankfully eludes knobbly rusticity or the overextended crumply, distress metaphor. She strikes that unusual balance of uncluttered simplicity with genuine delight in attention to beautiful details that she happily melds to form emphatically livable spaces - a merry mélange of books, art, flowers and food. A good designer creates beautiful things but a great designer evokes beauty and this book is no exception to Barbara Barry's pattern of excellent design.

Barbara Barry is one of the great designers of our time and if you take the time to read this book and stop and think it will give you a wonderful experience on life . I love beauty in every form and always thought I was seeing but Barbara truly teaches you how to see . Please do not miss this opportunity. I will give this book to my daughter and granddaughters .

I received this book about 10 days ago and have been savoring it, a few pages a day, ever since. This is a book you don't want to rush through, as the photography is exquisite and Barbara Barry's writing is succinct, thoughtful, and deliberate, just the way she designs her rooms. My own home is filled with antiques and in general I don't like modern design, but Barry creates such ethereal environments that they transcend labels like "traditional," "mid-century," or "modern." I am paying her the highest compliment when I say that reading this book makes me want to start decorating my house all over again. I especially appreciate her subtle and harmonious color palettes, a welcome antidote to today's brash color schemes.If you are passionate about great interior design, buy this book. You will enjoy this journey into the mind of an artist and master.

As a designer, I have been told I had a 'Barbara Barry' flair. This was before I even knew who she was. Then when I saw her work and designs I was so humbled to even be included in her category. I have over the years followed her career in furnishings, fabric, etc..This book was such a personal glimpse into the woman herself and gives such an intimate look at the emotional creation of her design process.Around Beauty is such an appropriate title. Artists and designers see our world a bit differently and Barbara is both.There really is a kindred spirit amongst designers who strive to put the beauty of our surroundings into a space and Barbara was able to do this so eloquently.This book is a must read for those who take design seriously.

This is a wonderfully produced book, quality production, stunning photographs - and expensive. So I was disappointed that there is so little text - I read it all in one afternoon. I had expected to be given some advice and tips on how to use Barbara Barry's interior design processes in one's own home, but there are none explicitly given. To extract her thoughts and processes this book has to be read with a notebook and pen (or other device) at your side to make notes as you progress through the text. The principles are there, but it is up to the reader to recognise and extract them. I found good tips from Barbara Barry on an Oprah Winfrey web page, (which prompted me to buy the book) so she can give them, a pity she did not devote an extra chapter to them in this book.

One comes away from these type of books with such fresh and interesting ideas that one would really need to build on more rooms to one's original home , so as to acommodate such ideas .It is also lovely to be able to step into someones' home to see what they have achieved as a room .

would rather have seen more of this talented woman's work than simply readingabout her....Victoria Hagan's book shows her beautiful work, and has page after pageshowcasing her talent.......Not enough of that in this one from Barbara Barry.

Bought as a present for my daughter, this book is now being read by my partner as well.Wayne