Cullman & Kravis, an AD100 Hall of Fame design firm, creates interiors in a fresh traditional style that celebrates color, unique furnishings and finishes, vibrant modern art, and the best antiques. This is their most comprehensive book in many years and celebrates a renowned firm working at the peak of its forty-year practice.

Ceaseless in its pursuit to create “an alchemy of old and new,” the highly esteemed firm of Cullman & Kravis is renowned for its ability to fashion modern, cohesive, richly layered homes rooted in tradition and the respect for function and decoration. Utilizing their decades of experience, they build out rooms from the finest classical foundations, then infuse bold, stylish, and modish elements, mixing exquisite antiques with contemporary art to create truly dynamic spaces conceived to stand the test of time.

The homes in this book (the majority exclusive to the volume) include sumptuous Manhattan apartments, a historic house overlooking the Long Island Sound, a contemporary beach house in the Hamptons, and a modern minimalist Palm Beach waterfront estate. Cullman & Kravis explain their approach to each, from the big picture of client preference to the smallest detail. In the process, they deliver a master class in twenty-first-century design that covers such topics as: creative solutions for imparting personality, texture, and shine, with carpets, fabrics, and finishes; when to use custom furniture and artisanal/craft/art pieces; and when to embellish with standout details and when to keep things subtle.

With spectacular photography from Eric Piasecki, this volume will be a must-have for every enthusiast of interior design.

About the Authors:

Founded in 1984, the firm Cullman & Kravis is currently led by founding partner Ellie Cullman; she is now joined by full partners Lee Cavanaugh, Sarah Ramsey, and Alyssa Urban. The firm has been included on the AD100 list every year since 2000 and is named an Elle Decor Titan. Cullman was given the Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award by the New York School of Interior Design. Judith Nasatir is an independent design writer who has authored dozens of design books.

This comprehensive, hands-on guide to interior design from Cullman & Kravis, a prominent New York decorating firm, offers a broad spectrum of solutions for integrating architecture, art, and antiques into living spaces that are comfortable, functional, and stylish. As Ellie Cullman writes reassuringly in her introduction: “If the very thought of decorating your home sends you into a tailspin, you can relax. Creating a beautiful, comfortable environment is not a simple process, but it need not be an overwhelming experience.”

In this generously illustrated handbook, Mrs Cullman and her colleague and co-author Tracey Pruzan share the basic principles followed by Cullman & Kravis when they work with clients, whether they are renovating an existing house or building a new one. The authors clearly demonstrate that decorating a home is a rational process that can be followed by anyone willing to learn.

Step by step, they answer the questions and solve the problems associated with every type of project, illustrating the explanations with case studies of actual designs, hundreds of tips, and full-color photographs of completed rooms and details of wall surfaces, rugs, and textiles.