Aerin Lauder: Living with Flowers

Great gift idea!

I only bought this book for the magnificent antique Chinese hand-painted wallpaper and the Meissen mounted bird on the cover. Exquisite. This paper was in her apartment when she bought it, so no talent was involved in choosing it. Now for what is good and what is sad about this book.This is a vanity project, no doubt about it. Aerin is featured on every third page, striking a pose. I really didn't want to see her, I wanted to see the decor, whoever decorated it (not her). This woman only strikes a pose, there is never a genuine smile, (which, any psychologist will tell you, always involves the eyes). I have never seen her teeth! When she's not personally in the photo, framed posed professional photos of her and Estee abound (if you know what Estee looks like, these photos are so heavily photoshopped it actually makes her good looking). I also found it puzzling that she is celebrating Christmas. I have two other books of hers (our local library sold donated copies for $2 each). She actually has Christmas trees in those! Thankfully, she has only decorated with Christmas greenery in this one. There were also only books as props in evidence, which I find appalling. There is one photo of the magnificent landscaping of the Palm Beach estate with a fabulous gate. Instead of letting this beauty stand by itself, she had to insert herself, and hawk the designer of her dress! She also hawks her product line, and Estee Lauder. The flower arrangements pictured throughout the book are nice, but not really inspiring. Some are just a few flowers thrown in a vase. She has also been quite "inspired", shall we say, by Carolyne Roehm's books, which in my opinion, are the best ever. They will never be topped. I would highly recommend all Carolyne's books. She actually decorates her own homes, grows her own flowers, and has the most exquisite taste and is truly talented.Aerin is indeed fortunate that Estee hired the Best WASP decorators that money could buy, and slavishly copied and followed the rules of that decor. The heirlooms are exquisite, the silver is magnificent, and this book is a prime directive on high WASP decorating, which is the most beautiful ever. The fabulous dining room on the cover, and a tapestry room, walls covered in, yes, tapestry, with a wonderful red silk damask Knole sofa, and solid William and Mary furniture, is to die for. It looks straight out of an English Castle. It's all wonderful. If you love high WASP decorating, which I do. since my family is WASP and decorated in this style, you will be in love with these rooms, and love the work of whomever decorated them.

The large format book is nicely produced, with a quality cover and binding, as you would expect from Rizzoli. The pages are glossy, ensuring very high quality printing of all the photos. Some of the pages are printed, brief essays that I have yet to read. What disappoints are the photos of floral arrangements which are often simple (like two or three blooms in a narrow vase). The photos in the Amazon listing promise you so much more in florals. However the book is really a catalog of ornate rooms, with a good many photos of the author (fine for her fans but to me, seems like a level of vanity). So turning the pages, skimpy floral, skimpy floral, shot of the author, a shot of floral wallpaper, a shot of floral fabric, another photo of the author, a place setting with a small floral in a vase, yet another photo of the author…high quality book but too expensive to be a disappointment. That is my opinion, you may find the book more appealing with its focus on decorating and on the author.

disappointing at best.....a vanity project......