Our Winner in the Venetian Interiors Rizzoli Book Giveaway Contest

Happy July 4th! We hope you're enjoying your day off, your BBQ fun, and your annual dose of fireworks. We know that Sheffield Says reader and Complete Course in Interior Design student Katy Hahn will be having a good time today because she just won our recent contest, and she's the recipient of the new Rizzoli book Venetian Interiors by Giuseppe Molteni and Roberta Motta, with text by Nicoletta Del Buono. (Visit Katy's website for her blog and interior design services.) Here's Katy's winning comment, a description of why the following room was her favorite (and the favorite of most people who voted in our Venetian Interiors - Pick Your Favorite Interior contest).  

I loved Venetian Interiors 5. I appreciated the architectural detailing and how the different textures gave depth to the room. I liked the spash of color on the neutral backround. I found the mood of the room to be calm and sophisticated yet warm and inviting. I loved the patina styled doors and the bust of the woman juxtaposed at the doorway as if to greet her guests. What I love most about this room is the wall with patterned glass doors and windows that goes all the way to the ceiling. I love how it floods the room with natual light and brings the outdoor beauty in.

These next two interiors gathered the second and third highest vote tallies in our contest.

Thank you to everyone who voted and left comments on their favorite rooms, and congratulations again to Katy!

If you're interested in learning more about interior design and decor, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

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Vote in Our "Venetian Interiors" Book Giveaway

Don't you love to snoop inside other people's homes? We certainly do, and the new Rizzoli book Venetian Interiors (Giuseppe Molteni and Roberta Motta, with text by Nicoletta Del Buono) takes us inside 15 of the most amazing private homes in Venice. We're treated to Italian interiors that light up the pages of this amazing coffee table book - from a blue-and-white palazzeto and a fabric designer's converted lumber warehouse to the home of a DJ who has filled his elegant rooms with high-tech electronics, frescoed ceilings, and rocaille wood paneling. 

Win a Free Copy of Venetian Interiors

So here's the drill.

• First, vote for your favorite Venetian interior from ten of our Sheffield School favorites (we could have picked dozens of favorites, but we drew the line at ten) - the voting survey follows the ten photos below. 
• Second, leave a comment on what you see and why you love the different design elements in the interior that you voted for. What makes it your favorite? What are you drawn to? What's been done particularly well? What mood does this interior convey? (And so on.) 

We'll select a winner from a random drawing of all our entrants at the end of the day on Friday, July 15. We'll contact that lucky person via email to confirm, then we'll announce the Venetian Interiors book winner on Monday, June 18, along with the top three Venetian interiors based on everyone's votes. Good luck! (All photos below are by photographer Giuseppe Molteni, copyright 2012 RCS Libri S.p.A., Milan.)

Venetian Interiors 1

Venetian Interiors 2

Venetian Interiors 3

Venetian Interiors 4

Venetian Interiors 5

Click to read more ...

Bookmarked!

(courtesy of Assouline)For many students, it’s back to school this week and in keeping with the school rush, we’re exploring great bookstores. A true interior designer always has an arsenal of inspirational design books at her fingertips.  But where does one go to find good design books?  An automatic answer, of course, is Amazon. But if you don’t really know what you’re looking for or if you don’t have a title or author – the website could turn difficult to use.  You may actually want to browse through some bookshelves for some guiding light. 

Here are some of my favorite bookstores to browse around on a lazy afternoon.  In New York, we have Strand Books, Potterton Books, and McNally Jackson. 

Click to read more ...

Free Book Give-Away...Design Duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby

British designers, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, have brought together their diverse and exciting designs into a collector’s book: The Design Work of Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.    

The design duo has wide roots in design – Barber studied interior design and Osgerby furniture and industrial design in undergrad. They both finished their graduate work in architecture from the Royal College of Art in London and quickly became immersed in the design of furniture and accessories. 

Starting with their first success, the Loop Table (see photo above), Barber and Osgerby recount the origins of their designs and the development from idea to manufactured product. The book traces by theme the inspiration behind each of their successful designs. Included are preliminary sketches, models, and snapshots of works in progress. Many of their furniture and product designs have subsequently been produced by international companies such as Cappellini, Vitra, and Sony. 

The Design Work of Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby is published by Rizzoli and will be released on April 19^th, 2011. 

FREE BOOK GIVE-AWAY: Sheffield School is joining forces with interior design blog Design2Share in a special pre-release drawing for a free copy of this beautiful, design-rich book. To enter, leave a comment on this post, and tell us in one or two sentences: "My favorite piece of designer furniture is..." - and tell us why you love it so much! The deadline for entries is April 15, 2011.

Barber and Osgerby