Style by Saladino

Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous Style - Satisfying Substance
Review: As a budding designer, I purchased this book in order to gain a more intimate look at one very gifted man's inspirations and approach to design. This book delivers the goods on two levels. Saladino's insights are personal, insightful and educational, and the accompanying photos are spectacular. There aren't any "tricks of the trade" here, but what you will find are the foundational principals behind Saladino's definition of good design. Be forewarned - Like any great artist, Saladino has some strong opinions. But that is exactly why I bought the book. I was looking for his thoughts and his opinions - I was not looking for a "Design 1-2-3" book. His book has helped me further advance my own personal design approach (which is not a clone of Saladino's), and take my art to a new level. I would recommend the book to those who either love Saladino's look, or those who want to explore some deeper issues about style, design and inspiration.

Rating:
Summary: This book changed my life
Review: I can see why this book might not be for everyone, but as a designer, I have enjoyed it. I have trouble understanding the reviewer who thought the writing sounded snobbish or felt the book was simply for the wealthy. Understand his principles of design, and you can use those to do a great room with low-cost IKEA furniture if you want to.

Rating:
Summary: Poor Man with pictures and taste
Review: I would enjoy meeting John S. to see if his writings and taste are as 'stuck up' as he comes across in the book. It's another book of any individual bragging about the realm of being rich.

Rating:
Summary: Chock full of foundational design principals
Review: John Saladino is a world-renown interior designer for good reason--check out this book and you will see why. This is an outstanding resource--the text and photos are very compliemntary and do a good job illustrating foundational design principles. As a professional in the industry I highly recommend this book to design students and practitioners alike--as well as anyone interested in refining their visual vocabulary. (The person who gave this book a negative review is just jealous.)

Rating:
Summary: Elegant
Review: John Saladino is often referred to as the "designer's designer" and I have followed with pleasure his designs from the 1980s through until today. I have also had the pleasure of visiting more than one Saladino interior and showhouse room on multiple occasions, as well as his showroom in New York, and can say with certainty that the images in the book don't begin to capture what they are in reality and how important the quality of light is on the materials selected. While I was a little disappointed with the way the images appear in this book (the paper stock doesn't seem conducive to showing the interiors at their best compared to glossy magazines), I have seen many of the same rooms in truly glossy publications many a time and they are stunning and always refreshing for their bold and assured mixing of antique and ornate with simple and modern (and if the negative reviewer below read the text he would know that Mr. Saladino appreciates objects for their beauty no matter their pedigree -- even simple things that aren't expensive mixed with long time precious treasures [one of his design signatures found again and again, for instance, is to use scientific volumetric flasks used as long-necked vases with a single delphinium -- total price, about $13-$26, including the flower]). Thumb through and enjoy the pictures, but also read the text and you will get an education in design like nowhere else, and be able to apply it to your own space and life and even the way you see. I was somewhat underwhelmed with the images (again due to the dullish paper stock) but the text was wonderfully informed (and didn't come off as snobbish at all to this reader). If you can find old issues of Architectural Digest (in which Saladino NEVER appears anymore for years and years, probably because he didn't kiss up to Paige Rense and often shows his interiors in competitors House Beautiful, House & Garden, etc.) you are in for a treat, but better still, in this book you're in for an education.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Picture Book - But Read the Text
Review: John Saladino is often referred to as the "designer's designer" and I have followed with pleasure his designs from the 1980s through until today. I have also had the pleasure of visiting more than one Saladino interior and showhouse room on multiple occasions, as well as his showroom in New York, and can say with certainty that the images in the book don't begin to capture what they are in reality and how important the quality of light is on the materials selected. While I was a little disappointed with the way the images appear in this book (the paper stock doesn't seem conducive to showing the interiors at their best compared to glossy magazines), I have seen many of the same rooms in truly glossy publications many a time and they are stunning and always refreshing for their bold and assured mixing of antique and ornate with simple and modern (and if the negative reviewer below read the text he would know that Mr. Saladino appreciates objects for their beauty no matter their pedigree -- even simple things that aren't expensive mixed with long time precious treasures [one of his design signatures found again and again, for instance, is to use scientific volumetric flasks used as long-necked vases with a single delphinium -- total price, about $13-$26, including the flower]). Thumb through and enjoy the pictures, but also read the text and you will get an education in design like nowhere else, and be able to apply it to your own space and life and even the way you see. I was somewhat underwhelmed with the images (again due to the dullish paper stock) but the text was wonderfully informed (and didn't come off as snobbish at all to this reader). If you can find old issues of Architectural Digest (in which Saladino NEVER appears anymore for years and years, probably because he didn't kiss up to Paige Rense and often shows his interiors in competitors House Beautiful, House & Garden, etc.) you are in for a treat, but better still, in this book you're in for an education.

Rating:
Summary: A generous, beautiful book
Review: This book is extremely generous in that Saladino doesn't prescribe a style, a period, a "look"; rather he shares his aesthetic, as a set of principles -- of organization, (symmetry) space, texture, color. I share his aesthetic values, so I personally loved this book. So must many others, judging by the influence he has had on so many designers. I have seen some of the wonderful photos of Saladino's rooms, as they have been previously published in the shelter magazines. But here they are organized and they illustrate the well-described principles. I have many design books -- this is by far the very best.

Rating:
Summary: One Man's Style
Review: Wow!John Saladino certainly has a following with other interior designers and I can certainly see why.His interiors are beautifully well done and tastefully presented;probably close to perfect. While I certainly admire his obvious talents and learned from his views,I find that the majority of his interior spaces leaves me cold.I think I expected this book to be more about the beauty,warmth and romance of country French interiors and perhaps a little charm of mixed European styles.There wasn't really much if any of that found.However,I enjoyed reading this book and loved the gardens and garden spaces he created with well thought out plans for ultimate comfort and relaxation.I gained some ideas for lighting which I will use.He is quite cleaver and absolutely creative but I don't understand his dislike of lamps.No doubt I can learn a lot from this book even though some of it will be what I don't want to do in my personal living space.I loved his "ancient" walls and was glad he described the technique used on them.If you have huge rooms to decorate this book will be extremely helpful. I'm happy to have the book but still it did not say to me "welcome" or satisfy my desire for the beauty of color,warmth and home fires.I am still looking for a book which fits that description.