Axel Vervoordt: Stories and Reflections


Book Description

Eminent tastemaker Axel Vervoordt recounts the pivotal moments in his life that formed the foundation of his mindful philosophy and signature aesthetic. Axel Vervoordt is one of the world’s foremost tastemakers. Revered for his discerning eye in art and interior design through a career that has spanned more than fifty years, he is renowned for his captivating minimalist interiors. An iconic figure at the most prominent international art fairs and exhibitions, he incarnates a singular philosophy for how to live mindfully and with style. Axel recounts stories from the people who most influenced his life—his family, friends, patrons, artists, colleagues, clients, and unforgettable mentors—in this memoir that is personal, funny, insightful, and permeated with humility, wisdom, and lessons learned. He reflects on the key moments in his life—Rudolf Nureyev’s visit to the Vervoordts’ castle, Axel’s youthful acquisition (and subsequent sale) of a Magritte, his discovery of Japanese Gutai art, his legendary Venice exhibitions, and his experience working for notable clients and friends. He details his greatest successes and his personal regrets, while offering firsthand insight into the work that has forged his reputation. Axel is a larger-than-life and inspiring man, and this book offers snapshots from his life, painting an overall portrait of his guiding philosophy.




Axel Vervoordt: Portraits of Interiors


Book Description

Seventeen homes demonstrate how Axel Vervoordt incorporates nature, art, and timeless interiors to create living spaces that encourage self-reflection, inspiration, and happiness. For a half century, Axel Vervoordt's vision has been defined by a continual quest for harmony, beauty, and the creation of interior atmospheres that are rooted in the past, connected to the future, and imbued with today's comforts. These eighteen residences--from an urban New York penthouse or Moscow apartment to a waterfront estate in New England, and from a Tokyo dwelling to a Bordeaux wine château or a Wabi-Sabi farmhouse--reveal how art complements architecture and the elements of nature in an alchemy of Vervoordt expression. Portraits of each residence--including the Vervoordts' own homes in Venice and Belgium--feature sweeping vistas of the surrounding landscape and a tour through the interiors. Each detail--from the materials used to the graceful placement of a well-chosen object--offers deep insight into the Vervoordt design approach and abiding principles for living and working well.




Axel Vervoordt: Living with Light


Book Description

Following the best seller Axel Vervoordt: Timeless Interiors, this volume of twenty new interiors expands on the Vervoordt vision for creating exceptional homes that combine natural elements, antiques, and fine art. The art of harmonious living is extolled in this volume through twenty bespoke interiors designed by the Axel Vervoordt company. Each room incorporates natural elements—light, water, metal, wood—blended with a modern aesthetic and punctuated with fine art. The Vervoordt concept of the home is revealed through a refined balance between art and nature to create timeless living spaces. The range of featured properties includes homes by the sea as well as in urban and rural locations, demonstrating a breadth of styles possible within the essential Vervoordt design principles. Photography by Laziz Hamani brings into focus both the unique design details and the carefully constructed interiors that fuse to create each striking setting. These exceptional residences are rich with inspirational ideas to incorporate into your own home so that you can celebrate your living space in the singular Vervoordt style.




Axel Vervoordt: Wabi Inspirations


Book Description

Interior design guru Axel Vervoordt shares his latest inspirations for the home. Axel Vervoordt’s intense curiosity has fueled his work as an interior designer, spurring him to explore and draw inspiration from cultures around the globe. He was first exposed to Eastern art and philosophy years ago, but today it has become the guiding principle in his work, particularly the concept of Wabi. Developed in the twelfth century, Wabi advocates simplicity and humility, the rejection of all that is superfluous or artificial. Through extraordinary photographs from Japan and Korea to Belgium and Switzerland, Vervoordt invites us to explore the elements that inspire him: natural materials and time-worn objects that evoke the essence of Wabi. Today, together with the Japanese architect Tatsuro Miki, Vervoordt carries the principles of Wabi into his remarkable interiors. As Vervoordt reveals how he infuses his current creations with a fundamentally oriental approach, interiors devotees will gain new insight from this tribute to the designer’s latest sources of inspiration for the home.




Simply Living Well


Book Description

Easy recipes, DIY projects, and other ideas for living a beautiful and low-waste life, from the expert behind @simply.living.well on Instagram.




From Boys to Men


Book Description

More than an anthology of coming out stories, From Boys to Men is a stunning collection of essays about what it is like to be gay and young, to be different and be aware of that difference from the earliest of ages. In these memoirs, coming out is less important than coming of age and coming to the realization that young gay people experience the world in ways quite unlike straight boys. Whether it is a fascination with soap opera, an intense sensitivity to their own difference, or an obsession with a certain part of the male anatomy, gay kids — or kids who would eventually identify as gay — have an indefinable but unmistakable gay sensibility. Sometimes the result is funny, sometimes it is harrowing, and often it is deeply moving. Essays by lauded young writers like Alex Chee (Edinburgh), Aaron Hamburger (Faith for Beginners), Karl Soehnlein (The World of Normal Boys), Trebor Healy (Through It Came Bright Colors), Tom Dolby (The Trouble Boy), David Bahr, and Austin Bunn, are collected along with those by brilliant, newcomers such as Michael McAllister, Jason Tougaw, Viet Dinh, and the wildly popular blogger, Joe.My.God.




Fake Photos


Book Description

A concise and accessible guide to techniques for detecting doctored and fake images in photographs and digital media. Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Mussolini, and other dictators routinely doctored photographs so that the images aligned with their messages. They erased people who were there, added people who were not, and manipulated backgrounds. They knew if they changed the visual record, they could change history. Once, altering images required hours in the darkroom; today, it can be done with a keyboard and mouse. Because photographs are so easily faked, fake photos are everywhere—supermarket tabloids, fashion magazines, political ads, and social media. How can we tell if an image is real or false? In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Hany Farid offers a concise and accessible guide to techniques for detecting doctored and fake images in photographs and digital media. Farid, an expert in photo forensics, has spent two decades developing techniques for authenticating digital images. These techniques model the entire image-creation process in order to find the digital disruption introduced by manipulation of the image. Each section of the book describes a different technique for analyzing an image, beginning with those requiring minimal technical expertise and advancing to those at intermediate and higher levels. There are techniques for, among other things, reverse image searches, metadata analysis, finding image imperfections introduced by JPEG compression, image cloning, tracing pixel patterns, and detecting images that are computer generated. In each section, Farid describes the techniques, explains when they should be applied, and offers examples of image analysis.




Interiors: Atelier AM


Book Description

Enter a world of interiors by Atelier AM, where classical proportions, varied finishes, and exquisite furnishings are masterfully combined, resulting in bold yet tranquil environments. A deft hand at creating interiors that mix materials, both rough-hewn and luxurious, antique and modern, marks the work of Alexandra and Michael Misczynski, the husband-and-wife team behind the Los Angeles–based firm Atelier AM. Only ten years after establishing their business, the couple has garnered a keen reputation for creating environments that are sensory experiences—visually sublime interiors enhanced with subtle, textural palettes. Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century furniture commingle with modernist pieces and ancient objects. Background colors and materials are muted and refined. Interiors Atelier AM showcases a selection of residences—each exhibiting the firm’s skill at mixing furniture and objects with backgrounds such as antique flooring and Venetian plaster, with bold and modern results. Their high-profile clients include Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise and the Michael Eisners. The photography of François Halard beautifully documents each project, educating and inspiring a new generation of interior designers and connoisseurs.




Dream Makers


Book Description

Step behind the scenes with Guendalina Litta--a preeminent party designer who has invented magical moments for her rarified clientele for more than thirty years. Guendalina Litta is a veritable dream maker and a sought-after bespoke event planner. From the simplest decor to an extravaganza spread over a vast locale, her unique gatherings are conceived for delight. Follow a candlelit path into an enchanted forest for an evening under the stars, take cues from a masterpiece painting for an immersive experience, dine at a glass table embedded with riotous flowers in an elegant greenhouse, or be transported to an exotic land while never leaving your own property. Guendalina never ceases to reinvent her signature art of entertaining, cultivating a welcoming, convivial atmosphere that brings people together as she masterfully orchestrates the magical celebration. Guendalina's creativity and style, combined with logistical prowess, are unparalleled. She and her exceptional team of artisans--caterers, florists, interior designers, architects, calligraphers, costumers, artists, and performers--attend to every detail in order to create ephemeral experiences that will linger forever in the memory of each guest. This new book, featuring previously unpublished photography of her most recent events, serves as an artistic mood board to inspire event planners and creatives of every stripe. The pairings of behind-the-scene and front-of-house photographs create associations designed to spark creativity, and the clothbound cover reproduces a custom-designed, hand-painted fabric from one of the celebrations. Guendalina--who has crafted experiences to mark life's treasured moments for thirty years--shares her inimitable style and expertise with readers.




At Home with May and Axel Vervoordt


Book Description

In the same understated, covetable style as her husband’s interiors, May Vervoordt’s recipes bring out the essence of fresh ingredients in simple yet exceptional dishes. Over the past twenty-five years, Axel and May Vervoordt have cultivated a reputation for excellence in the fields of art, interior design, and entertaining. In this contemporary cookbook, May shares 107 seasonal recipes for entertaining in style. With an emphasis on the essence of individual ingredients and cooking in harmony with the seasons, May—in typical Vervoordt fashion—demonstrates that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Her dishes are easy to prepare, original, and healthful, and still allow the home chef time to enjoy the meal with guests. Grouped by season, the recipes offer a broad selection for all occasions, from Mango and Sweet Potato Salad or Sesame-Tarragon Chicken to Chocolate Fondant Cake with Pear Sorbet. Close-ups of the recipes are complemented by lifestyle photographs offering a glimpse inside the elegant Vervoordt residence.