There are a few books that we recently added to the Carlton Hobbs library circulating around the office, with Post-It Notes already beginning to fill the margins!

The first is Moving Rooms: The Trade in Architectural Salvages by John Harris, Curator Emeritus of the Drawings Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects. It gives a great history on the removal and re-use of architectural interior elements including chimney pieces, wall paneling, and moldings. We are lucky to have in our collection the preserved Boiserie from the Dining Room of Schloss Herblingen, Switzerland.

Next is Louis XIV: L’Homme et Le Roi, the book which accompanies the current Versailles exhibition about its “great builder.” Written in French, the book is richly illustrated with the paintings, sculpture, furniture, objets d’art representing the kings personal tastes. Two items we found were of particular interest: First,  a pair of tables in the V&A by André-Charles Boulle copied from the originals which formed part of the collection of the Menagerie at Versailles, of which we have similar models (seen in a previous blog). Second, a painting of Louis XIV’s dogs, Folle and Mite caught our eyes; Mite in particular reminds us of our office dog Jasper in his younger years.

Finally, we’ve been drooling over the chic interiors in Suzanne Tucker’s Rooms to Remember, acquired at the book launch in New York. We really enjoy the smart designs that seamlessly blend contemporary and antique elements, even spotting a few pieces similar to our own.

Be sure to check out these great reads, and don’t hesitate to recommend any books you think we might enjoy!