It’s not everyday that decorating doyenne Bunny Williams writes the forward to another designer’s monograph, but such is the case with Philip Mitchell’s new book, Collected Interiors: Rooms That Tell a Story, just released by Rizzoli New York. And having perused its pages, I can certainly understand why.
Williams writes, “Designer will study this book, but those who love to collect will also be inspired, with Philip’s guidance, to imagine new ways of combining their objects, hanging their art, and making their homes more comfortable and inviting places to live.”
I believe she is right. Mitchell’s book, his first, is effortlessly chic. And it’s a font of ingenious decorating ideas.
“The homes in these pages show where curiosity and a passion for beautiful things have led my clients and me and, to some degree, where we are focused next.”
Philip Mitchell
Mitchell aptly refers to his style of decorating as ‘modern maximalism’, in which he successfully celebrates his client’s collected objects, mixing them with his imaginative choices for new furnishings, finishes, materials, colors, and silhouettes.
These are rooms populated by a wide range of stylistic pieces–from Deco chairs to contemporary light fixtures to mid-century standards–resulting in spaces that are at once welcoming, authentic, and fully resolved.
Here’s the thing: I am rarely at a loss for words. But having carefully studied the pages of Collected Interiors, I would just conclude by saying this is my favorite design book of 2021–and an excellent gift idea for the design aficionado on your holiday guest list.
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Collected Interiors: Rooms That Tell a Story
By Philip Mitchell