March 2008
The L.A. House
Author: Sommers, Ruthie
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0060881038
ISBN13: 9780060881030
Trim: 9 1/2 x 12
Pages: 256
Illustrations: color photos throughout
Release Date: 3/5/2008
Price: $39.95 / $49.95 Can.
Territory: W
SYNOPSIS
Ruthie Sommers’ style epitomizes the vibrant and fearless American spirit of progress and reinvention. This booming spirit is encapsulated in her interior designs and her unique style. Her new store, Chapman Radcliff Home in glamorous West Hollywood, exhibits a bit of old Southern charm, upscale classic New York, antique Parisian, and laid-back beachy Californian. THE L.A. HOUSE will explore Sommers’ own aesthetic and artistic work while also serving as a unique, decorating manual. It will stress Sommers’ own design mentality—great style can be found anywhere; it does not have to be extraordinarly expensive to be extraordinarily chic. Sommers is not afraid to put Fortuny fabric on a $10 chair or to place a Regency mahogany desk next to a dime store painting. Chapman Radcliff Home features both high-end and low-end products—classic Ruthie Sommers.
Sommers loves a bargain, and she searches flea markets, auctions, and estate sales for pieces of furniture that have unique flair and character. She then finds energetic ways to spice them up with funky fabrics and interesting upholstering. The result—a great piece of furniture that is affordable and tasteful. Through lush photos, THE L.A. HOUSE will capture the charm and style of Palm Beach preppy couches, grandfather’s easychair turned into a delightfully colorful piece, and 19th-century lamps used to spice up a kitchen. Sommers stresses the importance of the imperfections of design—how antiques, with their own nicks and dents, have their own beauty, style, and truth.
THE L.A. HOUSE is a book for the stylish, eclectic, or anyone interested in adding a little spark or a fresh idea to their homes. Sommers will bring carefree energy, spunk, and Southern charm to the pages of this gorgeous, beautifully photographed book. Offering detailed, legible instructions of how to upholster your favorite dining room chairs, THE L.A. HOUSE is also a useful how-to book for the reader who is ready to get her hands on a project. Ruthie Sommers is a new face of design, combining old world elegance with laid-back chic.
AUTHOR PROFILE
Ruthie Sommers had a very conservative Southern upbringing in North Carolina. She later moved to New York, where she worked as an apprentice to internationally renowned designer Juan Pablo Molyneaux and as a designer with Ralph Lauren Creative Services where she worked with many prominent designers from around the world. The founder of Chapman Radcliff Home in West Hollywood, her work has been featured in Domino, House Beautiful, New York, Architectural Digest, Vogue, and Lucky among others. Sommers lives in Los Angeles, CA.