Palm Beach-based interior designer Leta Austin Foster recently published the most beautiful book, Traditional Interiors, which instantly has become one of my favorite design books of all time. Published last fall, I have read it cover to cover at least half a dozen times!
Named among the 20th Century’s most influential interior designers by House Beautiful magazine, Leta Austin Foster established her design business in Palm Beach in 1975, which she expanded in the 1990s to include offices in Los Angeles and New York. One of her maxims is that decorating should be fun, whimsical, and not taken too seriously, and she believes any room can be beautiful and comfortable at the same time. She shares these principles with her three daughters, all gifted designers – Sally Giordano who runs the New York office, India Foster in Palm Beach, and Elizabeth Dinkel who runs her own eponymous business in Los Angeles.
Traditional Interiors takes you behind the scenes of Leta’s magical and glamorous world of design, as she describes in detail the key elements for creating your own elegant, comfortable space. The book is divided into four main subjects that illustrate and explain the often complex design process – Curtains, Walls, Upholstery and Trim, and The Details. The purpose is to share ideas and inspiration that will help you create beautiful interiors of your own, while drawing upon the best of traditional design. Here are a few of my favorite images from the book…
What I love most about Leta’s work is its fresh and crisp timelessness, and her playful approach to traditional decor. These are rooms that will last a lifetime and never feel dated. Each room is warm and inviting, and just begging for you to come in for a cup of tea or cocktail. I would never want to leave!
To learn more about Leta Austin Foster’s work, please visit her website and follow her lovely blog. You may also visit the Leta Austin Foster shop in Palm Beach, which she opened to satisfy her meticulous search for the ideal accessories such as linens, tableware, silver, and furniture. And if you haven’t yet purchased her book Traditional Interiors, I promise you will want to do so ASAP.
