A Bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace: The Fabulous Interiors of Magnolia Pearl

So much inspiration in the pages of this book!

I have long been a fan of the Magnolia Pearl style, pre-ordered this book months ago (February 2008) and counted the months until it's arrival. No disappointment whatsoever... This is a book filled with luscious photos and beautiful reading for the soul. I have savored each page from the very first photo of Robin and John's home at Twilight to Robin's last words of remembering to be true to yourself in your decorating style (somehow these words set me free - you'll understand after you read the book!). Beautiful antiques, peacock feathers galore, welcoming porches, enchanting lighting, gorgeous windows, lush beds with layer upon layer and even a section for Pets. This book is truly a feast for the eyes and Robin's easy writing style feeds the soul. I did not want this book to end. In other words, I highly recommend this beautiful book and feel you will want to put aside a few minutes each evening to truly take in this book... "Enjoy"!

This is a fun and entertaining book which pretty much thumbs its nose at traditional interiors. "There's no such thing as too much color" (p 91) Magnolia Pearl decided. Certainly her choices color are astonishing--layer upon vivid layer, one explosion of red and gold piled on top of pink and purple--yet she manages to pull it off. Laces and velvets, damasks and bits of feathers combine to dazzle the eye in every room. If you are, say, a college student living on a shoestring, and wish you could think of some way to liven up your shoebox of a dorm room, this book will fill you with ideas. This is certainly the way to turn trash and flea market treasures into colorful, intensely personal style. Also there are great hints. She very carefully explains how to tea stain any bits of lace you may have.

I've been waiting months for this book and it hasn't disappointed. This book is different from any other "decorating" book I've seen. It's one part decorating, one part biography and one part philosophy, sprinkled with wit and warmth. This is the first decorating book that I've read cover to cover! Robin Brown clearly put her heart and soul into this book. After reading it, I feel as if I've spent the weekend at her beautiful home. The photos give you a true sense of being there and her text is personal and honest. Robins ideas are unique and accessible and can be applied to any home. I'm going to be decorating my yurt in Magnolia Pearl style!!!!

Excellent book, lush photos and sweet, funny stories. Can't put this down, even though I have read it twice thru! Feel truly inspired to get more creative with salvage/sustainable stuff that invokes the beauty in life that moves my soul. Blessings, Zahara

After waiting months for the release of this book, I was not disappointed. Robin Brown has written a true gem and the photographs are gorgeous. Originally, I was expecting more of a "how-to" book on duplicating some of her treasures, but I learned something more important, Robin's book has given the information and encouragement to create my own personal treasures. "A Bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace" is a true inspiration, both in originality and wisdom. We do not have to be wealthy, our "things" do not have to be perfect; but therein lies the beauty - in how we learn to look at things in a new and different way. Robin's perspective on life is told in such a way that many, many people can relate to and reinterpret in our own lives and homes. The book guides us through every room, and shows us how we can take the smallest scrap of lace, or a yard of brocade, and see it through "new" eyes. I have a new appreciation for the things I have collected through the years, and I now have been infused with the inspiration to jump in and use them in ways that I had not thought of before now. "A Bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace" has reaffirmed things about myself and my personality, that I had tried to "put on a shelf" for awhile, and at times thought I should relent and paint my walls "Builders Beige", just to go "with the flow". No more... Ms. Brown, with the tales of her unusual and adventuresome childhood (which I do envy!) remind me to be ME, to enjoy the things I love even when they do not fit within the confines of the mass majority, that there is beauty and freedom in being ourselves, surrounded by the things we love, even if they don't happen to look like your neighbor's. Her use of color, textures, layers, and styles shows what a wonderful natural talent she is. I must say thank you! to Robin for sharing her gift, reminding us that we all have one, and neither do we have to be wealthy in order to utilize it. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves fabrics, a bohemian flavor, thinks outside the box, or is seeking permission to "color outside of traditional lines". It is a wonderful inspiration for those of us who may see things a little differently or that want to begin to do so. Robin Brown has provided me with a book that is not only about decor, but about the way you express your life and style, and being true to your best "inner" bohemian! I love it!!