This scintillating volume takes readers on an exclusive journey through Paris, guided by Mathilde Favier—the charismatic public relations director at Dior Couture. Hailing from one of Paris’ most creative families, Mathilde Favier is renowned as a warm, welcoming hostess nurturing a network of friends who happen to be some of the city’s most esteemed figures in fashion, beauty, art, interior design, and gastronomy. Accompanied by a lively text and interviews by Frédérique Dedet, Favier—who personifies the soul and spirit of Paris—guides readers around the private spaces, shops, studios, residences, and kitchens of these extraordinary personalities. Their personal stories, expert perspectives, and shared secrets, together with Favier’s intimate understanding of the city and its best addresses, present a rarely seen view of Paris’ vibrant core.
I found Living Beautifully in Paris by Mathilde Favier with text by Frédérique Dedet and photographs by Pascal Chevallier (published by Rizzoli) to be quite…pretentious. It seemed to be simply about “look how famous I am and all my famous friends”. If you dream of life in Paris with and endless bank account then this book is for you. Or if you like pretty book covers.

Next is Great Inspiration: My Adventures in Decorating with Notable Interior Designers by Katherine Bryan publsihed by Rizzoli. The decorating evolution of Bryan—one of the great patrons of interior design—has gone from classic modernism to sumptuous traditionalism to romantic eclecticism and everything in between, with the collaboration of such renowned interior designers as Tom Britt, Mica Ertegun, Susan Gutfreund, Mark Hampton, and Studio Peregalli Sartori. Each residence and each room make up an aesthetic memoir that explores those collaborations, reveals insights into the various processes, and inspires others to look at their own spaces and consider a myriad of beautiful and appropriate options. Anecdotes divulge her astute guidance and the charming idiosyncrasies of some of the twentieth century’s greatest decorators.
Katherine has lived in several spectacular homes, and it was really interesting to see her style (with the help of designers) evolve over the years and depending on the architecture/style of each home. This was a fun one.

Then we have The Perfect Room: Timeless Designs for Intentional Living by Marie Flanigan and published by Rizzoli. Flanigan looks at the home on a room-by-room basis, identifying common design challenges, offering solutions on how to create rooms that are aesthetically pleasing and efficient. With examples chosen from her work, she shares seasoned wisdom and creative approaches to every decision ranging from building materials and architectural details to furnishings, color, textiles, accessories, and organization. While her first book The Beauty of Home spelled out her philosophy of design, this new tome provides illustrated examples of design ideas and applications for each room in the house, inspiring readers to create spaces that exceed expectations.
A great coffee table book filled with some really beautiful and thoughtful interiors. I wasn’t overly excited about it but a good read nonetheless.

Lastly we have Cullman & Kravis: Interiors by Ellie Cullman and Lee Cavanaugh and Sarah Ramsey and Alyssa Urban with photography from Eric Piasecki, another published by Rizzoli. Ceaseless in its pursuit to create “an alchemy of old and new,” the highly esteemed firm of Cullman & Kravis is renowned for its ability to fashion modern, cohesive, richly layered homes rooted in tradition and the respect for function and decoration. Utilizing their decades of experience, they build out rooms from the finest classical foundations, then infuse bold, stylish, and modish elements, mixing exquisite antiques with contemporary art to create truly dynamic spaces conceived to stand the test of time. The homes in this book (the majority exclusive to the volume) include sumptuous Manhattan apartments, a historic house overlooking the Long Island Sound, a contemporary beach house in the Hamptons, and a modern minimalist Palm Beach waterfront estate. 
This is more of a coffee table book than a source of inspiration for those who don’t have multi-million dollar homes. Some really fabulous homes featured and a good book if you have dreams of the mostly unattainable.