It's the Little Things: Creating Big Moments in Your Home Through The Stylish Small Stuff

by Susanna Salk

Featuring beautiful design vignettes and arrangements from today’s top designers, Susanna Salk’s It’s the Little Things inspires us to be personal and artful with our decorating choices, creating spaces that reflect our personality. This jewel of a decorating book looks at the design details that make up a room’s decor, the stylish little touches that can help any room transcend the ordinary. Whether through the luxurious trim and tassel of a bedroom curtain, the whimsy of a uniquely upholstered chair in the dining room, a loose but lush visual landscape on an entry hall table, or a deeply personal arrangement of treasures upon a dressing table, this book celebrates how chic design can be when expressed through personal details and provides a wealth of vignettes to inspire home owners and designers. Organized by type of design arrangement, from full rooms designed with attention to detail and entire walls depicting inspiring arrangements of art and objects, to more intimate still lifes arrayed on desktops, mantels, and bookshelves, It’s the Little Things shows us how to display our beloved objects to create sophisticated interiors. With interiors by some of the world’s top designers, such as Alessandra Branca, Bunny Williams, John Derian, and India Hicks, among others, and with Salk’s encouraging design tips, It’s the Little Things inspires us to slow down and pay attention to the details that can add richness and personality to any interior.

Genres: Design, Interior Design, Nonfiction, Coffee Table Books

272 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2016

Reviews

[K Bayko · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps my expectations were too high, but this book fell exceedingly below average. There was little “meat”, a minimal text to photo ratio, & the designs portrayed appeared antiquated in style & collection. Gave off a “great uncle who went traveling once three decades ago” vibe.
In addition to this (personal belief here) the introduction ended with the sentence “I have come to realize it’s not God in the detail...but the very essence of human nature itself.” As a person of faith, I disliked her subliminal thesis that the human nature found in decorating detail is more valuable/truthful than the essence of God.
While that is absolutely acceptable for her to believe & state, I felt instantly removed from the author rather than connected.
In summary, I don’t recommend getting this book. End rant.

[Jocelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved one of the quotes that one of the designers in the book: "The very presence of books in a room doesn't merely reflect an owner's intelligence. The room as a result doesn't feel contained with knowledge, but personal as well"~ J. Morgan Paett

[False · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been reading all of Salk's books in the past few weeks. She returns to the same designers throughout, and her own passions (wallpaper, antique dressers, lots of wall art) repeat again and again. Only a few rooms have proven to be "dated" in the past three years since this book was published, and I think this is, in large part, that they were less eclectic and more period piece (the '70's in particular was a very unfortunate time.) The chapters are: Surfaces, Walls, Mantels, Little Moments, Big Moments. "Surfaces" seems to be predominantly bureau or buffet tops, so I would add a chapter on bookcases or maybe break down the chapters by rooms and include more exterior surfaces--the outdoor living room, for example. I didn't see one technique I don't already use (or skip.) Nothing to make me think, "I need to make that my next project for home improvement." Still. It's always fun to look at high gloss pretty pictures of homes.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been looking for ideas because I’m so bored with the white walled, mid-century, oriental carpet vibe. Although this is over the top, it was so refreshing. Clearly these are spaces that have been collected over time and tell a story.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of bangers in here (John Derian, Tom Sheerer, I see you!), but beyond that, it wasn’t quite for me. A little too runway and not really functional, say, like Maison (my design book obsession).

[Sarah "Kat" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Marcy Graybill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I shouldn't have even picked it up. I love decorating books, but I'm trying to get rid of stuff, not fill my house with more!

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous design book. This is one to pour over again and again. Loved it.

[Debbie Nicoletti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read and fun to consult before your next antique store/flea market binge!

[Corinnagoodwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand that home decor is deeply personal, and if not done right it looks either to "cookie cutter" or way to eclectic... the problem is this book lands on the way to eclectic side for my taste.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you focus on the "little things', rather than the overall designs of the rooms (many of which are a tad on the overwrought side), there are some good ideas. Particularly loved the book-lined bedroom and the vintage photo wall!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. There were a *few* good interior decorating ideas in here. Mostly, the pictured examples were overly busy and overwrought. I prefer more said with less.