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Overview
An avant-garde decorator and arbiter of taste, Elkins was celebrated for inspired designs that integrated various periods and styles, from country French to chinoiserie to art deco, and featured furnishings by such modern designers as Jean-Michel Frank and Alberto Giacometti. This book offers a tour of twenty-nine luxurious Elkins interiors, including several collaborations with Adler. Elkins's illustrious clientele extended from coast to coast and as far afield as Hawaii, including many private and public commissions in northern and southern California and the Midwest. Generously illustrated with 160 stunning color photographs as well as black-and-white photos, the book includes a list of selected clients and a visual inventory of selected furniture, fabrics, wallpapers, and accessories favored by Elkins.
Synopsis
The career of Frances Adler Elkins (1888-1953), sister of renowned Chicago architect David Adler, spanned more than three decades.
Library Journal
Considered the first great California decorator, Frances Elkins worked between the 1920s and the 1940s, influencing interior designers such as Michael Taylor and Billy Baldwin. Salny was introduced to Elkins while he worked on a book (The Country Houses of David Adler) about the houses designed by Elkins's brother, David Adler. In this appreciation of Elkins's aesthetic, the words of her contemporaries are used to establish her great influence on modern design. She began her career with her own home, Casa Amastri, in 1918, which she decorated with the help of her brother. This collaboration led to more exposure, and she continued to decorate homes on her own in the San Francisco and Monterey areas. Through 160 color and black-and-white photographs, readers take a virtual tour of 29 luxurious interiors. Captions clearly describe the features that made Elkins's design influential. Recommended for large and West Coast collections.-Gayle A. Williamson, Fashion Inst. of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.