Home Design with Kevin Sharkey

Palm Beach became established as a luxury vacation destination for the rich and famous in the early 1900s. Today the area is associated with old-world glamour and new world refinement.

In the book, In the Spirit of Palm Beach, Pamela Fiori shares the beginnings of this topical paradise. The book gives equal attention to renowned resorts, large dreamy estates, ostentatious cars, and bountiful shopping opportunities.

Photographs flood the pages, and showcase the more glamourous days. The up-to-date, easy-going casual fashion list, as well as list for the what-to-do around the area make every outsider feel emerged in the environment with lessons from a frequent visitor.

Pamela Fiori has had a long spanning career in magazine publishing as Editor in Chief of Town and Country for 17 years. Before that she was Editor in Cheif of Travel & Leisure for 14 years. She has also written In the Spirit of Capri, and In the Spirit of St. Barths. She has always been and continues to be an inspiration to me.

A smart hat can finish a look, but a Philip Treacy hat is a look. The world-renowned milliner has had an astounding impact on the fashion world since he began making hats in the early 90s. Photography and Treacy's art-quality hats are irrevocably intertwined; he says in the book that "every hat [he has] ever made has begun in [his] minds as a photograph." That relationship with the photograph comes full circle in Philip Treacy by Kevin Davies, published by Phaidon (www.phaidon.com). Over the course of 20 years, photographer Kevin Davies documented the fashion shows, derbies, weddings, and more where Treacy's hat's made their grand debuts. He also took his camera into the various studios Treacy worked in over the years to see how his fantastical creations come to life. For me, these beauties toe the line between fashion and art.

In the studio, 10 February 1999. From PHILIP TREACY BY KEVIN DAVIES (Phaidon Press, $59.95, March) © Kevin Davies.

Paris Fashion Week; haute coutre Orchid Collection, January 2000. From PHILIP TREACY BY KEVIN DAVIES (Phaidon Press, $59.95, March) © Kevin Davies.

Naomi Campbell, Royal Ascot, 6 June 2002. From PHILIP TREACY BY KEVIN DAVIES (Phaidon Press, $59.95, March) © Kevin Davies.

George Nunno and Jon Maroto, Owners, Flair Home. From Habitually Chic: Creativity at Work by Heather Clawson, published by powerHouse Books.

Having been an admirer of the blog Habitually Chic for a while now, I was eager to see how blogger Heather Clawson transformed her inspiring ideas into print.

Creativity at Work pairs beautiful images with well-written stories showcasing creative minds at work. Clawson leaves no field behind, peeking into the spaces of fashion designers, interior designers, landscape designers, jewelry designers, antique dealers, artists, creative directors, and stores owners.

The book gives you a detailed look at how these creative people work. Beautiful libraries, large scale boards full of inspirations images, fashion accessories, fine art collections, and antique pieces flood each page of book. They're incredibly inspiring.

Jenna Lyons, Creative Director, J.Crew. From Habitually Chic: Creativity at Work by Heather Clawson, published by powerHouse Books.

Philip Crangi, Jewelry Designer. From Habitually Chic: Creativity at Work by Heather Clawson, published by powerHouse Books.

Peter Som's Collection, Fashion Designer. From Habitually Chic: Creativity at Work by Heather Clawson, published by powerHouse Books.

Miranda Brooks, Landscape Designer. From Habitually Chic: Creativity at Work by Heather Clawson, published by powerHouse Books.