Home Design with Kevin Sharkey

Wondering how you can achieve chic, French style in your own home? Renowned set designer and stylist Erin Swift set out traveling France and the US to find out for herself; her new book French Accents, to be released next week, lets us in on the secrets.

In the book, Swift walks the reader through a francophile's dream: the incredible French interiors of renowned artists, architects, and designers that she has spent years scouting. Highlighting the best of the best, the book features entire rooms, but Swift excels most at indicating how exquisite, thoughtful details can transform a space.

Swift organized the book like a true designer, with comprehensive chapters on Color, Art and Furnishings, Objects and Accents, Structure and Texture. Throughout its pages, Jonny Valient's photographs feature dozens of options for molding, stone, tile flooring, frames, doorknobs, and textiles—countless practical ideas for any budget to achieve that je ne sais quoi effortlessness of the French look.

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1 This cool-toned, exotic wallpaper by Zuber and a contrasting bold rug instantly transport and mesmerize all who enter; white trimmings keep the colorful accents polished and clean.

2 An artfully jumbled collection of candles-pillars, tapers, and votives make a romantic and dramatic center-piece.

3 The relaxed lines of a Le Corbusier chaise provide warmth and statement in this room's sea of abounding angles, from the chevron floor pattern and abstract rug to every traditional molding and trim.

4 The ultimate in chic: show-stopping glass and iron doors capture both the tradition and whimsy of Paris.

5 Classic, ornate, and modern molding samples celebrate the range of French styles that have been used to line ceilings and floors for centuries.

6 Swift provides the French tip: "When refining an antique or vintage item, balance old and new. Bring the piece back to life...but let it show it's age through imperfections too."

7 This lovely and accessible page-turner is Erin Swift's first book, though she is no stranger to good press. Her work as a set designer, stylist, and market editor for names like Architectural Digest, Home Decor, and O at Home is well known and revered.

The Milan-based interior design and architectural firm Studio Peregalli, imagines and builds environments that blend historical influences, faux narratives and refined craftsmanship.

The Partners, Laura Sartori Rimini and Roberto Peregalli work on houses renovating existing spaces, museum installation, architectural follies and opera stage sets. The projects are a combination of research, period pieces of furniture, and an expert eye.

In their book, The Invention of the Past, viewers get into the minds of these two incredible designers. The projects presented, organized by individual spaces showcasing a wide variety of public and private projects, are displayed in series of models, hand-sketches and renderings, diagrams, and photography to take you through the architectural design development and into the recreation of the past.

Milan, Italy: an anique dealer's bedroom in Flemish style. Notice the wardrobe on the left in ebony with ivory inlay.

Milan, Italy: a Neoclassically inspired dining room has a painted frieze of Greek-key panels and faux-marble slabs. The table is a large 18th century Florentine table, and a collection of sculpture, paintings, and porcelain from East Asia adorn the room.

Milan, Italy: in a building from the 1960s, a bed, upholstered with an ivory fabric with a rust-colored pattern is placed in a styled niche.

Hi, my name is Kevin and I'm a galanthophile. If you aren't familiar with the term, don't be too concerned; I am only confessing to be an avid collector and lover of snowdrops! The influential horticulturist E. A. Bowles coined the word—which derives from the snowdrop's species Galanthus—in a letter to his bulb-collecting friend.

To an addict like me, these personable little blooms are undoubtedly the best part of Spring; I cannot get enough of them. Imagine my delight flipping through today's book published by Frances Lincoln, aptly titled Snowdrops, that features more than 300 varieties of this charming flower in their natural element, plus tips for planting and caring for them. (Nevermind the persistent cold winds and snow drops of a different kind outdoors!) Get the book for $17 (Hardcover).

Color me inspired. From cakes to arrangements and more, our love of snowdrops at Martha Stewart  has been well documented. Enjoy this gallery of favorites from my Galanthus-file.

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1 This remarkable cake was featured in Martha Stewart Weddings; the snowdrops are made out of sugar!

2 At a place setting, on a window sill, or fresh from the earth, these whimsical flowers are one of life's simple luxuries.

3 Their delicate nature and white coloring make snowdrops an excellent choice for bouquets.

4 An elegant assemblage of snowdrops in varied glasses reminds me that some of the best arrangements give flowers room to breathe.

5 Crafted out of crepe paper, these dainty snowdrops crown a decadent soil—chocolate cake.

6 Galanthus variations: The more types I learn about, the more I love them.

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8 I love the idea of encasing an arrangement with a clear vessel—clean and clever.