I recommended one of Elissa Cullman's books recently here on my blog as a great guide for how to approach a luxury design project.

Decorating Master Class is around 10 years old, but the processes and direction given in that book still work so well today when designing a large scaled luxury project. It was featured on my Gift Guide For A Budding Interior Designer, that I recently shared as a must-have book for a new designer's library.

She also wrote The Detailed Interior, another beautiful book that deals with the details and nuances that designers infuse into their projects.

I was very excited to be asked to review her new book, From Classic To Contemporary: Decorating With Cullman & Kravis, Elissa Cullman and Tracey Pruzan, The Moncelli Press.

From Classic To Contemporary: Decorating With Cullman & Kravis, BUY NOW on Amazon

If you have Decorating Master Class or The Detailed Interior, you will see that most of the projects within are quite traditional. They are layered, feature high end furnishings, and definitely speak to a heavier style.

The most intriguing aspect of this new book, is how the Cullman and Kravis look is being updated and modernized to create the same aesthetic but with a fresher and more modern appeal.

I am all about this right now. I see it all the time in my own business.

People are wanting a look with less fussiness and cleaner lines.

Ellie Cullman demonstrates this new modern aesthetic perfectly in the first project featured in the book, her own home.

There are before and after images that show how she has lightened up the look by replacing more traditional window treatments with a simpler style, painting walls and mouldings white, and reworking upholstered pieces with less traditional fabrics and details.

I especially love the contemporary art used in these projects throughout the book too. What a great way to make a more modern statement in a traditional space.

This book is a great guide for how to achieve this lighter, fresher look in a more traditional home that still incorporates collected antiques, treasures, and quality furnishings from years past.

I'm all about adapting and reusing the good things you have and updating them to add longevity and style in your home now and moving forward.

This book can show you how, with great examples and the Cullman and Kravis expertise.