Aspire to create a chic and elegant home layered with interest, soul, and creativity? Does the prospect feel out of reach as your eyes scan the current state of your surroundings? I hear you. At this moment, a sea of index cards and assorted books swallow up my office space (and hope!). If you glance at social media, you may surrender out of sheer intimidation. Let’s look a bit deeper at soulful simplicity’s relationship to elegance and explore examples whispering secrets.
We’ll draw inspiration from a few books currently on my radar.
Chic Elegant Fashion & Interiors Inspiration
NIEDERMAIR and DIOR
At the intersection of fashion and photography, a new book dedicated to the creative process of Brigitte Niedermair for Dior is a collection of chic and elegant illustrations, collages, and sketches.
What a treasury of elegant collaboration! From iconic fashion photography to Renaissance painting, the photographer’s inspiration, creations, and artful intentions for Dior unfold on lovely pages within:
Brigitte Niedermair is an Italian photographer who blends artistic research with fashion photography.
In an interview with Maria Grazia Chiuri, Niedermair describes her role as a “photographic tailor.” I admire how she skillfully sews together ideals, history, and timelessness in an artful fashion to suit girls to grandmothers. The new book from Rizzoli highlights haute couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, and jewelry collections from Dior through her lens.
Her works are included in private collections, museums, and public institutions.
You may be surprised to learn how hyper-constructed images for Dior begin with a very specific image in the artist’s mind then take shape as a sketch even before details are thoughtfully executed for photoshoots.
The sketches by Niedermair in the book are indeed fine art (one more reason you may be anxious to procure a copy!).
Is this image below my favorite? Perhaps. From a 2025 collection, Dior calls it an interplay of light and shadow where models embody a triumphant femininity between gothic romanticism and punk impulsivity. The fashion reflects Scottish heritage, modern chic equestrian style, and contrasting textures such as velvet and lace.
I could easily be the grandmother of the model in the photo, yet I can also imagine wearing these cosmic-chic pieces from Dior alongside her (perhaps with the addition of black tights!).
There’s an ageless beauty running through the work, and drawings and photography within the book reveal past, present, and futuristic elements woven together harmoniously. The strength in the photographs may be their fierce integrity; Niedermair creates effortless simplicity to accompany and elevate Dior sophistication and craft.
Chic Antiques & Tara Shaw
Tara Shaw, a respected supplier of French and European antiques for a host of AD100 and Elle Decor A-listers including Bobby McAlpine, Mary McDonald, and Bunny Williams knows her way around elegance.
But I am more moved by the everday elegance she embodies. There’s poetic freedom and tender soulfulness you can’t miss.
I suppose you could miss it if you’re racing through your life or remain uninterested in mystery. (A soulful path often demands patience and a tolerance for uncertainty, but you’ll discover texture and drama you may have otherwise missed.)
Shaw creatively integrates antiques in natural ways for beautiful modern living.
What makes it chic and elegant? A sense of restraint, understatement, and quietude.
SOUL OF THE HOME
Her book SOUL OF THE HOME addresses the importance of antiques as well as how to cultivate a home with heart.
Shaw reflects on a part of her antiquing education:
“Throughout my life, books have been indispensable teaching tools, spiritual guides, and invaluable methods of escape. There are stacks of them in nearly every room in my house, and without them, I’d never have been able to tell Louis XIII from Louis XIV, much less build an entire career on the love of antiques. My hope is that this volume is one such tool for you.”
Anecdotes from years of treasure hunting accompany images and advice to select and display pieces properly.
Secrets from Shaw’s Elegant Work
What lies beneath moments in Shaw’s book where rooms are personalized with provenance and beauty?
Must we have years to achieve mastery?
Classic Elements: With a reverence for the history of finely crafted objects, Shaw incorporates classic design elements that stood the test of time.
For example, elegant furniture pieces with timeless silhouettes (such as Louis XVI chairs or Chippendale sofas) are prized.
Quality Materials: Mediocrity is absent. Shaw prioritizes high-quality materials that are both durable and aesthetically pleasing.
Interiors deliver more than aesthetic-deep beauty. They withstand wear and tear and the passage of time.
Quiet Color Stories: Quietude with grandeur creates a moment. Shaw often employs a neutral color palette with timeless white, cream, limestone, pale blue and gentle greige.
Understated Sophistication
Tonal quietude reinforces a sense of sophistication, allowing other design elements to bring balance with their music and presence.
Balancing Old With New: Shaw skillfully mixes antique and vintage with contemporary elements, often with a subtle hand of restraint.
Juxtaposition brings depth and character to a space while ensuring it doesn’t fall flat or personality-less.
God is in the Details: Shaw tends to the details. But which ones matter? The answer lies within the beauty of our own individuality, education, and experiences along the journey of life.
Anything we do to refine our lens, to expand our consciousness will lead us to more sacred seeing. A pure eye will make all the difference.
Designing With Antiques
Make it Personal: While Shaw embraces timeless design principles, she also celebrates the personal. Incorporating reflections of your personal taste, lifestyle, and personality brings soul to the mix.
Transcending trends while remaining relevant? No small feat.
The Elegance of the Old & Ancient
Shaw demystifies the artful process of layering history in SOUL OF THE HOME.
You may find your senses will stir you to apply the wisdom to your own interiors
Cultivate With Heart
I find that as I age and learn more about history, I view antiques at the market in fresh ways.
What you see here is but a fraction of the feast within SOUL OF A HOME!
Tara’s Kitchen Impacted Choices in Our Kitchen
The designer’s own kitchen (below) was a generic space before she worked over the top magic. Our Arizona snowbird kitchen has these same, generic beige ceramic tiles, and like Shaw, I left them alone!
You can see that plain tile in the bottom right corner of my board:
“To combat the somewhat sterile atmosphere imparted by the ordinary surfaces, I needed to introduce pieces that went in the opposite direction.” -Tara Shaw
If Tara can leave such a mediocre element in place, then we can too!
And there’s no shortage of builder’s grade everything in this home!
Elevate the Ordinary With Elegance…Creatively
In case you care to add chic to your outdoor dining space, Tara Shaw offers advice:
“The only things a small patio or even a city terrace needs to transform it into an enchanted garden are plants potted in jardinières or terra-cotta pots. See how it changes the way you feel about your morning cup of coffee–it makes an ordinary Wednesday feel like a mini vacation.” -Tara Shaw
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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