Book preview: 'Michael Taylor Interior Design'

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1. Gil Garfield's living roomCard RoomEye popping guest roomThe Jennifer chairMarc and Jane Nathanson's houseMaster bedroomthe Black RoomBeyer Living RoomTaylor 8Michael Taylor: James Dean of interior design

By David A. Keeps<br>
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Michael Taylor (1927-86) invented what was three decades ago dubbed the "California look": white interiors with stone floors and over-scaled, sculptural furniture. In response to the casual West Coast way of life, he broke the rules of traditional design, says Stephen M. Salny, author of the new <a href="http://www.wwnorton.com/NPB">Norton</a> monograph Michael Taylor Interior Design. Here's a preview of the book, starting with a 1976 commission for songwriter Gil Garfield. The Beverly Hills home was built in 1950 by Modernist architect Harwell Hamilton Harris. "Taylor's use of a white a warm white, not a white white was his trademark," Salny says. "And he always included colors from nature." In Garfield's living room, shown here, Taylor used the natural shade of wicker in oversized pieces from his Jennifer collection. The grays and beige found in rocks used as tables created a palette that looked earthy yet clean.

1. Gil Garfield's living room

( Russell MacMasters Photography / W.W. Norton & Co. )

By David A. Keeps

Michael Taylor (1927-86) invented what was three decades ago dubbed the "California look": white interiors with stone floors and over-scaled, sculptural furniture. In response to the casual West Coast way of life, he broke the rules of traditional design, says Stephen M. Salny, author of the new Norton monograph Michael Taylor Interior Design. Here's a preview of the book, starting with a 1976 commission for songwriter Gil Garfield. The Beverly Hills home was built in 1950 by Modernist architect Harwell Hamilton Harris. "Taylor's use of a white a warm white, not a white white was his trademark," Salny says. "And he always included colors from nature." In Garfield's living room, shown here, Taylor used the natural shade of wicker in oversized pieces from his Jennifer collection. The grays and beige found in rocks used as tables created a palette that looked earthy yet clean.

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