Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1284212
64 DESIGN GETS PERSONAL PHOTO BY ERIC PIASECKI/OTTO. . PHOTO BY STEPHEN KARLISCH. G loria Vanderbilt famously said, "Decorating is autobiography." F e w i n t e r i o r d e s i g n e r s e m b o d y t h a t idea better than Jan Showers, whose third book, Glamorous Living (Abrams, $65) walks us through her own effortlessly chic homes in Texas, along with interiors for clients around the country. The arbiter of French '40s-influenced interiors, Showers helped introduce Dallas JAN SHOWERS' NEW BOOK, GLAMOROUS LIVING, HITS SHELVES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. AND, YES, HER LIFE IS MUCH MORE STYLISH THAN OURS WILL EVER BE. to a design with colorful Murano glass lighting, pale fruitwood furniture, and silver tea-leaf wallpaper. More than two decades on, Showers' signature look is still sought after — in part because it's not just a look but a lifestyle, epitomized by gracious, comfortable living. "Simple pleasures are the most glamorous," she writes. "Cocktails with my husband at the end of the day. Lunch outside on a beautiful afternoon. Fried chicken, a simple salad, fresh flowers, a nap in an elegantly outfitted bed." Central to all of this is a woman who naturally radiates glamor in any setting: When Jan Showers walks into a room, the style quotient skyrockets. There's a lot to be gleaned from a woman with such innate allure. But if we can't be like her, we can learn to design an entryway that makes a good first impression, set a beautiful dining table, and create an elegant bedroom. Or, you could just look at the gorgeous pictures. As India Hicks writes in the book's foreword, "May I suggest you now pour yourself a good drink and luxuriate in a little Glamorous Living." Rebecca Sherman Jan Showers designed a custom banquet in Kravet velvet with Samuel & Sons fringe. The library of a client's Houston home Jan Showers and daughter Elizabeth set a Thanksgiving table at the family country house.