H&G Review: Savage Style by Jonathan Savage

This review first published in the Fall 2024 edition of Su Casa magazine.

SHEEN, SHIMMER, SPARKLE, GLEAM AND GLAM: Every exclusive and stylish space designed by Jonathan Savage has at least a sprinkle of shine, from the subtle sequin tape bordering the curtains in an otherwise tastefully monotone room to the full-on glitz of an entryway that layers lacquer, gloss and mirrors. A master of luxe, up-to- the-moment style, Savage’s new book, “The Savage Style,” is a visual delight as well as a wealth of design inspiration with hundreds of such shiny moments buried in its pages.

Above all, the author’s Savage Style is elegant and sophisticated, unapologetically expensive yet rarely pretentious. The designer names in furnishings and accessories abound, including blue chips like Dior, Hermès and Chanel, as well as less widely known designers like Jean-Michel Frank, Hervé van der Straeten and Florence Knoll. The fact that most of the projects featured in the book are entire homes allows for a deep dive into artful and cohesive design for real domestic living.

It’s a vision that translates even for folks who can’t afford Dior, thanks to Savage’s witty honesty about design and helpful advice. For instance, he’s the rare designer willing to admit that long sofas “may look fabulous, but they’re just like the back seats of cars: no one wants to sit in the middle.” Savage makes clear that every home should work for the specific people who live inside it and that, in the end, design is a tool for creating connections between people and their environments.

He writes, “One of the most important lessons I learned (with designer David Kleinberg) was that interiors should always be appropriate for the people, the place, and the time—or, as Kleinberg likes to say, ‘No silk ballgowns at the beach.’”

That said, however, authentic Savage Style dictates that even the humblest and most hard-working room deserves at least a little sparkle to help real life feel just as glam as the stylish spaces on these pages.

This review first published in the Fall 2024 edition of Su Casa magazine.