Anna Spiro’s ‘A Life in Pattern’ vs. ‘Absolutely Beautiful Things’

I just finished absorbing Anna Spiro’s new book, A Life in Pattern. And, while it’s a gorgeous tome to behold, I found myself thinking it really didn’t measure up content-wise to her first book, Absolutely Beautiful Things.

Tim Salisbury

Both Spiro books were pricey, and a good reason to buy her latest volume is that it will undoubtedly increase in value, as the first has. The cover is over-sized and done in a Spiro-designed floral linen fabric. Inside, the book is chock full of bespoke details–tip-in quotes, beautifully patterned endpapers, vellum sketch overlays to photos, and gi-normous format color photographs of Spiro’s latest design work. But embellishment is no substitute for content.

Tim Salisbury

A Life in Pattern does showcase some pleasant rooms. The intention is to show us a more mature Spiro creating more “important,” cohesive projects. They are lovely, there’s no doubt. But something is missing to my mind–a certain spontaneity ever-present in Absolutely Beautiful Things. They are predictable.

Tim Salisbury

And, contrary to the book title, there is less pattern coming out of this new Anna. In fact, the new Anna has an all-white sofa in her new beach house! Ho-hum cliche…

Tim Salisbury

She also references a client project where she was asked to tone it down, and she expressed glee (?!!) at the prospect of trying this “new thing.”

Tim Salisbury

(Perhaps this is the place to mention publisher Thames & Hudson ripped off the title for this book from Orla Kiely’s 2018 book published by rival Conran, Spiro’s former publisher.)

Tim Salisbury

Spiro’s much-photographed houses in Melbourne and Stradbroke Island near Brisbane, profiled in Absoutely Beautiful Things, have since been sold. Instead, So rather than updates to them, A Life in Pattern shows us the quirky Straddie beach house Spiro bought in place of the other. This is indeed, for me, the highlight of the book (though I still don’t get the all-white sofa installed there).

The journalist in me wishes the photos had captions, which was a problem with Absolutely Beautiful Things as well. For instance, there was no way of telling that many of the photos in the first part of this latest book were from Spiro’s offices, where she turned three apartments into a showroom for clients. I read that in another interview with her related to the book’s release, and it informed how I evaluated and enjoyed the rooms. Why didn’t the book itself mention that?

Tim Salisbury

At least A Life in Pattern has mini-photos at the end with material sources listed, however over-the-top pricewise they are for the average reader, who will be stretched by the $80 list price of this book or even the $45.86 Amazon offer.

Will I keep it? Yes, until it’s doubled in value anyway. But the book I will go back to again and again for inspiration is Absolutely Beautiful Things.

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