17 December 2008

RR Backstory 2: Choosing a Cover

It's hard to believe now, but it was a long road to finding the perfect cover for Regency Redux. In fact, the Greenbrier enfilade was a last minute find and wasn't my first pick.

The Initial Work Up

A gloriously decaying interior at Stephen Tennant's Wilsford Manor. Tennant was a Bright Young Thing, great friends with Cecil Beaton and Rex Whistler, and a client of Syrie Maugham.

Rizzoli liked this one best.


The famous David Adler mirrored bathroom now in Miles Redd's NoHo townhouse as photographed by Martyn Thompson for W magazine. The bathroom was originally designed for meatpacking magnate Lester Armour, and torn out when the house was purchased by singer/songwriter Richard Marks.

My editor and I fought for this one, but#1 Rizzoli doesn't like loos on covers and #2 the general concensus was that the image was too difficult to read.


Trying Again


This was the first Greenbrier image we worked with. I thought the Rococo revival chair sent too much of a contradictory message.


Loved this one! Myrna Loy's dressing room in Wife vs. Secretary. Rizzoli really wanted color and although I was devastated for five minutes, I think they were right.

What do you think?


(Susi Oberhelman is the extremely talented graphic designer responsible for all these covers as well as the book itself.)

17 comments:

Ivy Lane said...

The mirrored bath and the one you ended up with are my two faves.. Congratulations on the book by the way! Found you by way of Courtney Barnes of Style Court! Welcome to the blogosphere!

ArchitectDesign™ said...

I love the image chosen, but some of these other ones are fabulous! I love the Miles Redd bathroom, there is no way of knowing that is a bathroom (unless it's previous knowledge) -that last image is amazing as well, but I suppose color is more eye catching *sigh*

Emily Evans Eerdmans said...

Thank you, Ivy Lane! It was so nice of Courtney to introduce me formally to the neighborhood! EEE

Anna Spiro said...

Just came over to you from Courtney - I LOVE the cover you went with - it's so striking and hard to pass by!

Anonymous said...

Tough decision! The Myrna Loy is my favorite; could have done the title in color? But I do think the one chosen is probably the most effective and it is also quite handsome. (I hope the loo appears in the book, that is amazing!) Congratulations!

Janet said...

Oh, that dressing room is divine. But, I love the enfilade...the red is just so sexy!

Style Court said...

Emily this is so interesting. I love stuff like this!

Like Janet I just thought red of the Draper enfilade turned out to be so bold and sexy. And told your story.

But I can see the black-and-white movie set being so YOU. So glam.

Of course I have no problem reading the Redd cover. Would have worked for me. Stunning.

Emily Evans Eerdmans said...

Courtney, it was such a fascinating process. You can't even imagine what we went through in the naming of the book and its crazy subtitle - maybe another post! EEE

Style Court said...

Can't wait to read that follow up post on the subtitle!

Pigtown*Design said...

I love the image that was chosen. It's perfect. And I love a good enfilade!

Emily Evans Eerdmans said...

Thank you, P-D! I completely agree - my first book also has an enfilade on its cover! EEE

pve design said...

Graphically speaking, the cover has punch and appeal.
If the last image had made the cover, Myrna would be rolling over in her grave. I love the chosen one.

ALL THE BEST said...

Such an interesting post! Thanks for sharing this Emily! The cover is fantastic, but the Myrna Loy's dressing room in Wife vs. Secretary is a close second!

Topsy Turvy said...

Fun to see the choices! The enfilade image works well in context with the name of the book and is very striking ... although I love that Myrna Loy dressing room photo.

-Lana

Emily Evans Eerdmans said...

Ronda and Lana, Wouldn't you DIE to have that as your dressing room? It's got it all as far as I'm concerned. EEE

Anonymous said...

I would have to say M. Redd's Armour bathroom would have been my choice but the current cover is PERFECT!
I new the room having seen it in the Armour hse years earlier and then quite by accident found the room languishing at Salvage One in Chicago. At first I did everything I could to get it placed in either Chicago's Art Institute or the Historical Society with the idea that it would be their
(America's) version of the famous Rateau Lanvin bathroom. It was just so perfect from the family name, to the Architect, to the period- all of it. But I couldn't get anyone in Chicago to even consider it! Of course Its so much better that it ended up with Miles who is my closet friend, loves it dearly and was truly born to have it!

Emily Evans Eerdmans said...

J.S. - how lucky we all are that you wandered into Salvage One that fateful day. It's unfortunate that by the time we consider something worthy of preserving, it's often too late. I am a tremendous fan of the wildly talented Mr. Redd who certainly has a long long career ahead of him of surprising and delighting us.