The Welcoming House: The Art of Living Graciously

The owners of the acclaimed stores and decorating firm Circa Interiors present eight stylish, beautiful homes blending comfort, beauty, and function with classic Southern hospitality. A house with an open door is like a friend with an open heart: inviting, generous of spirit, and constant at the core. In their first book, Jane Schwab and Cindy Smith present beautifully arranged interiors in which the trademarks of their style subtle color palettes, graceful furniture, an emphasis on comfort and entertaining harmonize to create fresh yet classic rooms. Walking the reader through each home with their characteristic Southern charm, they share their vision and process, from big-picture topics such as room flow and furniture plans, to the importance of entryways and setting a beautiful table. The lessons also extend from the interior to the garden, as Schwab and Smith discuss how outside spaces can become natural extensions of the home for entertaining. Throughout, they share specific ideas for arranging rooms to welcome one, two, or four people as comfortably as fifty, establishing multifunctional, adaptable gathering places that are both gracious and functional for the family of the house as well as their guests.

"There is a lot of practical design information on the development of furniture plans and color palettes, and creating fresh yet classic rooms, as well as the importance of entryways and the design of the garden and outdoors. Southern hospitality is a recurring theme and the authors cover the essentials for perfect guest room, setting a beautiful table, and entertaining ideas..." Array

"From subtle hues to lavish furnishings, this embodies comfort and elegance, with a dose of hospitality. Jane and Cindy give you all the necessary knowledge to take on any room redo." Romantic Homes

In the book, the pair presents interiors in which the trademarks of their style--subtle color palettes, graceful furniture, an emphasis on comfort and entertaining--harmonize to create fresh yet classic rooms. Walking the reader through each home with Southern charm, they share their vision and process, from big-picture topics such as room flow and furniture plans, to the importance of entryways and setting a beautiful table. Don't miss an insightful foreword by Bunny Williams. Editoratlarge.com

Afraid guests will abandon all hope, ye who enter here upon arrival? This is your guide. Providing relatives and friends with a level of comfort is a necessity for any gathering, large or small--a topic Jane Schwab and Cindy Smith advise on in great detail in The Welcoming House...the duo gives specific tips on how to create an inviting home for all. CS Interiors

In The Welcoming House: The Art of Living Graciously, Circa Interiors' principals Jane Schwab and Cindy Smith put out the welcome mat. They invite readers to tour eight homes that embody such key decorating elements as subtle color, graceful furnishings and an emphasis on comfort and entertaining. Daily News Los Angeles

Jane Schwab and Cindy Smith have been partners in Circa since 1988. Schwab attended Parsons School for Design and spent several years working at the New York firm of Marshall Schule Associates. As a student in France, Smith developed a love of antiques, which led her to launch Circa Interiors & Antiques in 1979. Bunny Williams is an acclaimed interior designer and the author of four books, including An Affair with a House.