California Revival

The Book

California Revival decor is an indoor-outdoor design trend that blends vintage furnishings, art pottery, tile, paintings and decorative arts from California’s golden era, the Spanish Revival period of the 1920s to 1940s, in today’s homes. The book contains over 550 specially commissioned original color images (photography by Stephen Francis) with an engaging text and in-depth captions. Historic and vintage Catalina Island pottery and tile, Malibu tile, Bauer pottery, Taylor Tiles, Monterey furniture, San Jose Workshop tiles from Texas, Spanish Revival ironwork, paintings, Mexican folk art, and textiles are extensively featured in actual rooms. Taking you from entry to patio, ten “real” homes that belong to California’s top collectors are featured (with design details and rooms from many more), showcasing this individual and color-saturated style. Decorators, collectors, dealers, and home improvement aficionados, will find the book does double-duty by helping with identification as well as design. Many never-before-seen rarities are pictured, as well as terminology and tips, and a list of all the major vintage makers and their wares. The comprehensive “Decorative Elements” chapter is organized by theme, giving even beginning collectors an overview of the choices available. A large Monterey furniture section shows bedrooms, entries, dining, and living rooms that achieve a blended look with different colored finishes. You will see why this California vernacular decor has become so popular all around the country, and find all the information you need to add a touch or a blending of vintage “California” to your life.

Carole Coates, also author of Catalina Island Pottery & Tile: Island Treasures 1927-1937 (Schiffer, 2001), has been an avid collector of California vintage furnishings for over 20 years. With an extensive background in television as an executive, producer, show runner, and writer, she brings a storytelling sensibility to her finely honed sense of what’s “on the verge” in new design trends. In her new career as a historian, curator, researcher–what Carole likes to call the field of “urban archeology”– she was inspired and intrigued by fellow enthusiasts who displayed their historic collections artfully integrated into their living spaces. Facing growing requests for consultations and buying advice she found books featuring California Revival furnishings in real-life settings in short supply. This provided inspiration for a new study and Schiffer Publishing gave Carole’s concept –a photographic tour of vintage California Decor in real homes–the go-ahead. Four years later, with the generous help of distinguished clients, fellow aficionados, collector-friends, colleagues, and the assistance of former collaborator Annie Dietz, California Revival, Vintage Decor for Today’s Homes was born. Carole’s mission was to document and define this new interpretation of a historic style, linking the more familiar term “Spanish Revival” with “California Decor”, to "brand" the movement as “California Revival”. We hope you enjoy the book and welcome feedback or additional information to further these studies.