Tuesday: Inspiring Spaces by John Saladino

John Saladino is a genius. Simply put. He has a inimitable power of infusing a house with a sense of drama, sophistication, and permanent aesthete. By that I mean - his rooms are tokenless expressions of traditional design that will last through the ages. We'll be sitting in our wheelchairs at the home thumbing through his books, saying "I wish my suite looked like that."

The Manhattan based interior designer has created stunning works of art, mostly on the west coast in past years, and has gained phenomenal fame for it. Most notably, his second home, a romantic ruin of a 1920s Santa Barbara estate that he restored to remarkable grandeur. Its elegant transformation is the focus of Villa, one of his best design books, and arguably the best of any design books printed in 2009. I remember Joni Webb of Cote de Texas telling me to pick up a copy of Saladino Style, that it was the only interior design course I needed ... and she was undoubtedly correct.

A true master of the subtle gesture, Saladino's work appears effortless, timely yet timeless. Check out these photos from his portfolio, and if you haven't already bought or received the most current issue of Veranda, buy it - his feature in this month's issue is gorgeous!