Top Decorating Dish

Fear not. Decorating is a "logical, rational process that anyone can understand and adopt," reads the introduction of "Decorating Master Class: The Cullman & Kravis Way" (Abrams), by Elissa Cullman and a colleague, Tracey Pruzan.

The pair seemed well matched at their book party at Christie's last week (pictured above, with Tracey on the left and Ellie on the right), but as the book title indicates, the firm even today carries the name and pays homage to the 13-year run of partners Mrs. Cullman and Hedi Kravis, who died in 1997.

"She was gorgeous and glamorous, with impeccable taste, keen attention to detail," Mrs. Cullman writes of Hedi, alongside photographs of Hedi's home to indicate her style (the highlight is her twinkle room, named not for its reflective finishes but rather for the luminous blue that matched her eyes).

The duo were friends before they were business partners. Their first client was a film producer, Stanley Jaffe, who hired them after reading a screenplay they had written together. He didn't like the story, but he did like the way they described the characters' homes, so he suggested they become decorators instead of screenwriters.

Here are some of the tips in the book that demonstrate the range of big and practical ideas to be found, among gorgeous photographs and case studies.

•Balloon shades don't have to be puffy or fussy.
•On white: For woodwork: Benjamin Moore Dove White. For ceilings: Benjamin Moore Super White.
•Don't greet your guests or read your mail in a dimly lit hallway.
•A cozy chair for reading needs its own light source.
•You may never have noticed that all doorknobs are set 36 inches high.
•The living room is the center of your design universe.