A California Celebrity Designer, Barbra Streisand

I’m currently reading “My Passion for Design”- Barbra Streisand’s first book that reveals her beautiful home that she shares with actor James Brolin, located on California's breathtaking coast.  It is an homage of sorts to craftsmanship and her many collections. I met Barbara Streisand and James Brolin in 2001 (By the way they call each other Barb and Jim) when they were building their home.  She talked enthusiastically about the project and it was obviously a labor of love.

This book is a culmination and reflection of Barbra's love of American architecture and design. In the home and outbuildings she displays her collections of furniture and art.  I loved pouring through the pages of ravishing gardens, lawns, pools and ponds she has created on the estate.  This accomplished visionary shares 350 photographs (many Barbara took herself) of the complex of houses that include the main house, mill house, barn, guest house, sheds, storm cellar, deluxe chicken coop, ponds, kitchen garden, rose gardens, all in beautiful Malibu, California.

Barbra has collected art pieces, furniture and has had an eye for antiques, design and creativity for 50 years.  Like many of us Barbra sorted through her collections while building and donated or auctioned off more than 500 pieces from her personal collection of antiques and collectibles. (Smart thing to do when building a new home).   I liked that she talked about editing her possessions and how she wanted to display her collections not just store them. 

It is rare when you can see this much of such a private person’s life.  In this book she shares her childhood, her design ideals,  her collections: Art deco, vintage clothing and shoes, dolls, Tiffany lamps, Weller Pottery Vases, tapestry pillows, artwork, farm animal figurines and much more.  I loved how she "hid" her electronics, like a where’s Waldo book you did not see TV’s and electronics in rooms as Barbra hides those things creatively behind doors, in antique chests, and dressers.

An elegant barn, mill house , screening room (with a 17-foot-wide screen), a basement that is a street of shops with antique clothes, Bee’s doll shop, gift shoppe, root cellar (with flower fridge), Georgian display room (for china, glassware, candle holders and collections of dishware) professional recording studio and more.  Her collections are extensive and museum quality.  "Instead of just storing my things in the basement, I can make a street of shops and display them,"

In her true Philanthropic nature she is donating a portion of the proceeds from this book to Barbra Streisand Women's Cardiovascular research and education program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.  This was a wonderful book that gave me many hours of reading pleasure.  I highly recommend reading it and you will find it on sale on Amazon for under $10.00 and I leave it out for people to look at when they visit. http://www.amazon.com/My-Passion-Design-Barbra-Streisand/dp/0670022136/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340978067&sr=8-1&keywords=my+passion+for+design