Experience the joy of décor and design restoration and rebirth color and comfort-all in the enchanting locale of Louisiana. A New Orleans-based interior designer Valorie Hart expertly leads a private tour of the most fashionable homes in the state. Sara Essex Bradley's photographs document the personality of Louisiana's homes from the formal Greek revival house to the warm Creole cottage the pre-Civil war beauty to the kitschy '50s-style ranch the grand Victorian to the modern urban loft. This is not simply a design inspiration book but rather a thoughtful compilation of homeowners' personal stories of restoring and redesigning their dream houses-the stories of the "house-proud." In addition to Debra Shriver's forward Hart gives her creative expertise on re-purposing furniture displaying art collections creating extra rooms and rethinking storage. Hart presents us with today's Louisiana homes: the feel of southern hospitality married with a look of contemporary chic. House Proud is much more than a design book. It’s a story about family and friends, culture and heritage... It’s a real delight and a wonderful addition for any collection. , Bright Bold & Beautiful blog, September 18, 2013 Valorie Hart is one of the most passionate women we’ve ever encountered. It’s clear that everything she does is done with love- and this book is no exception. In House Proud, Valorie takes readers through the most fashionable doorways in Louisiana. We’re swooning over the rustic elements and still obsessing over the amount of colors and patterns. Each home is full of personality, clearly created with love, and photographed beautifully by Sara Essex Bradley. This is one book that we’ll be referencing anytime we need a creative boost., Rue Magazine Online, September 2013 Valorie Hart is an experienced interior designer and decorator and writes for the popular design blog "The Visual Vamp." Hart's writings have also appeared in New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, GO NOLA, and House of Fifty Ideas for Inspired Living. She considers herself a "New New"―a New Yorker transplanted in New Orleans―and lives in a restored antique shotgun house in New Orleans' Irish Channel neighborhood with her husband, Alberto.