Show notes
Unlock the Secrets of the Old Money Library: More Than Just Decor Dive into a captivating exploration of the "Old Money Library," where books are far more than mere objects – they are powerful social signifiers, reflecting generations of taste, privilege, and cultivated intellect. In this fascinating episode, host Kiki Astor, your "Auntie Kiki," unveils the nuanced world of aristocratic reading, contrasting the "performative page-turner" of influencer culture with the authentic, lived-in collections of true old money. Discover the hidden sociology behind high-society book clubs, often serving as subtle battlegrounds for social capital, and journey into the exclusive "Cabana universe," where specific literary canons signal insider status among the global elite. Kiki shares closely guarded styling secrets from legendary decorators like Elsie de Wolfe and Nancy Mitford, revealing how to curate a library that whispers inherited elegance and effortless sophistication. But the revelations don't stop there. Auntie Kiki takes a delightful and cheeky detour into the "geography of the questionable read" – those scandalous romance novels, tell-all celebrity memoirs, and thrilling beach reads discreetly tucked away in bathrooms, guest rooms, and lake cottages. These private literary indulgences offer a psychological escape, proving that true old money style embraces a nuanced blend of intellectual display, mischievous self-awareness, and a delightfully scandalous past. Tune in to understand why a well-curated life, like a well-curated library, always leaves room for delightful surprises. Keywords: Old Money, Old Money Library, Cultural Capital, Book Clubs, Book Styling, Interior Design, Luxury Lifestyle, Etiquette, Elite Reading, Society Decor, Status Symbols, Discreet Luxury, Personal Library, Podcast, Kiki Astor, Sociology of Books, Psychology of Books. Show Notes: Episode Title: The Old Money Library: Beyond Decor – Sociology, Psychology & Secret Reads Host: Kiki Astor, your Auntie Kiki (Author, Bibliophile, ex-rich person, Old Money expert, Nouveau Pauvre ambassador) Episode Summary: In this captivating episode of "Awkward Etiquette, Old Money and New Manners," Kiki Astor delves deep into the fascinating world of the "Old Money Library." More than just decor, books are powerful social signifiers, revealing volumes about taste, privilege, and intellect. Auntie Kiki unpacks the stark contrast between "influencer reading" (books as props) and genuine "intellectual reading," exploring the sociology of the bookshelf, the subtle art of high-society book clubs, and the exclusive "Cabana universe" of elite literary signals. Discover closely guarded styling secrets from iconic decorators like Elsie de Wolfe and Nancy Mitford, learning how to curate a library that exudes inherited elegance and effortless sophistication. The episode also takes a delightful detour into the "geography of the questionable read," revealing the cheeky literary indulgences found in the private corners of old money homes. Tune in to uncover how books serve as silent ambassadors of a life well-lived, imbued with layers, secrets, and a delightfully scandalous past. Key Themes & Discussion Points: Books as Social Signifiers: How books communicate taste, sophistication, and status without a word in old money circles. Influencer vs. Intellectual Reading: The stark divide between aesthetic-driven book displays (props for social media) and genuine, lived-in intellectual engagement with literature. The Sociology of Book Clubs: High-society book clubs as networking events, intellectual jousting, and subtle social reaffirmation. Common Archetypes: The Literary Lioness, The Pseudo-Intellectual Progressive, The Inherited Taste Keeper, and The Quietly Judgmental One. Book Club Etiquette: Treating it as a conversation, reading the book, listening, criticizing the work not the person, and respecting the host. The Old Money Library Aesthetic: An accumulated, lived-in reflection of generational intellectual curiosity, not a staged display. Historical Context: Education and leisure as ultimate status symbols dating back to the Grand Tour. Marginalia: The ultimate sign of a well-used and cherished book. The "Unfinished Classics": The subtle flex of displaying daunting, multi-volume tomes that few actually finish. The Cabana Universe & Cultural Capital: An insular, self-referential ecosystem of books that signals elite insider status – a form of gatekeeping within high society. Key figures & publications: Martina Mondadori (Cabana Home), James Reginato, Rizzoli, Vendome. Decorator Bibles: How books by Billy Baldwin, David Hicks, Mario Buatta, and Edith Wharton anchor libraries to an older, more established timeline. Society Photographers: Peter Beard, Slim Aarons, and Oberto Gili (whose "studied carelessness" - sprezzatura - exemplifies counter-signaling). Styling Your Old Money Library: Elsie de Wolfe's Approach: Championing lightness, airiness, painted shelves, and aesthetic harmony. Nancy Mitford's Approach: Embracing dark wood, built-in shelves, organic accumulation, and inherited clutter with fluid grace. Practical Styling Tricks: Stacking books both vertically and horizontally, hanging small paintings directly in front of books, and using books as decorative pedestals. Books in Unexpected Places: Weaving intellectual engagement into the very fabric of daily life throughout the home. Kitchen: Classic cookbooks (Julia Child, Larousse Gastronomique) signalling a love for entertaining. Entryway: Curated coffee table books (Assouline Amalfi Coast) or local histories, offering an intellectual amuse-bouche. Guest Room Nightstand: Thoughtful, entertaining, but not overly demanding reads (classic novels, local poetry) as a sign of gracious hospitality. The Secret Library (The Geography of the Questionable Read): A look into the private spaces for cheeky, scandalous, or indulgent literature that offers psychological release from societal pressures. Bathroom Bookshelf: Romantic thrillers (Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, Kiki Astor's Scarlet Fever/Midnight Blue), celebrity memoirs (Sarah Ferguson), and historical bodice-rippers (Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls). Guest Room Bookshelf: Witty satires (Evelyn Waugh, Nancy Mitford, Kiki Astor's upcoming The Heiress's Guide to Social Death), and niche design books (e.g., Vogue's Book of Houses, Parties, etc.). Lake/Beach House/Chalet Bookshelf: Vintage, escapist reads, mystery thrillers, and beach reads designed for unwinding. Hyper-Specific Stacks: Niche collections for polo enthusiasts, yacht aficionados, or fashionistas, often revealing self-aware humor. Thoughtful Gifting: The art of giving a thrilling, scandalous, or indulgent book to a host. Conclusion: The old money library is a nuanced construct balancing public intellectualism with private indulgence, reflecting inherited elegance and mischievous self-awareness. Mentioned Books & Authors: Rizzoli, Assouline, Taschen (coffee table book publishers) Midnight Blue by Kiki Astor (Sponsor's book, available on Amazon: Kindle, paperback, audiobook) The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Edward Gibbon) Italian Journey (Goethe) War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy) Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy) Middlemarch (George Eliot) In Search of Lost Time (Marcel Proust) Ulysses (James Joyce) Hegel, Kant, Marx (philosophers) Great Houses, Modern Aristocrats (a book representing the Cabana universe) Billy Baldwin Decorates David Hicks on Decoration Mario Buatta, Anatomy of a Decorator The Decoration of Houses (Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman Jr.) Peter Beard (photographer) Slim Aarons (Once Upon a Time) Oberto Gili (Luxury of Space) The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame) Swallows and Amazons (Arthur Ransome) The Once and Future King (T.H. White) Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari) Stalky & Co. (Rudyard Kipling) The Official Preppy Handbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Julia Child) Larousse Gastronomique Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh) Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn) Scarlet Fever by Kiki Astor My Story (Sarah Ferguson) Counting My Chickens (Duchess of Devonshire) Fifty Shades of Grey (E.L. James) The Heiress's Guide to Social Death by Kiki Astor (upcoming) Vile Bodies (Evelyn Waugh) Love in a Cold Climate (Nancy Mitford) The Great Houses of London Vogue's Book of Houses, Parties, etc. Valley of the Dolls (Jacqueline Susann) Peyton Place (Grace Metalious) Stick and Ball by Kiki Astor Service Entrance by Kiki Astor Jilly Cooper (author) Call to Action: Listen to Kiki Astor's previous episodes on "Exclusivity." Purchase Kiki Astor's latest book, Midnight Blue, available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats! 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