Design Book Wish List - An Enriching Start to the New Year - Part 2

Deeper into lockdown we go, and my mid-January birthday is on the horizon. All I want to do is eat comfort food, but I’m trying to impose a health kick on myself to boost my system post festive season richness. The daily walk is helping my sanity and I’m appreciating the air in my face, even if today’s was fuzzy rain.

Reading is a major thing that helps me feel balanced. It inspired and stimulated me over the Christmas break and I’m trying to keep it up as part of the health kick, this one for my brain and mental health. 

If you haven’t yet read my Design Book Wish List Part 1, you can do so here. It’s a record of some of the design focussed books that’ve been on my wish list for some time, as well as some new ones that may tickle your fancy. This article is Part 2, another seven titles, in no particular order - just gimme more literature and pretty pictures to keep me going please! 

A little snap of the fiction I’m reading: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo plus one of my favourite design books; Faded Glamour by Pearl Lowe

British Designers At Home

I love reading about British designers, I want to know as much as I can about who and what is out there on this brilliant island. I’m currently half way through ‘Bold British Design’ which I believe is of a similar ilk to ‘British Designer at Home’. Reviews are saying that it’s full of interesting and inspiring content; imagery, words and back stories. Read more about the book here.

What I love about British design is how ‘anything goes’. We have a fondness for our past and heritage, a deep respect for our family cultures, with a focused eye on the future, and this perspective makes for very eclectic interiors indeed. 

‘British Designers at Home’ includes the abodes of: Nina Campbell; Jane Churchill; Roger Jones; Kit Kemp; Paolo Moschino; and 15 others, so 20 homes in total. 

‘Each designer has been profiled and photographed at home - alongside details of their working life and the story of how they became interested in design, they talk at length about the house itself and the thinking behind its design and decoration. From the unexpected to that classic British look, this is an exciting look at modern British interiors.’

British Designers At Home by Jenny Rose-Innes

Flora Magnifica

I first spotted this book in H&M Home, Regent Street a couple of years ago and it’s been on my wish list ever since. The imagery has that dark Dutch oil painting appearance, but these very real arrangements have in fact been created by renowned flower artist Makoto and botanical photographer Shunsuke Shiinoki. 

‘Working together, they have selected hundreds of plant species and arranged them in striking combinations that could never exist in the natural world, so creating a unique floral aesthetic.’ This sentence appeals to me a lot, the notion that like any product or commodity, flowers too can be bought together from all corners of the world to create original groupings, in the same way that we do with our decor and furniture.

I think this is one for those who are interested in colour, pattern and form as well as design. I believe there is so much inspiration and lessons to learn from the natural world, interestingly shown in this book as striking combinations that would not ordinarily grow together. Look at more of the stunning images here.

Flora Magnifica by Makoto and Shunsuke Shiinoki. 

Kelly Wearstler Evocative Style

K is for Kelly; I own three of Kelly’s books, which I peruse recurrently. They’re full of visual impact and I find them particularly useful for colour palette references. Kelly Wearster is a total interiors goddess. She is well known for her maximalist use of raw materials, particularly those that include natural occurring patterns, colour and shapes within its form.

Her interiors are the epitome of luxury, I can’t imagine the budget that one might require to create a full-on Kelly Wearstler space, but it’s definitely fun trying. The spaces she creates are like the most fabulous sets from the stylish Hollywood films we pore over on duvet days. Take a look at the item here.

Evocative Style by Kelly Wearstler

Life Meets Art

Here we have another anthology of interesting homes belonging to artistes of various disciplines including art, architecture, design, fashion, literature, music, film and theatre. This book is an example of another beautiful cover, this time, fuchsia pink and peach, take a look at it here.

‘These inspiring, unique spaces show us where the greatest creatives in history lived their lives, honed their crafts and, in many cases, produced some of the world's most celebrated masterpieces ― providing an intimate and insightful perspective on the masters that define artistic history.’

Life Meets Art - Sam Lubell

Modern Living - Grandiflora

Any budding interior stylist, decor professional or home enthusiast strives to include attractive displays of flowers throughout their homes. This book is a guide full of ideas on how to do that. As we’re continually seeking the need for nature, bringing as much as the outdoors into our homes as possible, we’ve become almost obsessed with house plants, and really upped the ante with floral displays, as well as the vessels that contain them. You can find out more about the book here.

‘Author and interiors writer Claire Bingham leads by example, sharing her passion for floral-themed houses and people who dream up eye-catching schemes using nature as their cue. Alongside the blossom-filled abodes, the book is crammed full of ideas for easy, seasonal floral arrangements to step-by-step guides to flower pressing the modern way. Bingham believes nature should feature highly in the contemporary family home.’

Modern Living - Grandiflora by Claire Bingham

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colours, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan 

From a country that fills me with wanderlust, comes a book of vibrant photography and meaning. The author, Christine Chitnis has spent ten years traveling to India, and within this book, she treats us to remarkable insights into the colour stories that exist there.

‘Colour is the thread that binds the vast country together, defining every aspect of life from religion and politics to food and dress. Organised by the five dominant colours; royal blue, sandstone, marigold, ivory, and rose, this book explores how deeply colour and pattern exist in a symbiotic relationship and are woven into every part of the culture. ‘

I find that travel books are so full of unobvious inspiration when it comes to fine detailing, pattern and texture, which you might find in fretwork, ironwork or window panes. I really enjoy looking closely at travel images to see what I can find. Read more about the book here.

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colours, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan by Christine Chitnis

Bloom Wild

By the looks of it, this book is going to inspire me to ensure there are flowers on every surface, including cushions, chairs, the sofa, curtains, wallpaper, oh, and actual flowers everywhere, even more than normal! I think Bloom Wild has been produced to uncover us rebellious maximalists to be even more defiant, and convert the less brave into an all-out, extreme floral lover, take a look at it here.

‘In her new book,Bari J. Ackerman presents practical advice for adding florals to every room of the house, along with easy DIYs, advice on staying within budget, and detailed source lists. Ackerman shows readers how to achieve a curated maximalist style and to seamlessly create a gorgeous, layered floral look that will spark joy and lift the mood of the whole house.’

Bloom Wild by Bari Ackerman

I don’t think any of us believed that 2021 would be the year that waves the magic wand, wafting away 2020’s distress and disappointments, but I’m not quite sure we were expected to be greeted by another lockdown either. 

For me, staying safe and staying informed are of upmost importance, but I’m trying my best not to feel overwhelmed. If the news get too much, I’m switching it off, and instead I’m going to escape into another world, one that reading glorious design books can take me to, from the comfort and safety of my armchair.