Beautiful books are a great addition to a design library, as well as a source of ideas for creating a comfortable and stylish home. They can also provide a finishing touch to a room for guests to enjoy. Here’s our list of the year’s most interesting books on inspired living to give—and get.
INSPIRING HOMES
Who doesn’t love a window into how others have created a beautiful home? Whether it’s a perpetual work-in-progress or a completed project, we appreciate the journey as much as the finished result.
Villa Cetinale: A Memoir of a House in Tuscany by Ned Lambton; Photographs by Simon Upton, $75 at Cabana
Inheriting a house with a history poses unique challenges. Ned Lambton shares the story of refurbishing the 17th century Tuscan villa bought by his father Lord Antony Lambton in 1978. Villa Cetinale sits outside of Siena among vineyards and olive groves. Lambton and his wife reveal the fruits of redecorating while allowing the original character to shine through. In addition to a family retreat, the estate has hosted celebrities, politicians and royalty, which only adds a few more chapters to the villa’s history.
Our Way Home: Reimagining an American Farmhouse by Heidi Hendricks and Rafe Churchill, $65 at Barnes and Noble
Architecture and interior design firm principals, Heide Hendricks and Rafe Churchill, reveal the process behind revamping their historic 19th century farmhouse in Connecticut. From architecture to the ever-evolving decor, the house also serves to spark ideas for their residential projects. Beautiful design might always be a lovely work-in-progress.
The House of a Lifetime: A Collector’s Journey in Tangier by Umberto Pasti and Ngoc Minh Ngo, $70 at Cabana
Writer Umberto Pasti’s house and garden in Tangier is a testament to living with history. The beautiful photographs reveal a museum-worthy collection of Moroccan artworks, furniture, textiles and objects. Imagine a villa and garden through a curator’s eye.
Haute Bohemians: Greece by Miguel Flores-Vianna ,$75 at Cabana
Sometimes the country chooses you. Photographer Miguel Flores-Vianna has traveled the globe capturing people and places with exceptional original style. With a special love of Greece, he looks inside both historical and modern-day houses and features the stories behind the lives—and lifestyles—of those who live there.
Interiors: The Greatest Rooms of the Century (Black Edition) by Phaidon, with an introduction by William Norwich, $79.95 at Barnes and Noble
If you’re looking for the GOAT of interior spaces, these “greatest hits” provide stellar reference points of iconic rooms throughout history. Surveying 400 rooms from the start of the 20th century to today, it’s truly a romp through the best design moments.
Heidi Caillier: Memories of Home – Signed Copy by Heidi Caillier; photography by Haris Kenjar $60 at Jayson Home (Signed Copy)
In her first book, the West Coast designer Heidi Caillier showcases 12 homes that evoke a sense of place and intimacy. Each is filled with items and artifacts in her signature mix of pattern and color with the aim of evoking the feeling of home.
Lodge: An Indoorsy Tour of America’s National Parks by Max Humphrey, $40 at Barnes and Noble
America’s National Parks not only provide an entry into our natural surroundings, but the lodges built in the parks themselves are filled with architectural and historical touchpoints—from the lobbies to the dining rooms to the guest rooms. Max Humphrey showcases 10 rustic National Park lodges that give new meaning to the department of interior.
HEAVY HITTERS OF DESIGN
Learn from the best. Tapping into the visual thinking of these design world luminaries is sure to inspire your imagination on how to create your own personal style at home.
Ralph Lauren A Way of Living: Home, Design, Inspiration , $75 at Barnes and Noble
Icon, pioneer, innovator, influencer. From clothes to housewares, Ralph Lauren designed a complete world. The book commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Ralph Lauren Home Collection and illustrates how he created a signature style that defined a lifetime of design.
Kelly Wearstler: Synchronicity by Kelly Wearstler and Dan Rubinstein, $60 at Barnes and Noble
Her first new book in four years, it follows “Evocative Style,” “Rhapsody,” and “Hue.” Long gone are the days of pinning that limiting Hollywood Regency label on her. Pushing boundaries for decades, from designing the Proper hotels to a host of residential projects, Wearstler’s world view seamlessly combines big and bold with the details of texture and shape.
Star Style: Interiors of Martyn Lawrence Bullard by Martyn Lawrence Bullard; Photographs by Douglas Friedman, $75 at Bookshop.org
Hollywood house call. It takes a special talent to marry celebrity wattage with good design. Just ask Cher, who wrote the forward for the book. Martyn Lawrence Bullard brings the glam and the command to crafting homes for his big-name clients from fashion, movies and music.
David Netto by David Netto, $75 at Barnes and Noble
This is the first monograph by interior and architectural designer David Netto. A noted mix master, Netto blends modernist, contemporary and traditional into a sophisticated whole.
Maximalism: Bold, Bedazzled, Gold, and Tasseled Interiors by Simon Doonan, $89.95 at Barnes and Noble
Simon Doonan certainly knows how to pump up the volume. In this look at more than 220 maximalist interiors from the 1600s to now, Doonan makes the case that over-the-top design is part of an historical tradition of embracing excess.
Suzanne Rheinstein: A Welcoming Elegance by Suzanne Rheinstein with Michael Boodro; Photography by Pieter Estersohn, $55.80 at Bookshop.org
Suzanne Rheinstein is known for elegant, refined, stylish interiors. In this tour through the homes of recent clients, she shows how simplicity can lead to a relaxed and personal style.
Living Bright by Matthew Williamson, $40 at Bookshop.org
Need a little push to color your world? This is the first decorating book from interior design expert and former fashion designer Matthew Williamson. Think of this book as an invitation to bring bold, bright color into your home. Fire engine red actually might be your new neutral.
Charm School: The Schumacher Guide to Traditional Decorating for Today by Emma Bazilian and Stephanie Diaz, $55 at Jayson Home
This book could easily be renamed “Charming School.” Whatever the name, Schumacher, the venerable design company, highlights 250 rooms by iconic designers who have perfected the modern day mash-up of classic, cool and cozy.
David Hicks in Colour by Ashley Hicks, $95 at Cabana
This special, limited-edition book of 10 color-themed portfolios highlights the design process of legendary English interior decorator David Hicks. Offering a new perspective on his legacy, it showcases never before seen photos of his distinctive use of color and design. Each copy is bound in a David Hicks print.
TO DISPLAY
In the library, home office, atop a credenza or the de rigeur coffee table, displaying books for others to enjoy makes a room feel loved and lived-in.
Annie Leibovitz. Art Edition No. 1–1,000 ‘Keith Haring’, $1,500 at Taschen
This limited Art Edition of famed photographer Annie Leibovitz’s XXL volume comes with a framed ChromaLuxe aluminum print of her portrait of the artist Keith Haring, New York City, 1986. An edition of 1,000 copies, signed, numbered, the book itself is presented in a slipcase.
Ed Ruscha / Now Then: A Retrospective, $75 at Bookshop.org
Ed Ruscha’s first solo exhibit at The Museum of Modern Art in New York is the art event of the season. The book that accompanies the show presents more than 200 works of art from paintings to drawings to films and installations over his 65 year career.
LL COOL J Presents The Streets Win: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Greatness by LL COOL J, Vikki Tobak and Alec Banks, $55 at Barnes and Noble
For the culture! On the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip-Hop, rap statesman and entertainer LL COOL J adds to the celebration with this book that traces the journey of the genre that shaped music, fashion and culture. It’s filled with icon stories from all the greats, as well as photos from back-in-the-day block parties, street scenes, album covers, graffiti art and music videos.
Marvel Comics Library. Avengers. Vol. 1. 1963–1965 (Edition of 1,000), $600 at Taschen
Bring the Marvel Universe home. This anthology of the first 20 stories from the Avengers features photographs from copies of the rare comic books. This Collector’s Edition of 1,000 numbered copies features an aluminum print cover tipped into a leatherette-bound spine with foil embossing in a beautiful slipcase.
FLY: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion by Mitchell S. Jackson, $40 at Barnes and Noble
These ballers have changed the style game. From the beginnings of the NBA to modern day instagrammed tunnel walks, here’s some sartorial inspiration to help you channel your inner-Russell Westbrook.