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Design Books | Apr 1, 2014 |
Hot off the press: A dozen design books debut in April
Boh staff
By Staff

The design industry has kicked into high gear this month as 12 new design, architecture and garden books are hitting the shelves to inspire readers for spring. Read on to find out which books may tickle your fancy.

One Man’s Folly (Rizzoli) by Julia Reed presents Furlow Gatewood’s magical private enclave in bucolic Americus, Georgia, for the first time. The highly personal property, which he has meticulously restored, has evolved over decades to become a sublime expression of stylish living. The structures exemplify various architectural traditions from mid-19th century Gothic to Palladian. To accompany the book's atmospheric images, close friend Bunny Williams writes about the lessons she has learned from this master of discernment in the foreword.

When interior designer George Stacey shot to prominence in the 1930s with projects for socialite Frances Cheney and style priestess Diana Vreeland, the audacity of his work caught the eye of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Town and Country. In George Stacey and the Creation of American Chic (Rizzoli) by Maureen Footer with a foreword by Mario Buatta, his work spanning 40 years is explored.

Featuring interiors from top designers, Decorate Fearlessly (Rizzoli) by Susanna Salk is a photographic trove of fabulously designed homes by Mary McDonald, Ashley Hicks, Alex Papachristidis and Jonathan Adler, among others. Salk captures a wide range of sophisticated interiors, spanning the spectrum from modern to traditional and bohemian to formal, while highlighting rule-breaking design ideas that celebrate whimsy and personal style rather than predictable, safe looks.

In the entertaining guide An Invitation to the Garden (Rizzoli), author Michael Devine shows how the garden can be a perfect and easily transformable setting to stage enchanted events in every season. He shares the joys of outdoor dining in his exquisite garden, presenting several get-togethers throughout the year-from breakfast and lunch to cocktails and dinner. Included are easy-to-prepare recipes as well as lots of ideas for creating festive tablescapes and decor that befit each occasion, from an iridescent butterfly-themed summer luncheon to a Christmas Eve feast in his cozy candlelit garden folly. The book's foreword is written by interior designer Charlotte Moss.

Living in New York Style (teNeues) by Vanessa von Bismarck features a glimpse into the luxurious and imaginative rooms normally hidden from public view—and only ever seen by the privileged few—amid both urban and country landscapes in New York. These extraordinarily high-end living spaces are presented throughout this more than 200-page volume.

Classic Florida Style: The Houses of Taylor & Taylor (The Monacelli Press) features the work of husband-and-wife duo William Taylor and Phyllis Taylor, co-authored by Beth Dunlop. The book presents 10 coastal residences in resplendent photography to match the tropical hues and lush natural surroundings of the sunshine state.

Do I look skinny in this house? How to feel great in your home using Design Psychology (Morgan James Publishing) by interior designer and Design Camp co-founder Kelli Ellis explores “design psychology” and the “why” of how designers design. She posits that learning to design a home in a meaningful way and understanding why people adore certain colors, styles and decor is more important than knowing where to place furniture in a room. Understanding the principles that create ambiance, feeling and mood in a home is key to creating one’s ideal haven.

Showcasing the unlimited possibilities offered by prefabrication to build incredibly energy-efficient, green homes, Prefabulous World (Abrams) by Sheri Koones features sophisticated examples of eco-friendly home design in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, the United States, England, Germany, South Africa, and beyond. With floor plans, multiple images of the exterior and interior of each home, and an extensive resource section listing architects, builders, and suppliers, this book is a practical guide that reveals how living in a beautiful, well-built, energy-efficient home is achievable for all.

Linens: For Every Room and Every Occasion (Rizzoli) by Jane Scott Hodges is all about living and entertaining with elegant linens. As the founder and owner of couture fine linens company Leontine Linens, Hodges has spent the past two decades studying, collecting and innovating the world of fine linens. In this book, she introduces readers to the art of beautifully made linens and shows how easy it is to use them to personalize your home and change looks and moods without redecorating. The foreword is written by interior designer Charlotte Moss.

For more than 30 years, Susan S. Szenasy's voice has resonated as an editor-in-chief, writer, teacher, moderator, filmmaker and lecturer. Szenasy, Design Advocate: Writings and Talks by Metropolis Magazine Editor Susan S. Szenasy (Metropolis Books) is the first published collection of Szenasy's writings, which brings together editorials, reviews, stories, profiles, industry event presentations, classroom lectures, commencement addresses and more. Szenasy's honest, thought-provoking and often-challenging opinions are present in all of these pieces.

Showcasing the functional beauty of midcentury design, Modern Originals: At Home with Mid-century European Designers (Rizzoli) by Leslie Williamson presents innovative homes by some of the most compelling and influential European midcentury designers, including Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto, Finn Juhl, Robin and Lucienne Day and Gae Aulenti. Williamson gained exclusive access to homes that are often closed to the public, and this intimacy is reflected in her richly detailed photographs. Each chapter is dedicated to a single home where the interiors are intact—as if they were still lived in by their designers.

Architect Bobby McAlpine and interior design partner Susan Ferrier share their poetic approach to creating beautiful interiors in the follow-up to the best-selling The Home Within Us. The newest book, Art of the House (Rizzoli), the famed design team discusses the principles that guide their work and share ideas for creating atmospheric environments. The book profiles a selection of houses that resonate with the firm's nuanced and sensual aesthetic.

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