If you thought October was a big month for book releases, November and December are no different. It’s prime time for design books, with subjects ranging from historic interiors to Irving Penn-inspired flower arrangements. Below is a preview of what you can expect to see. Happy reading!
American Beauty (Crown Publishing Group) by Thom Filicia is part memoir, part decorating book. The story of a house serves as an inspirational resource that imparts Thom’s extensive wisdom on creating rooms that feel meaningful and classic, yet modern.
Cohler on Design (The Monacelli Press) by Eric Cohler shows 160 illustrations of the designer’s own work alongside images of seminal historic interiors, artwork, style icons, and architectural masterpieces that have influenced Cohler’s designs and encouraged him to look at a space in a new way.
FLOWERS (Clarkson Potter) by Carolyne Roehm—It has been more than a decade since Roehm first shared her love of gardening and flower arranging. Now, for the first time, she has turned her own photographic lens to that passion, showcasing more than 300 images of the varieties in her abundant gardens, all captured at their most vibrant and exquisite moments throughout the season.
100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life (Sterling Signature) by Jonathan Adler encourages readers to simply live happily. The book is a vibrant, hilarious mash-up of a style bible, decorating tome, and self-help guide. In gorgeous, full-color spreads, 100 bold ideas for Happy Chic dwelling, decorating, and entertaining are revealed. As a bonus, five project gatefolds invite readers to create their own Happy Chic handicrafts, including a macramé owl and custom LOVE note cards.
STUFF (Pointed Leaf Press) by Carey Maloney invites readers inside the homes of impassioned collectors, detailing the wide variety of art and objects that go into the creation of M(Group)’s complex, richly layered, and beautifully orchestrated interiors. A unique interactive digital recognition technology allows readers to delve deep into 40 captivating topics, expanding the scope of the book to include cyberlinks to the world’s great museum collections, the most important dealers, and the most illuminating research resources.
Showhouses 3: A Decorator’s Tour (Schiffer Books) by Jeffrey B. Snyder—In this continuing series, over 200 beautiful and inspiring color photos reveal the recent contributions to the field of interior design by talented designers participating in Decorator Showhouse events across the United States. Within the pages of this fascinating book, you will tour the showhouses without the crowds, moving from one room to the next, lingering over every detail just as long as you like.
Forever Green (Pointed Leaf Press) by landscape architect Mario Nievera features over 250 stunning photographs by Michael Stavaridis of Nievera's diverse gardens and landscapes. Working with sophisticated clients who reside in areas as different as the idyllic Hamptons on Long Island, New York, the pastoral New Jersey farmlands, or the tropical coasts of South Florida, Nievera creates a diverse range of custom landscapes using a colorful palette of unique vegetation.
Contemporary Follies (Monacelli Press) by Keith Moskow and Robert Linn showcases outstanding examples of contemporary design that address our place in nature. Emerging from the Enlightenment spirit of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Jefferson, the English picturesque folly, and the forest retreats of Scandinavian modernists, these projects inspire contemplation and creativity in their spatial energy and alliance with the environment.
Old Places, New Spaces: Preserving, Remodeling, Decorating San Antonio Style (Schiffer Books) by David Strahan, Katharine Kaye McMillan, Ph.D., and Patricia Hart McMillan presents a broad sampling of residences that embody a living and evolving history of the Alamo City (including some repurposed commercial sites). In 545 images, this book shows structures that are grand in their own right, others modest—all different in sizes, styles, and locations. These varied living spaces share a similar sensitivity to the past and dynamic engagement in San Antonio's future.
Graphic Design + Architecture: A 20th-Century History (Rockport Publishers)—This innovative volume by Richard Poulin is the first to provide the design student, practitioner, and educator with an invaluable comprehensive reference of visual and narrative material that illustrates and evaluates the unique and important history surrounding graphic design and architecture. The book closely examines the relationship between typography, image, symbolism, and the built environment by exploring principal themes, major technological developments, important manufacturers, and pioneering designers over the last 100 years.