DESIGN INSPO
New home and garden books to get you pumped for your next project
Spring brings a renewed sense of enthusiasm (and energy) for home and garden projects. If you're ready to shrug off winter's inertia and are searching for inspiration, publishers are happy to oblige with a crop of new titles sure to fuel indoor and outdoor transformations. Here's a roundup of some of the latest books that caught our eye:
'The Iconic Nordic House'
As Scandinavian style continues to be a darling of the design world, this new book serves as a guide and showcases 40 iconic houses around the world, from remote mountain residences to dramatic waterside homes in places that range from Iceland to the Faroe Islands as well as Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. The team of author Dominic Bradbury and photographer Richard Powers collaborated on other titles, including "The Iconic American House" and "The Iconic British House." If you fell in love with hygge and the clean Nordic style, this book explains why it continues to hold allure for architects, designers and homeowners around the world.
Thames & Hudson; $65
'Kit Kemp: Design Stories'
Known for a style that combines vibrant colors and eclectic patterns, Kemp's new book shows off homes featuring her unapologetic use of color, pattern layering and eye for the unexpected. In it, she reveals how she transforms interiors into richly woven stories of texture, craft and individuality. Read it if you are looking for an "invitation to break free from the ordinary and create interiors that reflect personality, passion, and a true sense of place," according to the book's press release.
Rizzoli, $60
'Summer Houses'
If spring is almost here, summer can't be far behind. Essentially a visual vacation in book form, this stunning title features 50 homes that celebrate summer through architecture. Featured are luxury beach houses and private island escapes as well as modest rural cabins and lakeside retreats around the world. Highlights include a lush family retreat on the island of Menorca, a minimalist pavilion on the Nigerian peninsula and a tranquil beach house on the Greek island of Kea.
Phaidon, $59.95
'The Happy Home'
"Ariel Okin's work is the opposite of everything we've come to expect," Lena Dunham wrote in the introduction to this new release. "She revels in softness, specificity and livability, while consistently surprising with her choices." With chapters such as "Playful Meets Polished" and "Treehouse by the Sea," the book celebrates Okin's deft use of color and pretty, fresh take on traditional interiors that are both livable and elegant. Projects from around the country — including the designer's own home in New York — show how to turn your house into a warm and inviting home.
Rizzoli; $50
'The Quiet Home'
Have you wondered why some homes radiate calm and a sense of peace while others feel chaotic? The answer, according to author Michelle Halford, lies in the concept of the quiet home, which extends beyond aesthetics to look at the elements that shape interior spaces and the effects they have on our physical and emotional well-being. Taking its cues from "house hushing," the book provides strategies for reducing visual chaos, fostering beautiful, calming interiors and cultivating a slower, more grounded life with tips on dialing down visual "noise" through decluttering, curating your possessions, shopping more mindfully and decorating with calming colors. Mitchell Beazley, $29.99
'Gardens Illustrated: The New Beautiful'
The editors of Gardens Illustrated Magazine have selected more than 50 of their favorite gardens in an international mix of locations, scales and in a variety of climates to appeal to and delight garden enthusiasts everywhere. From small city spaces aiming to bring biodiversity deep into the built environment to country estates photographed with a new lens on ecology and sustainability, all were created by today's top garden designers and provide both eye candy and inspiration.
Rizzoli; $85
'Flower Power'
Get ready for the upcoming planting season with Jac Semmler's new book. Semmler, an internationally recognized horticulturalist, plant advocate and innovative designer who lives in Australia, breaks down the processes, techniques and thinking behind garden design and planting, with how-tos on categorizing and understanding plants, using color, composition and texture and more.
Thames & Hudson; $65
'The Contemporary Cottage Garden'
Longtime gardener Pamela Hubbard walks gardeners through what it takes to grow in the cottage garden style while considering the modern world and increased weather extremes. Images by Rob Cardillo highlight Hubbard's cottage garden in Pennsylvania, where she has updated techniques for cottage gardening. Topics include insights on gardening for increased biodiversity and pollinators; creating a cottage meadow garden; designing a gravel or rain garden; gardening to reduce stress; creating a children's and sensory garden and more.
Timber Press; $27.99
'Naturalistic Flowers'
Looking to break free from formal flower arrangements? Sisters Ally and Jess Lister of leading London-based floral studio AESME show you how to duplicate their distinctive and sometimes experimental style in their first book. Using wild and seasonal flowers, the pair creates beautiful and sustainable arrangements that are in sync with their surroundings, whether they be English country houses or a Provencal garden. Chapters follow their discoveries and travels, offering ideas for styling flowers along with arrangement "recipes" that show how you can get similar results.
Thames & Hudson, $40
