8 Design Books To Read Now; 3 To Look Forward To This Year
1: Richard Mishaan Design by Richard Mishaan with Jacqueline Terrebonne. Published by Vendome
Columbia-born Mishaan, whose eponymous New York City-based firm offers architecture, interior design and landscape architecture services, is known for his masterly integration of textiles, palettes in complementary shades, and a deep knowledge of fine and decorative arts. In this book, he presents many of his projects, including a 400-year-old barn in the Hamptons and an ultramodern apartment in Manhattan.
2: Bloom: Flowering Plants for Indoors and Balconies by Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan. Published by Rizzoli
Camilleri and Kaplan, founders of Sydney, Australia-based nursery Leaf Supply, show readers that any space, no matter how small, can be transformed into a colorful oasis with flowering plants. They offer tips for care, selection, styling and arrangement of flowering plants.
3: Creative Style by Lizzie McGraw and Fifi O’Neill. Published by Simon & Schuster
McGraw is the founder of Venice, California-based interiors boutique Tumbleweed & Dandelion. In Creative Style, she presents 12 of her inspiring interiors projects, including her own 1920s cottage. She explains how, through imagination and self-awareness, readers can transform their homes into sanctuaries.
4: Yves St. Laurent at Home by Marianne Haas. Published by Assouline
Fashion designer Yves St. Laurent and his partner, industrialist Pierre Bergé, launched Yves Saint Laurent Couture in 1961. The pair were collectors of art and antiques, and they created exquisite private spaces with the help of designer Jacques Grange. Featured in this new book are interiors and gardens from Chateau Gabriel, their home in Deauville; Villa Majorelle in Marrakech; and their apartment on Rue de Babylone in Paris.
5: Field Guide to Outside Style by Ryan McEnaney. Published by The Quarto Group
McEnany, owner of 115-year-old, family-operated Bailey Nurseries in St. Paul, Minnesota, explains how to make outdoor spaces as comfortable and personal as indoor spaces. He describes how to individualize outdoor living space through the selection of plants, furnishings and other design elements.
6: Objects of Desire by Maria Hummer-Tuttle. Published by Vendome
Hummer-Tuttle is a former lawyer and a current fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In this beautifully illustrated book, she guides readers through the objects she has collected over the years, from the priceless to the flea-market finds.
7: Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home. Published by Penguin Random House
The queen of tidying up delves into the Japanese concept of “kurashi” or “way of life.” By applying Kondo’s time-tested query “Does it spark joy?” to their mindset, readers are invited to take an even more holistic and personal approach to curating their environments. She stresses the importance of making conscious, mindful choices in both design and life — from how to use every corner of living space to how to take advantage of every moment.
8: Cathy B. Graham: Full Bloom by Clinton Smith. Published by Vendome
Smith takes readers into Graham’s floral world, where she presents a new series of whimsical, artful creations. Brilliant bouquets are paired with Graham’s own watercolor artwork. Her colorful handiwork is accompanied by useful sidebars outlining her methods for arranging and selecting blooms — and also for making her singularly unique décor, including hand-painted pots and faux fruit trees.
9: The Joy of Home by Ashley Gilbreath. To be published by Gibbs Smith in April 2023
In this, her first book, Gilbreath, a Montgomery, Alabama-based interior designer, reveals her fresh approach to decorating guided by tradition, warmth and practicality, providing readers with insight into her design process. Gilbreath’s work on projects in town, on the water and in the countryside, is influenced by her passion for gracious everyday living.
10: Design Happy: Colorful Homes for the Modern Family by Betsy Wentz. To be published by Gibbs Smith in April 2023
As a former therapist, Wentz is particularly adept connecting with her clients. Here, she shares 13 homes full of color and pattern. The story of each home includes color studies, design lessons and pro tips, plus practical advice for design novices.
11: Arranging Things by Colin King with Sam Cochran. To be published by Rizzoli in March 2023
New York-based stylist King explores the importance of composition, scale and proportion when creating vignettes around the home. Through a series of anecdotes and visual essays, he explains his process for cultivating beauty in our everyday surroundings and reminds readers that styling is not about buying new things but rather, it’s about seeing old favorites with fresh eyes.
