INTERIOR DESIGN INSPIRATIONS

Must-Have Interior Design Books Arriving This Fall

September 9, 2018

Must-Have Interior Design Books Arriving This Fall – For lovers of beautiful books, autumn is heaven. Anticipating the first rush of holiday shoppers in late November, heaps are due for release in the coming weeks, their densely illustrated pages begging to be perused. Château de Villette: The Splendor of French Decor (Flammarion) September 4 The Château de Villette, once home to the Marquess de Grouchy and his wife, Sophie, is a grand manor house in the communne of Poil in Burgundy, France. Art and architecture historian Guillaume Picon walks us through the late 17th-century house’s rich history and beautiful rooms, noting how, as part of the first wave of country houses built for pleasure instead of defense, the Château featured all kinds of forward-thinking details for its time. Dior and His Decorators: Victor Grandpierre, Georges Geffroy, and the New Look (Vendome) September 25 As one of history’s most influential couturiers, Christian Dior was a man of impeccable taste. So, too, were fashion photographer Victor Grandpierre and designer/man-about-town Georges Geffroy, both of whom helped to translate the ethos of Dior’s sartorial New Look for the interiors of his 30, avenue Montaigne atelier, and his townhouse in the 16th arrondissement. Buckingham Palace:…

by S. Peixoto

Verner Panton: Most Influential and Recognizable Postwar Designers

September 5, 2018

Verner Panton: Most Influential and Recognizable Postwar Designers – A comprehensive monograph on one of the world’s most influential and recognizable postwar designers. The uncompromising bad boy of postwar Danish design, Verner Panton created enduring icons of pop culture, beloved the world over. He broke with the Scandinavian tradition of handcrafted teak-wood furniture to pioneer the use of plastic, fibreglass, synthetic fabrics, and industrial mass production, and this thoroughly researched and exhaustively illustrated book examines Panton’s ground-breaking approach to environments, systems, patterns and color. Panton’s oeuvre is a truly pioneering achievement, the wide-ranging influence of which is still felt today. Containing a wealth of images, including hand-drawn sketches by Panton, personal photographs, and advertisements from the official Panton archive, this monograph documents the astonishing breadth of Panton’s work, from candlesticks and clocks to the seminal S Chair and Living Tower, to total floor-to-ceiling interiors, encompassing textiles, lighting, and furniture. This book is organized thematically with Panton’s unique approach to environments, systems, and vividly illustrated patterns, and features a comprehensive, illustrated chronology of Panton’s works, including many unrealized projects. >> Subscribe Best Design Books newsletter and get to know incredible Design Books! Born in Denmark but spending most of his life in…

by S. Peixoto

Architecture

The Atlas of Brutalist Architecture

September 3, 2018

The Atlas of Brutalist Architecture – This is the only book to thoroughly document the world’s finest examples of Brutalist architecture. More than 850 buildings – existing and demolished, classic and contemporary – are organized geographically into nine continental regions. 878 Buildings, 798 Architects, 102 Countries, 9 World Regions, 1 Style BRUTALISM. Presented in an oversized format with a specially bound case with three-dimensional finishes, 1000 beautiful duotone photographs throughout bring the graphic strength, emotional power, and compelling architectural presence of Brutalism to life. From 20th century masters to contemporary architects, much-loved masterpieces in the UK and USA sit alongside lesser-known examples in Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond – 102 countries in all. Twentieth-century masters included in the book: Marcel Breuer, Lina Bo Bardi, Le Corbusier, Carlo Scarpa, Ernö Goldfinger, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn, Oscar Niemeyer, and Paul Rudolph. Contemporary architects featured include Peter Zumthor, Alvaro Siza, Coop Himmelb(l)au, David Chipperfield, Diller and Scofidio, Herzog & de Meuron, Jean Nouvel, SANAA, OMA, Renzo Piano, Tadao Ando, and Zaha Hadid. Conceived and edited by Phaidon Editors. >> Subscribe Best Design Books newsletter and get to know incredible Design Books! “Brutalism was mocked and misunderstood. But it produced some of the most…

by S. Peixoto

Pet-tecture: Design for Pets

September 1, 2018

Pet-tecture: Design for Pets – An inspiring, surprising, and fun collection of contemporary design for pets of different shapes, sizes, breeds, and species. The perfect book for design-conscious pet owners and animal lovers alike, Pet-tecture presents an irresistible assortment of hundreds of houses and objects by the world’s leading designers, created with our furred and feathered friends in mind – from cats and dogs to birds, rabbits, horses, fish, mice, guinea pigs – even kangaroos and turtles! Whether it’s playful cat trees, concrete dog homes, luxury chicken coops, 3D-printed fish tanks, or a dog-shaped cat scratcher, Pet-tecture has the incredible range of design for animals covered. This compact and portable book Includes works by some of the biggest names in global architecture and design, including Nendo, Kenya Hara, Sou Fujimoto, MAD Architects, Kengo Kuma, and Shigeru Ban. From the publisher of Nanotecture and Mobitecture. With two writers for parents, it was inevitable that London-based writer Tom Wainwright would take up a career in publishing. Tom began his career working on books at Miller’s, before moving to Phaidon to work on various architecture and design titles. It was there that he developed a passion for design. Pet-tecture: Design for Pets combines two of…

by S. Peixoto

The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries

August 30, 2018

The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries – From the mighty halls of ancient Alexandria to the coffered ceilings of the Morgan Library in New York, human beings have had a long, enraptured relationship with libraries. Like no other concept and like no other space, the collection of knowledge, learning, and imagination offers a sense of infinite possibility. It’s the unrivaled realm of discovery, where every faded manuscript or mighty clothbound tome might reveal a provocative new idea, a far-flung fantasy, an ancient belief, a religious conviction, or a whole new way of being in the world. In this new photographic journey, Massimo Listri travels to some of the oldest and finest libraries to reveal their architectural, historical, and imaginative wonder. Through great wooden doors, up spiraling staircases, and along exquisite, shelf-lined corridors, he leads us through outstanding private, public, educational, and monastic libraries, dating as far back as 766. Between them, these medieval, classical, baroque, rococo, and 19th-century institutions hold some of the most precious records of human thought and deed, inscribed and printed in manuscripts, volumes, papyrus scrolls, and incunabula. In each, Listri’s poised images capture the library’s unique atmosphere, as much as their most prized holdings and design details. Featured libraries include the papal collections of…

by S. Peixoto

Food and Drink Infographics – Visual Guide to Culinary Pleasures

August 28, 2018

Food and Drink Infographics – Visual Guide to Culinary Pleasures – Amid our ever-growing consumption of data visualization, nothing makes for tastier morsels than thefine art of food and dining. Ushering the cookbook into the future, this volume gathers together the best infographics of all things eating, drinking, and cuisine, from measurement conversion charts and recipes for cookies and cocktails to stress-free party planning. A must-have for every 21st-century foodie, this is gastro-guidance at its most visually appealing as much as expert. Want to master sashimi? Know the secret to perfectly grilled steak? Wow guests with your own dry martini? Food & Drink Infographics has all the answers and more, using the best culinary graphics to answer kitchen conundrums in lively, simple, and memorable form. >> Subscribe Best Design Books newsletter and get to know incredible Design Books! You’ll find infographics on all the food groups, from grains and pulses to fruit and vegetables, to fish, meat, and poultry. Recipe ideas include soups, sandwiches, snacks, sweet treats, and just-right dressings. Other sections cover flavor pairings, baking, cooking tools and techniques, and alcohols, coffee and tea. The book opens with a foreword by cooking author Michael Ruhlman, followed by a historic survey of food imagery examining how and where pictures have been used to enjoy, prepare, and serve…

by S. Peixoto

Amy Winehouse the Way She Saw Herself

August 26, 2018

Amy Winehouse the Way She Saw Herself – When 22-year-old American photographer Blake Wood moved to London in 2007, a mutual friend introduced him to Amy Winehouse. After winning five Grammy Awards for her 2006 album Back to Black, the celebrated singer with the sultry and emotionally raw voice was at the height of her celebrity, but struggling with her wayward partner and the scrutiny of constant media attention. Bonding personally and creatively, Wood and Winehouse developed a close friendship and would become inseparable for the next two years. From images of Winehouse performing in Paris to playing drums at her home studio in Camden Town, London, from lovingly composed portraits of her at ease on St. Lucia to carefree vamping for the camera, this is an intimate visual diary of the soul diva at a time when she was one of the most celebrated voices on earth. >> Subscribe Best Design Books newsletter and get to know incredible Design Books! The story of this profound emotional collaboration is told through the lens of her confidant, in 85 color and black-and-white photographs, most of them never published before, that reveal their mutual love, trust, and respect. With text by acclaimed…

by S. Peixoto

Art

Bulova: Chronicles of the Extraordinary American Watch Company

June 20, 2018

Bulova: Chronicles of the Extraordinary American Watch Company – Bulova: A History of Firsts chronicles the extraordinary American watch company in a fittingly unusual manner: by recounting an epic, multi-generational picaresque that runs from the Gilded Age up through present-day New York City. Joseph Bulova, the man behind the movement by which America would set its time, was an iconoclastic industrialist fostered a corporate culture of innovation that endures today. What makes the previously untold story of Bulova—the founder, his son and their eponymous business—especially remarkable, though, is the seemingly limitless series of firsts that garland the company’s history: in watchmaking prowess, certainly, but also advertising, marketing, aviation and space exploration, even feminism—and firsts continue today. The entirety of social history and modern popular culture has been influenced by the achievements of this singular watchworks—“America runs on Bulova time,” as the old slogan went, and subsequently so does the world. Less a traditional corporate history than an exactingly curated periodical, this profound new title features eight visually captivating chapters comprising an essay each by luminaries including style writers David Coggins, Matthew Hranek, and Kate Betts; music-industry legend Nile Rodgers, advertising journalist Stuart Elliott, noted horology authority Jack Forster and more,…

by S. Peixoto

Pasticceria Cova, the Gathering Place for Milanese Society

June 16, 2018

Pasticceria Cova, the Gathering Place for Milanese Society – Opened in 1817 by a Napoleonic officer, Pasticceria Cova quickly became the gathering place for Milanese upper crust and Café Society—frequented by artists, musicians, and writers—not to mention the best place for midday café. Over the last two centuries, Cova has had many illustrious regulars including composer Giuseppe Verdi, whose music could be heard from Teatro alla Scala a few steps away. As a coffeehouse, Cova has grown to become the pride of Milan. On the occasion of Cova’s two-hundred-year anniversary, the pasticceria opens its doors to share its illustrious past, its glorious present, and its sterling future. Originally located close to Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Cova has always represented the authentic Milanese caffè. Cova has been characterized by the opulence of its rooms, decorations, and furniture. The unwaivering attention to detail and the creation of an innovative patisserie based on traditional recipes gave life to an undisputed signature of quality and luxury. After the Second World War, Cova was relocated to Via Montenapoleone, fully preserving its distinctive traditions and becoming the quintessential place for the growing Milanese scene. Today, Cova Montenapoleone’s cosmopolitan ambience can be enjoyed in the exclusive and…

by S. Peixoto

Missoni Family Cookbook has Lots of Color and Flavour

June 11, 2018

Missoni Family Cookbook has Lots of Color and Flavour – The Missoni family lives life in color. They didn’t just revolutionize knitwear; they forged a lifestyle that, like their fashion, blends elegance with enthusiasm and spontaneity with sophistication. Missoni style is recognized and admired all over the world and is collected by fashionistas and museums alike. This same streak of easy glamour also inspires Missoni family’s entertaining, and their dinner parties have become one of the most coveted invitations of fashion week. Lush and informal at the same time, a Missoni feast is not just a kaleidoscope of style with four generations of family wearing Missoni — it’s a kaleidoscope of tastes, scents, and colors. “Every bit as vibrant as the style for which the 65-year-old house is known.” – The New York TImes >> Subscribe Best Design Books newsletter and get to know incredible Design Books! And whether the meal is for twenty or two hundred, it always features family recipes curated for the season and for the occasion, recipes which have now become legendary. And just as Missoni fans around the world collect the brand’s iconic zigzags, Francesco Maccapani Missoni, the son of Missoni’s creative director, Angela Missoni, collects…

by S. Peixoto