In need of an injection of inspiration this January? In today’s blog post I’m rounding up some of the best design and interior books for 2019. Some are already out and ready to order, others are to look forward to as the year progresses. We’re talking beautiful coffee table books with substance – everything from guides on sustainable living and simple style, through small space solutions and design dilemmas to architecture tomes on Brutalism and the Bauhaus. It’s basically a wishlist of all the titles I’d like to add to my own shelves and maybe you’ll find something in there for yourself too.
I love collecting books and creating a mini library of all my interests and things I’m passionate about. I don’t think print is dead yet – books offer an escapism beyond a quick, fleeting scroll through Instagram; whole worlds where you can lost and spend time in. Most of the big art books I have are from exhibitions I’ve been to and really rated. It’s nice to takeaway a momento and dip back into it when you want to learn a bit more about a subject or an artist. Recently I’ve enjoyed pouring over the stunning photography of Haarkon’s book Glasshouse Greenhouse (see below) and delving into the world of art, intimacy and the avant garde of Modern Couples, the catalogue for the similarity titled exhibition at the Barbican in London (which I’d thoroughly recommend).
The 15 titles below are undoubtedly beautiful pieces to have on your shelves or coffee tables. Some you can just flick through and admire the spreads of images, but lots of them also offer useful insights and unique tips for curating your home in a simple, sustainable and meaningful way.
1. Glasshouse Greenhouse by India Hobson and Magnus Edmondson, £22, published by Pavilion books – Haarkon’s world tour of amazing botanical spaces
2. Petite Places, £40, published by Gestalten – Clever solutions for compact living
3. Atlas of Brutalist Architecture, £100, published by Phaidon – a thorough documentation of the world’s finest examples of Brutalist architecture
4. The Foraged Home by Joanna MacLennan and Oliver MacLennan, £24.95, published by Thames & Hudson, coming April 2019 – inspiration for those looking to go beyond the world of mass-produced products
5. Northern Comfort: The Nordic Art of Creative Living, £40, published by Gestalten – a close look at some of the Nordic region’s most inspiring and insightful ideas and individuals
6. My Bedroom is an Office And Other Interior Design Dilemmas by Joanna Thornhill, £14.99, published by Laurence King, coming March 2019 – a guide through an array of design dilemmas, from minor tweaks to bigger projects
7. Live Green: 52 steps to a more sustainable life by Jen Chillingworth, £8.99, published by Quadrille – a practical guide of 52 changes (one for each week of the year) you can make to your home and lifestyle to reduce your impact on the environment
8. The Barbican Estate by Stefi Orazi and Christoffer Rudquist, £40, published by Pavilion books – a celebration of the Grade II listed Brutalist icon for its 50th anniversary
9. Kitchen Living – Kitchen Interiors for Contemporary Homes, £TBC, published by Gestalten – a tasteful guide to creating spaces that go beyond mere function
10. This is Home: The Art of Simple Living by Natalie Walton, £30, published by Chronicle Books – a back-to-basics guide on how to create authentic wholehearted interiors
11. The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson, £29.95, published by Phaidon – explores the rich baking tradition of the Nordic region, with 450 tempting recipes for home bakers
12. A Tree in the House: Flowers for your home, special occasions and the every day, £25, published by Hardie Grant Books, coming March 2019 – celebrates the art of arranging flowers for simply beautiful displays of all sizes throughout the year
13. The Natural Home by Hans Blomquist, £19.99, published by Rylands Peters & Small, coming May 2019 – a new edition of the bestselling title on Hans’ love of nature, atmospheric displays and quirky yet comfortable interiors
14. Walter Knoll: The Future Brand of Modernity, £45, published by teNeues, coming April 2019 – charts the more than one and half century history of this remarkable furniture dynasty, tracing the evolution of its designs in relation to key cultural and historical developments
15. Bauhaus by Magdalena Droste, £20, published by Taschen – a defining account of the Bauhaus school of art and design celebrating its centenary this year
photography: Cate St Hill
