good reads: design-book-o-rama!
i felt like i had just about every design book out there for a while, and every time i’d hit the bookstore for more, there was nothing new to choose from. well, in the last few months, it’s been quite the opposite! there are a whole slew of great new design books out there, and quite frankly i had to have them all!
emily chalmer’s modern vintage style; details by lili diallo; undecorate from dwellstudio’s christiane Lemieux; and decorate from holly becker of decor8 and joanna copestick.
i love all of these books, and while each one is uniquely different from one another, i think their appeal for me lies in the amazing photography and most especially, their accessibility. the interior design shared in these books is achievable and feels like ‘real life’ to me. the rooms aren’t stuffy or overdone, they’re full of eclectic and interesting rooms that look like they actually belong to someone and are all quite lived in. there’s nothing worse than someone showing me a super fancy room that looks like it belongs in a museum. i mean, yes, sometimes you can appreciate them, but i certainly don’t want to live in them.
undecorate by dwellstudio’s christiane Lemieux, photography by melanie acevedo.
not the case with each of these books – i found countless inspiration in every single one. so here’s my advice – get them all! let’s support print as much as we can with all the magazines dwindling these days, and besides, i never have a problem spending hard-earned money on an addition to my library, especially when it comes to endless inspiration like this. seriously, bravo ladies – these books are all so lovely and i’ll treasure each and every one! next up? the eagerly awaited book from grace bonney of design*sponge – coming soon!
decorate by holly becker and joanna copestick, photography by debi treloar.
modern vintage style by emily chalmers and ali hanan; photography by debi treloar.
details by lili diallo, photography by annie schlechter.
yippee! thank you for this post Victoria. i’ve been meaning to put together a list for my next book buying trip & you have saved me the trouble. it’s fun to get a peek inside too. i’m delighted that there are finally some new home decor reads out there, i’ve been jonzin’ for them. oxo
I have a small apt. and the B.F. keeps accusing me of being a magazine hoarder! I keep saying to myself, that I should really pitch the mags and just get some great books.
Thank you for listing some here. I will definitely check them out!
I’m on a decor book kick lately (having just relocated and moving into a new house this week) and these titles are perfect. I received Undecorate last week and am planning on ordering the other three mentioned here (and design*sponge’s when it comes out)… while I advocate going green I can’t give up print in the form of my favorite magazines, and books :) Amazing photography + styling = heavenly reads!
I agree, it’s great to see fun and well designed spaces that also look lived in! I feel discouraged when I look through some design books bc know I would ruin a room in minutes w-mags & knick-knacks ;) I will take a closer look at these, since I have to downsize and combine my work studio w-apt in next month. ugh…
I just picked up a couple of those bad boys in Anthropology the other day. Yesterday, finally feeling the warmth on my skin I enjoyed reading them and feeling inspired!
love, love, love modern vintage style! just gotta save up for the actual furniture now…
Great post Victoria and I agree with you – the more that books show real-life living and design, the more people can relate…I get a little fed up with the mags showing homes where money is no object. Sorry, but most people don’t live that way and in this economy, I don’t think people want it rubbed in their faces either…thanks for the suggested books – I already pre-ordered Holly’s!!
I AGREE WITH YOU……..I ALWAYS END UP BUYING MORE DECO BOOKS EVERY TIME I TRAVEL………..THANKS FOR SHARING THIS PAGE WITH US……..
I want I want I want I want. All of the book and a house to design around.
Thanks for this. I too have a ton of design books and I’m sure I really don’t need to buy anymore but they are so hmmm. something to me, that I have to have them. I am *STILL* in the midsts of changing my life from a NYC one to a southern old house one and I need all the help I can get… as my modern furniture from my apartment looked ridiculous in my new house.
I love how there’s both decorate, and undecorate. Thanks for posting a little review of these, I’m dying for some new books.
Love Modern Vintage Style. We have it @ Anthro too. :)