8 Inspiring Design Books Out Spring 2024
Beautiful books touching on home, garden & food to dive into (and display)
I’m always keeping an eye for new design books, and I can’t remember a time when so many good ones were coming out all at once. Like most people, I get a ton of great inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest, but I also think it’s good to go beyond, and there’s no better place than books to get ideas and expert tips without leaving your home.
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I got this advice from my mom who at any given time is devouring a big beautiful book. To feed her habit, we established a tradition where every Christmas I gift her a new coffee table book (which is usually heavily hinted by her). Any of these books would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift (in fact, maybe that’s me hinting for myself since I’m celebrating my first one this year).
Each of these books is a feast for the eyes with stunning images, many of them never seen before. They offer a chance to go inside the minds of creative visionaries and learn about their process, inspirations, and design philosophies. I consider them design books for the home and its surrounding, but they range in topic from interiors, architecture, gardening, and cooking.
When you’re not soaking them in, these books are also beautiful to display, whether on a coffee table or on a kitchen counter. In addition to acting as decorative objects, they also continue to serve as a handy reference or dose of inspiration within arm’s reach. Somehow I just feel better knowing I’m surrounded by beauty and creativity at all times, like it’s an extension of my own world.
Architecture & Interiors
Home at Last: Enduring Design for the New American House by Gil Schafer | $49.50
Architect Gil Schafer is one of the world’s leading experts on contemporary traditional architecture. This is an essential inspiration if you’re looking to build a timeless home.
Seeking Beauty by Veere Greeney | $75.00 (Released on May 15, 2024)
With a background in antiques, a formative design stint at Colefax & Fowler, and the creation of his own design firm where he honed his elegant style, Veere Greeney is one of the top interior designers working today. So it’s truly special to get a window into his homes in Tangier; Suffolk, England; and his new London home.
An English Vision: Traditional Architecture and Interior Decoration for the Modern World by Ben Pentreath | $60.00 (Released on September 10, 2024)
Ben Pentreath specializes in designing traditional buildings and country houses, from quintessential country cottages to resplendent stately homes. This book, which covers his output in its entirety, is a lesson on how to adapt traditional methods and ideas for today.
Garden
Outside In: A year of growing and displaying by Sean A. Pritchard | $32.85 (Released on May 7, 2024)
The long anticipated book of Instagram darling Sean Anthony Pritchard demonstrates how to plan your garden to display flowers and foliage in your home year-round. If you’ve scrolled through images of his charming home abounding in blooms, you’ll want to find out how to create for yourself.
Bunny Williams: Life in the Garden by Bunny Williams | $35.10
Secrets event way back. I had never seen anything like the poolside Greek Revival–style folly sitting high above her lush flower beds. With her most ambitious book yet, get inspiration and learn how to grow and bring natural elements into the home.
The Tulip Garden by Polly Nicholson | $33.49
This spectacular book showcases a unique collection of rare and covetable tulips at the beautiful English country garden of tulip expert Polly Nicholson. She shares expert tips and advice to collect and grow tulips.
Cooking
The Gourmand's Lemon: A Collection of Stories and Recipes | $49.53
This book explores the role of the lemon in art, literature, design, and of course cooking. The words are accompanied by stunning visuals and lemon-infused recipes. Covered with an artful shot of a lemon, you might be tempted to display this book in your living room rather than the kitchen.
The Farm Table: [A Cookbook] by Julius Roberts | $24.40
I first came across the chef turned farmer Julius Roberts on Instagram. His comforting farm-to-table food is exactly what I want to eat. As a bonus, with its cheerful yellow linen cover, this is a cookbook that’s pretty enough to display in your kitchen or pantry area.
Wild Figs and Fennel: A Year in an Italian Kitchen by Leticia Clark | $44.34
Yum. This cookbook is my dream — recipes both inspired by the seasons and the best of Italian cooking. This is a reminder of the power of food to transport us to another place.