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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Books for my Christmas list

There are people out there who think that big beautiful coffee table books are a thing of the past, with the digital revolution that has taken place in the publishing industry.  However, I strongly disagree.  There are some books that simply don’t translate to the digital world as well as they do to the physical world.  

My favorite Christmas presents are always books. After the excitement of Christmas morning, it is wonderful to spend some quiet time perusing the books that I have received. 
Every fall, I always research the latest and greatest offerings in the décor, landscape, and art world and think about which ones I would like to have as part of my personal library.  I have not read any of the books on this list, and would love your insight into these books, or any that I might have missed. 


Update: here is my book list from 2011 - lots of great books on this list too!
http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2011/12/my-book-list-christmas-2011.html

I have heard some great buzz about this book; it was featured in one of the shelter magazines recently.  Click here to see on Amazon

This book is not new, but was on my list last year.  Click here to see on Amazon.


barbara barry book
A new book by one of my perennial favorite interior designers.  Click here to see on Amazon.


Another new book that was released this fall. Has anyone read it? I am curious about this one. Click here to see on Amazon.


I love the title of this book – and based on reviews I have read, it seems to be a hybrid between an interior book featuring Miles Redd’s work, and a lifestyle book. The cover is very bold and confident – a design book with no image on the front! Click here to see on Amazon.


Another new book by a well known designer.  I admire Cohler’s style, and have seen him speak at various events. Has anyone read this one? Click here to see on Amazon.


darrylcartercollectedhome
I always enjoy seeing the clean and sculptural interiors by Darryl Carter, and have heard good buzz about this book.  Click here to see on Amazon.


Dazzling-Design-Amanda-Nisbet
Amanda Nisbet’s style is one I greatly admire, and I love the composition of the cover of this newly released book! Click here to see on Amazon.


Sherrill Canet’s work is amazing, and her rug collection for Stark is among my favorites.  Click here to see on Amazon.


Not a new book, but not one that I have in my library either.  Click here to see on Amazon.


This book has amazing reviews on Amazon, and looks quite charming.  According to the summary, it tells the story of 18 gardens through pictures and words, and is as wonderful to look at as it is to read.   Click here to see on Amazon.


I stumbled across this one while researching this post, and thought it looked intriguing. Has anyone read it? Click here to see on Amazon.


interiors-atelier-am
Everything I have seen by this design team has been incredible, and I was excited to see that they have released a book.  Has anyone purchased this?  Click here to see on Amazon.


flowers-carolyne-roehm
This recently released book looks like a work of art – certainly a beautiful coffee table book! Click here to see on Amazon.


This book is a huge extravagance, with a price tag of $188, but it looks fantastic and has strong reviews.  Click here to see on Amazon.


I checked to see if there was a companion book for London, and alas there is not, but I found this charming sketchbook of London (there is one for many other cities too, including Paris). I absolutely love watercolor sketches, and I love London…this looks like a winner.  Click here to see on Amazon


The Paris sketchbook can be seen here.  There is one for Provence too, seen here.


Finally, last but certainly not least, there is a new book on one of my favorite artists of all time, Spanish Impressionist Joaquín Sorolla (1863–1923).  He was a masterful artist, and this book presents what is considered to be his best works, selected by his great-granddaughter Blanca Pons-Sorolla (considered to be the foremost authority on the artist).  Click here to see on Amazon.


Do you have any other good coffee table/library books to recommend?  Many of these books seem to be low on stock, so I might go ahead and order a few that I have ear-marked as Christmas gifts for friends and family!

Update: here is my book list from 2011 - lots of great books on this list too!
http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2011/12/my-book-list-christmas-2011.html


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17 comments:

  1. I see a few to add to my list too. I always get decor books for Christmas also (though I hate the wait when it comes out in October or something!). The Fortuny and the Daryll Carter are in an amazon box in David's closet as we speak. I have the Suzanne Rheinstein and find it boring. I never looked at it again (sorry Suzanne). It seems somehow gloomy. I don't like Eric Cohler's work and the Ann Getty seems a little lavish for my tastes but I will likely get it. I am a fan of Diane Dorrans Saeks' (sp?) writing. The Barbara Barry book I looked at and there were some beautiful rooms, but a lot of photos of fabrics and stuff laying on tables - lovely images but not ones I will pore over again. You can "look inside" on Amazon. Her book looks like it is beautifully written, a paean to beauty. I will probably give in and buy it as she is a classic. I didn't know Amanda Nisbet had a book - will look this one up. She is a Canadian living in NYC. :)

    The Ateliers AM book I looked at. All I can remember is that it was heavy with some nice modern, rustic rooms but again, too many little vignettes and not enough full room shots.

    Sometimes I buy a book simply because there is one thing I love in it. I recently saw a book with a day bed in the most beautiful blue (I think it was Alex Papachristidis's book) and I will likely buy it just for that one day bed shot.

    There are also two nice looking books from Thomas Jayne (maybe the daybed was in this?) and Gil Shafer that are on my list (saw them both at a bookstore). Look them up. I ordered in the Thomas Jayne at the library but it hasn't come in yet. I order all the books at the library and I am usually the first to get them when they come in, then I can see what ones I like...! Although we have a good local bookstore that gets many of the titles so I can sneek in and look - drop by your nearest bookstore and steal a peek!

    xo Terri





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  2. I bought Flowers this week and it is remarkable. Beautiful AND practical.

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  3. I have several of the books from your list and, for the most part, love them. The one criticism I have of designers who write books is that they seldom, if ever, include work that hasn't already been published in shelter magazines. If they showed different views of the already-published rooms, or included rooms that weren't shown in the magazines, I wouldn't mind so much. For the most part, readers of design books are also readers of design magazines. I wish the designers/authors would realize this and show us some of their unpublished work instead.

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  4. i am still passionate about coffee table books, and you have spotlighted so many gorgeous ones so i must save this post!

    i have still not gotten my paws on the darryl carter one and am aching to peek inside.

    smiles and happy almost-thanksgiving, lovely blogger.

    michele

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  5. I have some and am taking notes on others. In my book, no pun intended, nothing will ever replace a large gorgeous coffee table book loaded with big glossy luscious pictures! I absolutely love them and look at them all the time, good ones never get old. Great list here...hope Santa "delivers"!
    Happy Thanksgiving.

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  6. I co-designed the room on the cover of Eric Cohler's book. It is the Eric Cohler AND Jeffery McCullough 2006 Kips Bay Show House room. Eric's book is good. Miles, Amanda, and Suzanne's books are fantastic!
    Thanks for featuring a book with a room I designed!! Puts me in a very grateful mood for Thanksgiving.
    Jeffery McCullough
    www.jefferymccullough.blogspot.com

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  7. I couldn't agree more - I will never tire of beautiful books - my only issue is that I am running out of bookshelf space!! I have done reviews on several of these books and have several more to come, including Flowers and Interiors | Atelier AM. Perhaps I need to dedicate a week soon to just book reviews!!

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  8. I agree! I never tire of great "coffee table" design books that you can return and return to. I agree with Phyllis I love the Michelle Lavande books. I do not have the Daryl Carter but hope to buy soon. Suzanne Rheinstein though I love her work..the book not so much. I am curious about the Atelier AM book as well. I don't usually subscribe to follow up posts but will on this one!!

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  9. I pre-ordered my copy of the big book of chic and it's amazingly inspiring -beautiful images. I was a bit disappointed that there is no writing really, just a brief forward by Miles. I'd still recommend it though!
    I have those sketch books of the cities too -they're so fascinating! You would love them.

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  10. Sorolla - he is a master - it has been very hard to find good books about him, had no idea that there was a new release of his greatest work. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am ordering this now.

    In the Garden looks special. I have not read any of the books on yuour list, but I now have some Christmas gift ideas for my hard to please sister-in-law. The sketchbooks look charming.

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  11. I just received Darryl Carter's new book a few weeks ago and highly recommend it!

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  12. All of these look wonderful and we do carry At Home by Suzanne Rheinsein in my shop…it is wonderful! I truly do not like digital magazines or books of any kind! Nothing can replace the actual pages of a wonderful book! I've sold so many coffee table books for gifts this year! That makes me really glad!

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  13. Great list! I do have quite a few already but a you mentioned some that really caught my attention...running out of bookshelf space. We have a wonderful bookstore in New York Ursus bookstore . They have the most amazing collection of art and architecture books, with catalogue raisonne that are impossible to find anywhere else. My favorite Christmas shopping spree is to select artbooks for everyone of my friends.

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  14. I've several in the books through your list and also, for the most part, really like them. Usually the one criticism I've of designers who write books is them to seldom, when, include work that hasn't already been published inside shelter periodicals. If they showed unique views in the already-published suites, or involved rooms that will weren't shown inside magazines, I would not mind a whole lot. For the most part, readers of design books can also be readers of design periodicals. I want the designers/authors would realize this kind of and present us several of their unpublished work instead.

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  15. I LOVE the cover photo on "In the Garden". I would be happy to have that on my coffee table, beside "Trees" and "Country" by Jasper Conran.

    PS. Do you think "Squeak" and "Ben" could possibly be the same commenter, or are they just separated at birth?!

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  16. Slim, I think Ben copied and pasted what I said and just changed a few of the words.

    Ben, if you're going to steal other people's thoughts, at least try to do so in a grammatically correct manner. Otherwise, feel free to write something original.

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