We have a few resources on the shelf that we keep coming back to. Although we look at a lot of blogs and magazines for new ideas, there are a few books that have been invaluable sources of inspiration for us...
What's In Your Design Library?
Many of our best books have been covered on Apartment Therapy before: Simple Sewing (easy projects for beginners by Lotta Jansdotter), the New Apartment (stylish small space living), the AIA Guide to Chicago (our favorite architectural guidebook to our favorite city), and Cradle to Cradle (William McDonough's and Michael Braungart's philosophy for a new green era.) A few others we thought we'd highlight today include...
Home Cheap Home: A Room by Room Guide to Great Decorating (Perigree, 2004). Written by the editors of the now-defunct Budget Living magazine, this book contains several years' worth of ideas for decorating on the cheap. Although many of the homes featured in the book might not fit our style, they're full of great ideas and realistic resources.
DIY: Design It Yourself by Ellen Lupton (Princeton Architectural Press, 2006). This smart and thoughtful guide to DIY design is a collective effort coordinated by Maryland Institute College of Art professor Ellen Lupton and students in MICA's MFA program. Chapters cover a wide range of projects, from wall graphics to websites, and the tools this book provides can be applied to larger design problems.
Style by Kate Spade (Simon & Schuster, 2003). Even the interior of the cover is beautiful! Kate Spade's preppy-classic style book covers everything from Eames chairs to rain boots. It's written in breezy, readable language with charming hand-drawn illustrations.
What are the design books that you keep on the shelf?
Comments (11)
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Home Cheap Home is great, and so is Handmade Modern. Both of the books have been a major inspiration for me. Thanks for the other great book buys!
view RedMaiko's profile
I LOVE the DIY:Design It Yourself book!
view damask's profile
I love anything Emily Chalmers is involved with (bohemian/flea market unique rooms).
Also, late 70s design books, for inspiration on how to
creatively cram a room and arrange furniture.
view baba yaga's profile
John F. Pile's Interior Design is a hefty and handy reference guide outlining the basic, timeless principles of interior design. Cheap copies can be found on alibris.com
view littleshirleybeans's profile
Rooms to Inspire is lovely. So Chic is also great.
view Seaside's profile
"Pure Style" by Jane Cumberbatch!
http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Style-Jane-Cumberbatch/dp/1841728659/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218047683&sr=1-2
view Lizzy's profile
I love the Home Cheap Home book too.
view suzy8track's profile
Home Cheap Home
Found Style by Amy Butler
Style on a budget by Emily Chalmers
The Relaxed Home by Atlanta Bartlett
Denyse Schmidt Quilts
view LaDonnaNichole's profile
Private House by Rose Tarlow (though not my style at all, she's amazing)
Old House New Home by Ros Byam Shaw
Maison by Christian Liaigre
everything Kelly Wearstler has done
David Hicks by Ashley Hicks
lots of books from "The Way We Live" series..In The City & By The Sea are my faves
Home Cheap Home
Cradle to Cradle
Brooklyn Modern by Diana Lind
Elle Decor "So Chic"
Pacific Modern by Raul A. Barreneche
White Hot by Tricia Guild
several books on the Chrysler Building, Mies van der Rohe, Eames, and Noguchi.
needless to say, I have tons of books.
view atlantadesigner's profile
I think I have the best collection ever: An eighteen volume, full coloured set called "The Encylocpaedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement" published in MCMLXX (1970?). I found it in an op shop (thrift store) for $2. No, not each! For the whole collection!
My other treasures all come from the 50s 60s and 70s.
I LOOOOOVE THEM!
Something about the colours used in those earlier eras (esp. the 60s) make me happy.
view TaniaTingel's profile
you guys are my home design library. duh.
view loislane's profile