Secrets of a Stylish Home

Secrets of a Stylish Home is a book that I have been working on for the last year with the brilliant interiors photographer Simon Whitmore, and all the lovely and talented people at Merrell Publishing. The book is a look behind the scenes at our approach to interior design and photography is all taken in the beautiful homes of friends and clients of Angel and Blume. It is due for release in April this year and I am really delighted with the results.

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Book Club

Our new evening classes started last night at Angel and Blume (see more at www.interiordesigntalks.com) and as the subject of the first class was ‘Finding Your Style’, I chose ten of my favourite books to show a range of different interiors style to the group. These have been sitting on our meeting room table all day so I thought it was a good opportunity to share some all time Angel and Blume book favourites with you! Here are the first five, more to follow later……

 

Practically Minimal

Maggie Toy Published by Thames and Hudson ISBN 0-500-28370-2

Minimalism can be thought of as huge, bare white spaces but this book presents beautiful liveable pared down spaces that focus on light, textures and materials and it makes even an accessories junkie like me want to go home and have a good clear up. It is a truly inspiring book that presents elegant, comfortable spaces that are a triumph of form AND function and I would urge any of you that love the minimalist way of live to invest in this book – I love it and I am sure you will too.

 

Contemporary Chic

Rozemarijn de Witte Photography by Hotze Eisma

Published by Conran Octopus Limited ISBN 1-85029-925-0

I have owned this book for many years and I keep coming back to it for ideas. It is full of comfortable, relaxed, carefully thought through interiors that all have a contemporary slant but often in a period setting. I think it is a very useful book for most people undertaking a project and there are so many lovely images, there really is something for everyone.

 

Shoestring Chic

Gail Abbott with photography by Mark Scott

Published by Cico, ISBN-13:978-1588163097

Gail Abbott wrote this book from her heart and she lives and breathes the art of shabby, shoestring chic. This book is about restrained beauty, seaside influence, vintage Swedish, French antiques and understanding the style so thoroughly that pieces picked up from a charity shop, flea market or car boot sale, anywhere in the world, will look a million dollars when they installed at home.

 

Perfect English

Ros Byam Shaw with photography by Chris Tubbs

Published by Ryland Peters and Small ISBN 978-1-84597-344-5

For me, this book captures the heart of English decoration – it isn’t the perfect, beautiful decoration of Henrietta Spencer Churchill or Nina Campbell but the real look of an English home that has evolved over the years. It encompasses farmhouses, stately homes, townhouses and cottages so if you love a bit of home grown style, this book is more than worth a look.

 

 Dream Homes, 100 Inspirational Interiors (and More Dream Homes, 100  Inspirational interiors, same authors and publisher, ISBN -13: 978-1-8589-4377-0)

Andreas von Einsiedel and Johanna Thornycroft
Published by Merrell ISBN-13: 978-1-8589-4349-7

A friend of mine bought me this book a while ago and initially I thought it wouldn’t be one of my favourite as it is simply a collection of beautiful homes. However, I have to say that I have found so much inspiration for my project work and for my own home that too many pages have been torn out and a new copy has had to be purchased! A really good book if you are just starting to identify your own style and want a wide range to look at and if that still isn’t enough for you, there is the aptly titled follow-up, More Dream Homes!

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Book Club – The Vintage Modern Home

As a big fan of all things Vintage I was thrilled when this lovely book landed on my desk last week. Written by Katherine Sorrell  it is packed with gorgeous images and practical tips. As the former Associate Editor of Homes & Gardens Katherine knows her stuff and has broken the book down into chapters that focus on broad subjects such as colour, pattern and texture.

She starts the book by asking the reader to asses what they already have and to spend some time thinking about what look you can pull together from your existing possessions. A great piece of advice which we are all guilty of forgetting when rushing out to buy something new. The photos are varied and inspiring – I love this shabby chic dining room with its mix of vintage furniture and cheerful accessories.

How great is this casual arrangement of vintage signs and prints. And that fisherman’s lamp – gorgeous!

There are ideas for every room in the house and there are enough images to fill two books. This kitchen image is lovely and light and airy. It is also a perfect example of the rest of the book which aims at encouraging readers to make the most of their own space and to create a cosy, comfortable home which reflects their lifestyle, without feeling like they have to live in a magazine-styled show home.

Click to buy The Vintage Modern Home.

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