The Best Books of 2021: Beautiful Books

by |December 6, 2021
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We started off the year with an incredible monograph of beloved Australian artist Ken Done and ended with celebrations of two legendary designers: Christian Dior, brought to life by Megan Hess’ brilliant illustrations, and the illustrious Tom Ford.

In between, we escaped our own interiors (of which we all saw far too much) into the dazzling worlds brought to us by Anna Spiro, Sarah Andrews, Robyn Lea and Lynda Gardner.

And then there were also the books that defied categorisation altogether. There was a travel book for a place we don’t know when we will see again in Hello Sandwich Japan, and a book in which the cats are as much the stars as the homes they inhabit in Where they Purr.

—Shanulisa Prasad, Lifestyle Category Manager


Principles of Style

by Sarah Andrews

9781761102714

Listen to our podcast with Sarah Andrews here.

In Principles of Style, Sarah Andrews presents her unique take on teaching design, drawing on her experience of working in the industry and as a teacher in her school, which has reached cult status around the world.

Buy it here


Where They Purr

by Paul Barbera

9781760761844

Read an extract from Where They Purr here and watch Paul Barbera chat about the book here.

Cats can be notoriously aloof, yet they have a special knack for commanding a room. But what can these curious creatures reveal about their owners’ personal style and design sensibilities? Where They Purr showcases twenty-eight inspirational houses and their creative interiors, along with the charismatic felines who call these places home.

Buy it here


Hello Sandwich Japan

by Ebony Bizys

9781741176841

Design-minded blogger and Japanophile Ebony Bizys, aka Hello Sandwich, has been living in Tokyo since 2010 and has uncovered the very best places around this unique country. Her book features a curated selection of places to go from bonsai gardens, contemporary galleries, stunning temples, peaceful ryokan retreats, ‘kawaii’ gift shops and top notch coffee spots, to unbeatable izakayas, four-seater sashimi bars and ideal hiking destinations for ‘forest bathing’.

Buy it here


Ken Done: Art Design Life

by Amber Creswell Bell and Ken Done

9781760760854

Read an extract from Ken Done: Art Design Life here.

At once ad man and artist, designer and entrepreneur, Ken Done has achieved what few others have. For more than forty years, Done has chronicled the Australian way, documenting how it feels to be Australian with an exuberance that is immediately recognisable. Ken Done: Art Design Life documents Done’s expansive art and design practice over four decades and provides a fascinating insight into the artist and his oeuvre.

Buy it here


Tom Ford 002

by Tom Ford and Bridget Foley

9780847864379

Synonymous with high-octane glamour, opulent sexuality, and fearless fashion, Tom Ford is an iconic American designer whose namesake label has devout followers across the globe, from Milan and New Delhi to Shanghai and New York. Seventeen years after his iconic, best-selling debut book Tom Ford (2004), which details his time as creative director for the Italian label Gucci, this second volume is a visual ode to Ford’s eponymous brand created in 2005 and encompasses cosmetics, eyewear, menswear, and his critically acclaimed womenswear line.

Buy it here


Curate

by Lynda Gardener, Ali Heath and Marnie Hawson (Photographer)

9781784727390

Read an extract from Curate here.

Curate, the highly anticipated book by creative duo, Lynda Gardener and journalist and stylist Ali Heath, reveals how to create a home that is truly individual. With their shared love of a monochrome aesthetic and natural imperfections, they explore the eight Elements that bring a space to life: palette, nature, textiles, lighting, a combination of old and new, storage, collections and art. With gloriously evocative photography and plenty of down-to-earth ideas, Curate will encourage the reader to embrace their individual style, dream big and create a timeless interior of their own.

Buy it here


Vivid: Style in Colour

by Julia Green and Armelle Habib

9781743796504

Built around the insights of renowned stylist Julia Green gathered over several decades, Vivid looks at the spaces we inhabit both at home and at work, and how the application of colour can create different outcomes and impacts. The book includes eight chapters divided by colour: orange, red, blue, green, pink, yellow, neutrals, and black. Photographer Armelle Habib contributes stunning interior shots alongside travel vignettes that tell the story of how different palettes are interwoven into our lives.

Buy it here


Christian Dior

by Megan Hess

9781743797266

Read an extract from Christian Dior here.

Christian Dior: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Master is a stunning illustrated biography of legendary designer Christian Dior from internationally renowned fashion illustrator Megan Hess. Discover the key moments of Dior’s fascinating life and iconic items from the fashion world that he created.

Buy it here


A Room of Her Own

by Robyn Lea

9781760760397

Read a guest blog from Robyn Lea here.

A Room of Her Own features the dazzling homes of twenty extraordinary women around the globe. Across sitting rooms and studios, salon-style hangs and table settings, this is a book of daring inspiration. In this new Renaissance period – a time of artistic, cultural and intellectual rebirth – these women have chosen to carve out their own space to live creatively. Artists, designers, makers and curators invite us into their domestic and professional domains to reveal a world of meaning and purpose beyond status and consumerism.

Buy it here


A Life in Pattern

by Anna Spiro

9781760761509

Read an extract from A Life in Pattern here.

Anna Spiro has long been hailed as Australia’s most original and creative interior designer. Her globally adored aesthetic is unapologetically maximalist and a paean to comfort; her devotion to the craft of working with pattern on pattern on pattern – combined with her intuitive layering of colours, objects old and new, art, books and foraged treasures – creates spaces that sing with individuality. In this standout design monograph, Spiro offers up a lifetime of hard-earned wisdom, showing how the very best interiors come from following your own path.

Buy it here


We’re rounding up the Best Books of 2021 — check it out!

The Best Books of 2021
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