Four interior design books we loved this year
By By Laura Pearson
"Conviviality, freedom and fun." Whenever British designer Ilse Crawford works on a project — be it a private residence, hotel or restaurant — she keeps these three intangibles in mind. "They are qualities that are so often missing in interior space today," she writes in "A Frame for Life: The Designs of Studioilse," a beautifully illustrated book exploring her "human-centered' approach" to design (Rizzoli, $55). It's one of several inspiring interior design titles released this year that emphasize functionality, ingenuity, self-expression and ease.
Terence Conran's "Plain, Simple, Useful: The Essence of Conran Style" (Conran, $34.99) also homes in on livability. Organized around activities — i.e., cooking, eating, working and sleeping — the coffee-table tome combines helpful design tips with photographs of lovely, minimalist rooms.
"The Stuff of Life" (Ryland Peters & Small, $35), by interior stylist Hilary Robertson, is all about working with what you have to decorate in a way both thoughtful and personal, while "Commune: Designed in California" (Abrams, $60) showcases a decade of work by the innovative L.A.-based design collective, including private homes and commercial spaces. It, too, champions a personal and holistic approach (and a healthy dose of Golden State sunshine). These books will have you wanting to shake up your own interiors in the new year — or at least plan/Pinterest about it.
lpearson@tribpub.com
Twitter @tislaurapearson