These books are the perfect addition to your reading pile for Spring. In Modern Rustic, stylist Emily Henson and writer Joanna Simmons lead you through the Elements of the Modern Rustic look. In Perfect English Style, Ros Byam Shaw looks at a range of rooms with a strong English feel to them. In How We Live Now, Rebecca Winward explores ways to make your home work harder for you. And finally, Geraldine James offers practical solutions for those who are not confident enough to embark on expensive renovations with ways to redecorate that can be easily reversed in A Pop of Colour.
1. Modern Rustic
by Emily Henson
Photography by Catherine Gratwicke
At its heart, the modern rustic look celebrates the fabric of a home, from the roof beams to the brickwork. This style revels in earthy colours and rich textures; in natural materials such as wood and stone; and the ruggedly handsome bones of a building. In this book, stylist Emily Henson and writer Joanna Simmons first lead you through the Elements of the Modern Rustic look.
2. Perfect English Style
by Ros Byam Shaw
Some styles of decorating have a longer shelf life than others. One of the most durable is English Country Style, which works just as well in a city apartment or suburban home as it does in a rectory or manor house. Ros explores the main rooms of a house, from hallways to bedrooms, their characteristics and furnishings, and how they achieve that mix of comfort, informality and visual charm that is the hallmark of English style.
Photography: Simon Brown
3. How We Live Now
by Rebecca Winward
In How We Live Now, Rebecca Winward explores open-plan living, opting for more flexible room configurations, and using pockets of ‘dead space’ – under the stairs, on the landing or in the garden – that have unrecognized potential. Multi-tasking furniture and smart storage both have their role to play, as does versatile lighting.
Photography: Rachel Whiting
Photography: Rachel Whiting
4. A Pop of Colour
by Geraldine James
Encouraging experimentation, Geraldine James looks at different ways you can bring colour into the home starting with adding single pops of colour in a neutral space, such as red pillows, plates, bowls, and rugs in a living space; then she looks at colour walls, painting a single wall with a bright colour, which can really lift a room without much investment (and you can always repaint if you change your mind).
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