Architecture

  • All The Houses I’ve Ever Lived In: Finding Home in a System that Fails Us

    08
     ‘I tore through the pages. A book I’ll read over and over again’ CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of Queenie
    ____________________________________________

    We’ve all had our share of dodgy landlords, mould and awkward house shares. But journalist Kieran Yates has had more than most: by the age of twenty-five she’d lived in twenty different houses across the country, from council estates in London to car showrooms in rural Wales.
     
    In prose that sparkles with humour and warmth, Yates charts the heartbreaks and joys of a life spent navigating the chaos of the housing system. Drawing on interviews with marginalised tenants across the country and the stories behind our interiors, she explores the unexpected ways we can fight back – finding beauty in the wreckage of a broken system, friendships in cramped housing conditions, and home even in the most fragile circumstances.

    All the Houses I’ve Ever Lived In is at once a rallying cry for change, a gorgeous coming-of-age story and a love letter to home in all its forms.
    ____________________________________________

    ‘Illuminating, thoughtfully written, damning’ OBSERVER

    ‘I read this in two sittings . . . so incisive it’s hard to put down’ PANDORA SYKES

    ‘A beautiful exposition of home and what it means. Stunning’ BOLU BABALOLA, author of Honey & Spice

    ‘So relatable . . . injects a glorious dose of love and joy and hope’ BIG ISSUE 

    ‘Yates manages the unthinkable: she makes the housing crisis funny’ i

    Read more

    £10.60£14.20
  • Odeon Cinemas: Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation: 1

    08
    The old saying does often seem to hold true: the rich get richer while the poor get poorer, creating a widening gap between those who have more and those who have less. The sociologist Robert K. Merton called this phenomenon the Matthew effect, named after a passage in the gospel of Matthew. Yet the more closely we examine the sociological effects of this principle, the more complicated the idea becomes. Initial advantage doesn’t always lead to further advantage, and disadvantage doesn’t necessarily translate into failure. Does this theory need to be revisited?Merton’s arguments have significant implications for our conceptions of equality and justice, and they challenge our beliefs about culture, education, and public policy. His hypothesis has been examined across a variety of social arenas, including science, technology, politics, and schooling, to see if, in fact, advantage begets further advantage. Daniel Rigney is the first to evaluate Merton’s theory of cumulative advantage extensively, considering both the conditions that uphold the Matthew effect and the circumstances that cause it to fail. He explores whether growing inequality is beyond human control or disparity is socially constructed and subject to change. Reexamining our core assumptions about society, Rigney causes us to rethink the sources of inequity.

    Read more

    £10.60
  • The Architecture Of Happiness

    05
    In The Architecture of Happiness, bestselling author Alain de Botton explores one of our most intense but often hidden love affairs- with our houses and their furnishings. He asks- What makes a house truly beautiful? Why are many new houses so ugly? Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures – and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved? To answer these questions and many more, de Botton looks at buildings across the world, from medieval wooden huts to modern skyscrapers; he examines sofas and cathedrals, tea sets and office complexes, and teases out a host of often surprising philosophical insights. The Architecture of Happiness will take you on a beguiling tour through the history and psychology of architecture and interior design, and will change the way you look at your home. ‘Entertaining, stimulating and witty. Clever, provocative and fresh as a daisy.’ Literary Review ‘De Botton’s writing is elegant but utterly accessible . . . beautifully written and thought provoking . . . will make you look at your surroundings in a whole new way.’ Image ‘De Botton is a brave and highly intelligent writer.’ Observer ‘De Botton makes even the most challenging of subjects invitingly simple.’ Eve ‘A powerful eye-opener.’ Mail on Sunday.

    Read more

    £10.95
  • Saarinen

    02

    The creator of the ubiquitous Knoll “Tulip” chairs and tables, Eero Saarinen (1910–1961) was one of the 20th century’s most prominent space shapers, merging dynamic forms with a modernist sensibility across architecture and design.

    Among Saarinen’s greatest accomplishments are Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport, the very sculptural and fluid TWA terminal at JFK Airport in New York, and the 630 ft. (192 m) high Gateway Arch of St. Louis, Missouri, each of them defining structures of postwar America. Catenary curves were present in many of his structural designs. During his long association with Knoll, Saarinen’s other famous furniture pieces included the “Grasshopper” lounge chair and the “Womb” settee. Married to Aline Bernstein Saarinen, a well-known critic of art and architecture, Saarinen also collaborated with Charles Eames, with whom he designed his first prize-winning chair.

    With rich illustration tracing his life and career, this introduction follows Saarinen from his studies across his training all the way to his most prestigious projects, and explores how each of his designs brought a new dimension to the modernist landscape.

    About the series

    Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Architecture series features:

    an introduction to the life and work of the architect

    the major works in chronological order

    information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions

    a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings

    approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts, and plans)

    Read more

    £11.40

    Saarinen

    £11.40
  • Breuer

    In 1956, TIME magazine called him one of the defining “form-givers of the 20th century.” Today, Marcel Breuer (1902–1981) remains a locus classicus of modernism for architects and designers alike. As a Bauhaus pioneer, even his earliest work was marked by a material restraint; the balance of texture, color, and shape; and a symbiosis of local and global, big and small, rough and smooth.

    In this essential introductory monograph, we survey Breuer’s complete career through some of his most influential projects and ideas, from his landmark tubular furniture to the MoMA Research House to his innovation of “binuclear” housing, splitting living and sleeping areas into separate wings. Along the way, we follow Hungarian-born Breuer’s journey to international acclaim, with featured projects from Germany, France, England, Switzerland, and across the United States contributing to his global status as a modernist maestro.

    About the series

    Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Architecture series features:

    an introduction to the life and work of the architect

    the major works in chronological order

    information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions

    a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings

    approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts, and plans)

    Read more

    £11.40

    Breuer

    £11.40
  • The Little Book of Colour: How to Use the Psychology of Colour to Transform Your Life

    05

    A SUNDAY TIMES DESIGN BOOK OF THE YEAR
    _________________________________________
    The definitive guide to using the power of colour to improve your happiness, wellbeing and confidence.

    What if I told you that all around you is something that can increase your motivation and positively influence how you feel?

    It’s called colour.

    Building on over 20 years of experience, Applied Colour & Design Psychology Specialist Karen Haller puts this life-changing solution in your hands. With her unmatched expertise, she demonstrates the many practical ways in which you can use colour to transform your life. Whether you’re decorating an interior or revamping your wardrobe, get ready to be inspired by the possibilities to:

    – Create a home that reflects your personality
    – Grow your confidence in using colour
    – Add colour to your workplace
    – Choose clothes that express the true you
    – Find your unique colour palette & design compatibility

    In the first book that mixes the science, psychology and emotional impact of colour, Karen Haller takes you on a journey through rediscovering the joy of colour.

    Read more

    £11.40£12.30
  • Treasury of Ironwork Designs: 469 Examples from Historical Sources (Dover Pictorial Archive)

    05
    Superb examples of the ironworker’s art ― elaborately wrought designs for gates, fences, finials, banisters, window grilles, signs, marquees, cathedral screens, and a host of other architectural and decorative appointments, from Gothic style to Art Nouveau ― meticulously rendered in fine black-and-white drawings reprinted from rare European and American books and periodicals.

    Read more

    £11.60
  • Deal and Walmer in 50 Buildings

    03
    Deal and the adjoining Walmer have long been important towns on the Kent coast. Walmer was the probable landing point for Julius Caesar’s invasion of Britain in 55 BC and Deal was once the busiest port in England. Henry VIII’s shoreline castles at Deal and Walmer are famous but the towns also boast a wealth of fascinating buildings that tell the story of their maritime, military and industrial past, as well as their development as resorts. Deal & Walmer in 50 Buildings explores the history of these fascinating towns through a selection of their most interesting buildings, including lesser-known buildings that are tucked away, showing the changes that have taken place over the years. The book will appeal to all those who live in Deal and Walmer, visit the towns or who have an interest in the area.

    Read more

    £11.60£15.20
  • RHS A Nation in Bloom: Celebrating the People, Plants & Places of the Royal Horticultural Society: Celebrating the People, Plants and Places of the Royal Horticultural Society

    01
    The RHS is the world’s largest gardening charity but what it does and why is little understood and rarely celebrated. From defining new gardening trends at the Chelsea Flower Show, to ranking the best dahlias to grow at the Wisley trial grounds, to inspiring communities with Britain in Bloom, educating children to grow and eat their veg through the Campaign for School Gardening, the RHS works tirelessly to improve the gardener’s lot. 
    With the use of evocative archive images and contemporary photos by award-winning Jason Ingram, this beautiful book explores the past, present and future of this most influential organisation by listening to the voices of those working today. From the thousands of volunteers in the society’s five unique gardens (Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex, Harlow Carr in Yorkshire and new addition Bridgewater in Salford), to the one million visitors to its inspirational flower shows (including Chelsea, Hampton Court, Tatton Park, Cardiff, Wisley and Chatsworth); the society gives meaning to more than 475,000 members, millions of television viewers and visitors from around the world. 
    The RHS is the best of gardening, and this book presents the best of the RHS. Behind the scenes, access all areas, this book will give lasting pleasure to anyone who enjoys their garden. 
    We are anticipating a foreword by HRH Prince Charles who is a friend of the RHS. 

    Read more

    £11.70£28.50
  • Hauntings: A Book of Ghosts and Where to Find Them Across 25 Eerie British Locations

    08

    ‘ Haunted is a wonderful book: part history, part rumination on life, and, of course a haunting book about ghosts …. beautifully written, fascinating, deeply moving and thought-provoking.’ – James Holland

    ‘A proper page-turner …. A fascinating tangle of witches and mermaids, drowned fishers and dead warriors, ghostly planes and spectral horses .’ – Christopher Somerville, author of Ships of Heaven

    ‘One of the most enjoyable books on the paranormal I’ve read. Neil Oliver creates a bucket list of places to visit, perfect for both paranormal investigators and history buffs alike.’ – Nick Tyler, author of Haunted Yorkshire
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

    For longer than recorded history there have been tales of spirits and of places where our hackles rise and our skin turns cold.

    Bestselling historian Neil Oliver travels the British Isles on a deliciously spine-chilling tour that spans several centuries and explores more than 20 sites – castles, vicarages and towers, lonely shorelines and forgotten battlefields – to unpick their stories..

    Oliver invokes his family’s history alongside that of kings and queens past as he probes why our emotions and senses are heightened in certain locations where the separation between dimensions seems gossamer thin. Our landscape is riven with these places, creaking from the weight of the secrets they hold, the echoes of tragedy and dark deeds . From Inverness to Devon, Co Dublin to Norfolk, Hauntings casts an enjoyably eerie glow with stories that, told generation after generation, are inextricable from place – and considers why they matter.
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

    ‘Oliver is an evocative storyteller, vividly bringing his tales to life’ BBC History Magazine

    Read more

    £11.90£23.80
  • Arts and Crafts Designs CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Clip Art)

    01
    Striking collection of designs, rendered from textile and wallpaper motifs, vases, and other authentic sources, includes images of lovely florals once etched into glassware and pitchers, garlands of flowers in square and circular configurations, wildlife that adorned decorative bowls and platters, and much more. A convenient source of superb illustrations. 231 black-and-white illustrations.

    Read more

    £11.90
  • Investigative Aesthetics: Conflicts and Commons in the Politics of Truth (Verso Futures)

    Today, artists are engaged in investigation. They probe corruption, state violence, environmental destruction and repressive technologies. At the same time, fields not usually associated with aesthetics make powerful use of it. Journalists and legal professionals pore over open source videos and satellite imagery to undertake visual investigations. This combination of diverse fields is what the authors call ‘investigative aesthetics’: mobilising sensibilities often associated with art, architecture and other such practices to find new ways of speaking truth to power.
    This book draws on theories of knowledge, ecology and technology, evaluates the methods of citizen counter-forensics, micro-history and art, and examines radical practices such as those of Wikileaks, Bellingcat, and Forensic Architecture. Investigative Aesthetics takes place in the studio and the laboratory, the courtroom and the gallery, online and in the streets, as it strives towards the construction of a new ‘common sensing’.
    The book is an inspiring introduction to a new field that brings together investigation and aesthetics to change how we understand and confront power today.

    To Nour Abuzaid for your brilliance, perseverance, and unshaken belief in the liberation of Palestine.

    Read more

    £12.30£14.20
  • The Architectural Drawing Course: The hand drawing techniques every architect should know

    04
    All students with a budding interest in architectural design will value this book for its solid foundational orientation and instruction. Mo Zell introduces readers to architecture’s visual language, showing them how to think spatially and getting them started in architectural drawing with a series of instructional tutorials. Using three-dimensional design problems, she coaches students through the fundamentals of proportion and scale, space and volume, path and place and materials and textures. A series of study units cover virtually every aspect of architectural drawing.

    This book concludes with practical advice for anyone considering a career in architectural design, offering ideas on building a portfolio, getting advanced training and continuing on a path to a professional career.

    Read more

    £12.30£16.10
  • Lost Futures: The Disappearing Architecture of Post-War Britain

    08
    • Examines a wide variety of British building types dating from 1945 to 1979, with exquisite photographs of them as they were originally conceived
    • Includes the works of an important array of architects, including Richard Seifert, Alison and Peter Smithson, and Erno Goldfinger
    • Published to complement the display Futures Found at the Royal Academy in February 2017

    Lost Futures looks in detail at the wide range of buildings constructed in Britain between 1945 and 1979. Although their bold architectural aspirations reflected the forward-looking social ethos of the postwar era, many have since been either demolished or altered beyond recognition.

    Photographs taken at the time of their completion are accompanied by expertly researched captions that examine the buildings’ design, creation, the ideals they embodied and the reasons for their eventual destruction. Lost Futures covers many building types, from housing to factories, commercial spaces and power stations, and presents the work of both iconic and lesser-known architects. The author charts the complex reasons that led to the loss of these projects’ ambitious futures, and assesses whether some might one day be recaptured.

    Read more

    £12.35£14.95
  • Sustainable Design: A Critical Guide (Architecture Briefs)

    04
    Written for students and practitioners in the fields of architecture and interior design, our new Architecture Brief Sustainable Design provides a concise overview of all the techniques available for reducing the energy footprint of structures and spaces. With clear, simple language and a practical “can-do” approach, author David Bergman covers everything from the profession’s ethical responsibility, to design structures and spaces that sustain our natural resources, to specific considerations such as rainwater harvesting, graywater recycling, passive heating techniques, solar orientation, green roofs, wind energy, daylighting, indoor air quality, material evaluation and specification, and how to work with green building certification programs.

    Read more

    £12.40
  • Gaudí: From Nature to Architecture

    08
    God s architect

    Gaudí s ravishing symbiosis between built environment and natural world

    From the towering Sagrada Família to the shimmering, textured facade of Casa Batlló and the enchanting landscape of Park Güell, it s easy to see why Antoni Gaudí (1852 1926) gained the epithet God s architect . With fluid forms and mathematical precision, his work extols the wonder of natural creation: columns soar like tree trunks, window frames curve like flowering branches, and ceramic tiling shimmers like scaly, reptilian skin.

    With this outstanding attention to natural detail, his inspirations from both neo-Gothic and Orientalist aesthetics, and a lifelong commitment to Catalan identity, Gaudí created a unique brand of the Modernista movement which transformed, and defines, Barcelona s cityscape.

    With seven of Gaudí s projects listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this book introduces the architect s extraordinary vision and unique legacy, exploring the influences and the details which allow his buildings to impress, inspire, and amaze, one century after their construction.

    About the Series:
    Each book in TASCHEN s Basic Architecture series features: an introduction to the life and work of the architect
    the major works in chronological order
    information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions
    a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings
    approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts and plans)

    Read more

    £12.50£14.30
  • 70s House: A bold homage to the most daring decade in design

    08
    “I loved the 70s – and that’s both the 1970s and the 1870s. There’s obviously always something about a decade that starts with a seven that means the design dial is turned to 11; colours get bolder, shapes get badder and style flies its freak flag. So, thank goodness resplendent 70s temptress Estelle Bilson has committed pen to paper so that the world can enjoy her take on the era of soft squares, teak, shag and Artex.” – Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

    “[Estelle Bilson] gives people the courage to use [her] products without fear – [she is] brilliant – I think [she] is the most important creative look since Conran.” Barbara Hulanicki OBE

    From disco and glam to space age and psychedelic, there’s no denying the huge impact the 70s had on style and design. But how do you bring the era’s maximalism to your interior without it looking like a cluttered junk shop or a period pastiche?

    Estelle Bilson aka @70shousemanchester transformed her unremarkable 3-bedroom terraced home into a 70s wonderland, using a thrifty eye and vintage know-how. In her first book, she shows you how to bring the same creative magic to your home with her expert advice, tips and tricks on choosing colour, pattern, shapes and materials – whether you’re after a few nods to the era, or the full 70s fantasy.

    70s House is the definitive guide to the most daring decade in design, covering everything from shag carpets and supergraphics, to Hornsea ceramics and G Plan furniture. The book is split into three sections: 70s influences – what shaped the era?; How to bring the 70s to your interior design; and At home with 70s House Manchester. And of course, it wouldn’t be the 70s without a good old-fashioned shindig – Estelle also reveals her secrets to throwing the grooviest get-together, complete with vintage recipes and record selections to match.

    Part interiors guide, part manual for living, this loud-and-proud book will bring not only 70s colour and kitsch to the modern day, but also the rebellious spirit, pure joy and freewheeling energy epitomised by the era.

    Because the 70s is so much more than the decade that taste forgot.

    Read more

    £12.50£19.00
  • John Craxton: A Life of Gifts

    08
    Uplifting and engaging, this story recounts the life and career of a rebellious 20th-century British artist

    Born into a large, musical, and bohemian family in London, the British artist John Craxton (1922–2009) has been described as a Neo-Romantic, but he called himself a ‘kind of Arcadian’. His early art was influenced by Blake, Palmer, Miró, and Picasso. After achieving a dream of moving to Greece, his work evolved as a personal response to Byzantine mosaics, El Greco, and the art of Greek life.

    This book tells his adventurous story for the first time. At turns exciting, funny, and poignant, the saga is enlivened by Craxton’s ebullient pictures. Ian Collins expands our understanding of the artist greatly―including an in-depth exploration of the storied, complicated friendship between Craxton and Lucian Freud, drawing on letters and memories that Craxton wanted to remain private until after his death.

    Read more

    £12.90£23.80
  • Selina Lake: Garden Style: Inspirational Styling for your Outside Space

    08

    In her latest book, Garden Style, Selina Lake reveals how to make the most of any outdoor space, no matter what size or shape. 

    Selina begins by describing her sources of inspiration – famous gardens, nurseries and garden centres, plant catalogues and botanical prints. Armed with ideas, she moves on to Chapter Two, Decorating your Garden, which is packed with suggestions for container gardening and introducing decorative features. In the next chapter, Bringing the Outside In, she harvests flowers and foliage from the garden to provide seasonal adornment for her home. Chapter Four, Garden Rooms, Greenhouses and Sheds, taps into the current trend for garden buildings that allow you to make the most of your outdoor space. Next, in Relaxing Outdoors, Selina explains how to transform your garden into a stylish space for entertaining, with ideas on furniture, lighting and more. Finally, in Eating Outdoors, Selina offers advice on creating an inviting outdoor room for eating alfresco. The book is peppered with styling ideas and simple projects. There are also tips on choosing easy-to-grow garden plants and even growing your own produce.

    Perfect for anyone who wants to make the most of their own little patch of green, Garden Style will also appeal to those who might have neglected their outdoor space and need help to see the potential in their plot. Garden Style will allow readers to transform even the smallest scrap of outdoor space into a lush green retreat.

    Read more

    £13.00£19.00
  • Rockett St George Extraordinary Interiors In Colour

    08

    In Extraordinary Interiors In Colour, self-confessed colour addicts Jane Rockett and Lucy St George follow on from their best-selling first book by tackling the topic of choosing colour for the home.

    Such is their passion for colour that Jane and Lucy launched the Rockett St George paint range in August 2018 sophisticated, earthy shades that work perfectly together. This new book allows them to explore the world of colour and reveal their inspirations – travel, hotels and restaurants, Instagram, the natural world and vintage design. Starting at the beginning, Jane and Lucy investigate colour theory before plunging into the history of colour and how it affects our emotions. Next, they take a look at the natural world and explore what colour means in different cultures around the globe. They then tackle the million-dollar question – which colours should you choose? A final chapter explores inventive ways to decorate with colour, from bold blocking to brave use of contrasting hues. Each chapter is interspersed with a real-life home that exemplifies the Rockett St George style. If you want maximum impact when updating an interior, there’s no better way to achieve it than with bold, clever and creative use of colour.

    Read more

    £13.10£19.00
  • The ‘Grossdeutschland’ Division in World War II: The German Army’s premier combat unit: 255 (Elite)

    Investigates the history and evolving appearance of the ‘Grossdeutschland’ Division, the German Army’s premier combat unit during World War II.

    Featuring eight pages of original artwork and carefully chosen photographs depicting personalities, uniforms, insignia and personal equipment, this is the absorbing story of the German Army’s elite ‘fire brigade’ during 1939–45. The unit began its life as an elite guard detachment; expanded to regimental size in 1939, it saw action in France in 1940 and Yugoslavia in 1941 before participating in the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union.

    Reinforced to divisional status, ‘Grossdeutschland’ fought on the Eastern Front in 1942–44, notably at Rzhev in late 1942 and Kharkov in early 1943. Refitted and redesignated a Panzergrenadier-Division, ‘Grossdeutschland’ played a key role in the battle of Kursk in July 1943, before acting as the Wehrmacht’s ‘fire brigade’ in 1943–44.

    In late 1944, ‘Grossdeutschland’ was expanded to Panzerkorps status, Panzergrenadier-Division ‘Brandenburg’ taking the field alongside Panzer-Division ‘Grossdeutschland’. Further units joined the order of battle, the Führerbegleit-Brigade fighting in the Ardennes in 1944–45 before also being redesignated a division. All of these campaigns are covered in this book, which charts the evolving appearance of this elite formation over nearly six years of brutal warfare.

    Read more

    £13.10£14.20
  • Victorian House Designs in Authentic Full Color: 75 Plates from the “Scientific American — Architects and Builders Edition,” 1885-1894 (Dover Architecture)

    01
    Exquisitely detailed, exceptionally handsome designs for an enormous variety of attractive city dwellings, spacious suburban and country homes, charming “cottages” and other structures — all accompanied by perspective views and floor plans with measurements. Invaluable to architects, home restorers and preservationists; of immense interest to lovers of Victorian architecture.

    Read more

    £13.50
  • SORT YOUR LIFE OUT: 3 Steps to Transform Your Home & Change Your Life

    The first official book from the life-changing BBC One show, Sort Your Life Out will have you falling back in love with your home in three simple steps:

    1. STRIP – how to let go and clear out the clutter (when you don’t have a warehouse to hand)!

    2. SORT – time to sell, donate, recycle and upcycle.

    3. SYSTEMISE – learn how to organise, fold and store in a way that is manageable and sustainable.

    Filled with every tip and trick from your favourite experts Stacey, Dilly, Iwan and Rob, this empowering book will give you the tools to transform your home and get that Sort Your Life Out mindset.

    Read more

    £13.60£16.10
  • Home Decorating For Dummies

    Want to be your own decorator? Design on a dime with Dummies!

    Home Decorating For Dummies packs all the information you need to know about décor into one easy-to-read source. Whether you want to decorate one room or make over the whole house, this book has everything you need to design like a pro. This is the only reference you’ll need to transform your home into a space you’ll love. Dummies offers no-nonsense help, so you can plan perfect projects and stay within budget. Updated with the latest on smart homes, short-term rentals, DIY décor, and more.

    • Learn how to optimize your home’s floor plan
    • Discover tricks for mixing patterns, colors, and textures successfully
    • Refresh your home’s style without spending a fortune
    • Decorate rental properties with eye-catching, trendy style
    • Untangle the terms―mid-century modern, farmhouse, minimalism―and pinpoint your design style

    For those seeking ideas, resources, and budget-wise tips to spark their decorating creativity, Home Decorating For Dummies is a must-have.

    Read more

    £13.70£17.10
  • Winter Living Style: Bring hygge into your home with this inspirational guide to decorating for Winter

    05

    Selina Lake’s bestselling title Winter Living is now back in print, available as Winter Living Style which shows you how to transform your home into a beautiful, elegant and welcoming haven, inspired by the romantic charm of winter.

    Popular stylist and bestselling interiors author Selina Lake brings her signature vintage romantic style to the most atmospheric and majestic of the seasons. With chapters including a stand-alone section of Winter Inspirations, containing ideas for flowers, lighting, fabrics, furniture, and decorations, you’ll be equipped with fresh ideas to transform your home into an inviting, warming and welcoming haven. Discover the intimate style and soft textures and tones of Homespun; the gentle palette and elegant vintage vibe of Faded Grandeur; the mid-century simplicity and timeless appeal of Rustic with its rich colors for the darker months; and the Scandinavian feel of Winter Whites, with its whitewashed floorboards, natural wood, and stone. Last but not least, a chapter on Festive Celebrations contains enchanting ideas for decorations, as well as inspirational ideas for cosy and vintage winter entertaining for friends and family. Throughout the book, Selina’s imaginative DIY ideas and insightful Style Tips suggest how to recreate the textures, tones, and ambience of winter and bring Selina’s style into your own home.

    Winter Living Style is a fantastic new edition of the previously published Selina Lake Winter Living.

    Read more

    £13.80£19.00
  • Faded Glamour by the Sea

    08

    Fulfilling a lifetime dream of finding a house by the sea, Pearl Lowe now brings her laid-back decorating style to coastal living with Faded Glamour by the Sea.

    Pearl Lowe’s gloriously decadent yet perfectly lived-in decorating style was featured in her bestselling interiors book Faded Glamour. Now Pearl is taking us to the coast, and in Faded Glamour by the Sea we get the first glimpse of her new home – a beautiful renovation project that she and her husband, musician Danny Goffey, have created in East Sussex. Built in the 1940s for an artist whose shell sculptures are still dotted round the garden, the house and adjacent cabins have been lovingly restored by Pearl. 

    The house may have been a life-long dream for the couple, who have always loved the solace of water, but it has only been just over a year in the making, thanks to the inspiration Pearl has drawn from many friends who live in the area and also further afield. And so she takes us on a tour of their seaside homes. A pair of antique dealers whose love of all things French inspired them to set up their own brocante in Kent; an artist with a love of beach huts; an author who swapped London life for a clifftop house with his own writer’s hut. Add to this the Malibu beachfront home of stylist Rachel Ashwell, the hippy-chic style of supermodel Helena Christensen’s waterside retreat and the ‘punk noir Victorian’ vibe of the hotel created by friends from rock band The Libertines. In Faded Glamour by the Sea Pearl visits these properties, and as the owners tell their stories she explains how she found inspiration for this new chapter in her life.

    Read more

    £14.00£23.80

    Faded Glamour by the Sea

    £14.00£23.80
  • Brutal North: Post-War Modernist Architecture in the North of England

    08

    BRUTAL NORTH offers the first photographic exploration of modernist and Brutalist architecture across the North of England.

    During the post-war years the North of England saw the building of some of the most aspirational, enlightened and successful modernist architecture in the world. For the first time, a single photographic book captures those buildings, in all their power and progressive ambition.

    Over the last few years acclaimed photographer Simon Phipps has travelled and sought out the publicly commissioned architecture of the post-war North. From Newcastle’s Byker Wall Estate, voted the best neighbourhood in the UK, to the extraordinary Park Hill Estate in Sheffield, from Preston’s sweeping bus station and Liverpool’s Royal Insurance Building, these structures have seen off threats to their survival and are rightly celebrated for the imprint they leave upon the skyline and the cultural life of their cities.

    This inspiring invitation to explore northern modernism includes maps and detailed information about all the architecture photographed.

    Read more

    £14.20£17.10
  • The Upholsterer’s Step-by-Step Handbook: A practical reference

    08

    The Upholsterer’s Step-by-step Handbook reveals the techniques and tips of the upholstery trade in an easy to understand format.

    Fully illustrated throughout with informative illustrations and inspiring photography, this book will enable you to confidently create a statement piece of furniture for your home.

    Learn how to follow a technique-based approach to upholstery, from assessing the work involved and estimating your materials to planning your order of working to get professional results – whatever the size or scale of the project. Further information on the design of chairs and working with chair types enables you to work on any model of chair without limiting you to specific projects.

    Additional chapters include information on upholstery tools and materials, furnishing fabrics and trimmings. Sections on simple woodworking techniques and on repairs and surface finishes ensure that this is the ultimate one-stop resource for the amateur upholsterer.

    Read more

    £14.30£19.00
  • Architecture For Dummies

    08
    * Just the essential information for readers on the go who want to understand architecture.
    * Covers the highlights of architectural history, from the Great Pyramids to Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim museum in Bilbao.
    * Explains how to look at a building and appreciate it. Explains when a building’s a building and when it’s art.
    * Part of Tens includes: Ten Great Architectural Masterpieces, Ten Biggest Architectural and Engineering Failures, Ten of the Most Interesting Architects Working Today-and more.

    Read more

    £14.70£18.00

    Architecture For Dummies

    £14.70£18.00
  • Wild at Home: How to style and care for beautiful plants

    08

    “Hilton Carter’s love for plants is infectious… His lush and exuberant displays are inspiring reminders that plants can be so much more than neat little containers on a window sill.” Grace Bonney, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Design*Sponge 

    Take a tour through Hilton’s own apartment and other lush spaces, filled with a huge array of thriving plants, and learn all you need to know to create your own urban jungle. As the owner of over 200 plants, Hilton feels strongly about the role of plants in one’s home – not just for the beauty they add, but for health benefits as well: ‘having plants in your home not only adds life, but changes the airflow throughout. It’s also a key design element when styling your place. For me, it wasn’t about just having greenery, but having the right variety of greenery. I like to see the different textures of foliage all grouped together. You take a fiddle leaf fig and sandwich it between a birds of paradise and a monstera and…. yes!’ You will be armed with the know-how you need to care for your plants, where to place them, how to propagate, how to find the right pot, and much more, and most importantly, how to arrange them so that they look their best. Combine sizes and leaf shapes to stunning effect, grow your own succulents from leaf cuttings, create your own air plant display, and more.

    Read more

    £14.80£18.00
  • Chairs by Architects

    01
    What is it that distinguishes a chair designed by an architect? Why is it so tempting for an architect to have a chair in his or her portfolio? Is it possible to use creative solutions interchangeably in both domains? Chairs by Architects answers these and many other questions to show how qualities in the buildings by architects are also evident in their chair design: pieces of furniture, like manifestos, become signatures of architectural style. The 55 architects include early modern architectural pioneers such as Otto Wagner, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Antoni Gaudí and Walter Gropius, together with more recent modern masters such as Oscar Niemeyer, Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry and Daniel Libeskind. The book contains interviews on Designing (in conversation with David Adjaye), Manufacturing (with David E. Bright, Knoll Inc.), Selling (with Zeev Aram), Collecting (with Richard Wright) and Preserving (with Susanne Graner, Vitra Design Museum).
    This is essential reading for everyone concerned with design, architecture and the relationship between creators and their creations.

    Read more

    £15.00£18.00

    Chairs by Architects

    £15.00£18.00
  • Frank Lloyd Wright

    112 pages, illustrated throughout, mainly in colour

    Read more

    £15.20
  • Modern Art. A History from Impressionism to Today

    07

    Most art historians agree that the modern art adventure first developed in the 1860s in Paris. A circle of painters, whom we now know as Impressionists, began painting pictures with rapid, loose brushwork. They turned to everyday street life for subjects, instead of overblown heroic scenes, and they escaped the power of the Salon by organizing their own independent exhibitions.

    After this first assault on the artistic establishment, there was no holding back. In a constant desire to challenge, innovate, and inspire, one modernist style supplanted the next: Symbolism, Expressionism, Futurism, Dada, abstract art, renewed Realism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Minimal and conceptual practice.

    This indispensable overview traces the restless energy of modern art with a year-by-year succession of the groundbreaking artworks that shook standards and broke down barriers. Introductory essays outline the most significant and influential movements alongside explanatory texts for each major work and its artist.

    About the series

    Bibliotheca Universalis ― Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe!

    Read more

    £15.20
  • Life Unstyled: How to embrace imperfection and create a home you love

    08

    We are bombarded by perfect interiors, images that aren’t attainable because they have been styled to the point where they bear no resemblance to reality. These interiors may be stunning, but they aren’t an honest reflection of how we really live.

    Life Unstyled is about taking inspiration from real homes that are beautiful, creative and inspiring but at the same time a little rough around the edges, with signs of everyday life evident throughout. The first section, ‘Homes Unstyled’, sets out Emily’s manifesto for creating a stylish home that is beautiful but lived in. A Home is Never Done advocates allowing your space to evolve gradually so it is an ever-changing expression of your tastes and interests. Work with What You’ve Got suggests ways to make the most of the home you have rather than yearning for unattainable perfection. Signs of Life offers ideas for wrangling papers, clutter and other stuff. Creative Clutter tackles collections and displays, while Break the Rules rejects style diktats and shows how individuality can bring a home to life. The second section, ‘People Live Here’, visits real-life homes that are definitely not perfect yet display incredible style and creativity and reflect their owners’ needs, tastes and style. And throughout the book, quick fixes, DIY makes and ‘Every Home Should Have…’ boxes offer creative solutions with unique results.

    Life Unstyled is a fantastic new edition of the previously published title of the same name.

    Read more

    £15.20£21.90
  • Spectrum (Victoria and Albert Museum): Heritage Patterns and Colours (V&a Museum)

    08
    A visual analysis of the colours used in furnishing fabrics and wallpapers from the 15th century to now, providing inspiration for designers.

    This simply structured and highly original book analyses the palettes that have been used by designers in the creation of furnishing fabrics and wallpapers from the 15th century to the present. The colours used in each pattern are presented in a simple proportional grid, giving a clear understanding of hues that have been expertly combined at different periods to create the designs we continue to admire and emulate.

    Spectrum opens with a brief introduction by interior design expert Ros Byam Shaw, exploring the history of colour as used in interiors. The fabrics and wallpapers that follow are arranged chronologically. Each is reproduced on its own double-page spread, and is accompanied by a brief narrative-style caption that provides information about each fabric or wallpaper and its significance in the context of interior design. Unique in such a book are the colour grids shown beside each pattern, in which the colours in the original piece are shown in proportion to their use, and with their CMYK references to enable designers to replicate these colours in their own work.

    Read more

    £15.40£19.00
  • Bauhaus. Updated Edition

    08

    In a fleeting 14-year period between two world wars, Germany’s Bauhaus school of art and design changed the face of modernity. With utopian ideas for the future, the school developed a pioneering fusion of fine art, craftsmanship, and technology, which they applied across media and practices from film to theater, and sculpture to ceramics.

    This best-selling reference work is made in collaboration with the Bauhaus-Archiv/Museum für Gestaltung in Berlin, the world’s largest collection on the history of the Bauhaus. Some 575 illustrations including architectural plans, studies, photographs, sketches, and models record not only the realized works but also the leading principles and personalities of this idealistic creative community through its three successive locations in Weimar, Dessau, and Berlin. From informal shots of group gymnastics to drawings guided by Paul Klee, from extensive architectural plans to an infinitely sleek ashtray by Marianne Brandt, the collection brims with the colors, materials, and geometries that made up the Bauhaus vision of a “total” work of art.

    This is a defining account of Bauhaus’ energy and rigor, not only as a trailblazing movement in Modernism but also as a paradigm of art education, where creative expression and cutting-edge ideas led to simultaneously functional and beautiful creations. The handy edition features artists Josef Albers, Marianne Brandt, Walter Gropius, Gertrud Grunow, Paul Klee, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Lilly Reich, and many more.

    About the series

    Bibliotheca Universalis ― Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe!

    Read more

    £15.60
  • Terence Conran: My Life in Design

    07
    ‘The British designer who revolutionised retail and decor.’ BBC news

    ‘Terence Conran was instrumental in the redesigning of post-war Britain and his legacy is huge..He changed the way we lived and shopped and ate.’ Tim Marlow, Director and Chief Executive, Design Museum.

    ‘He spent his whole career looking for ways to make life better for everyone.’ Deyan Sudjic, Director Emeritus, Design Museum

    In My Life in Design, Terence Conran tells the story of the Conran brand from the founding of the Conran Design Studio more than sixty years ago to the creation of the Design Museum, now based in a dazzling new space on High Street Kensington. Extensively illustrated chapters consider the many areas where Terence and his design team made a lasting impact on the way we live our lives, including the founding of Habitat, which introduced good, affordable homeware to the high street, his restaurants, which brought Britain out of the culinary dark ages to discover the joys of eating out and his talent for rescuing and regenerating abandoned buildings and bringing them back into exciting new use. My Life in Design is illustrated with more than 400 images – many from private collections that have not been published before.

    The book is introduced by internationally renowned designer, Thomas Heatherwick, who identifies his mentor Terence Conran as ‘a modernist who, together with a tiny handful of others, gave us a new vision of Britain and ourselves.’ Now in his eighties and still designing beautiful homeware and opening buzzy, welcoming restaurants, Terence reveals the secrets and stories of this transformation of British design. Gloriously lively, opinionated and visually stimulating, this is the only book to tell the story of Terence Conran’s remarkable career in his own words.

    Terence Conran: My Life in Design will appeal to designers, students and all those who have grown up with the work of the multi-talented Sir Terence Conran.

    Read more

    £16.00£28.50
  • Modern Architecture A–Z

    08

    With more than 280 entries, this architectural A–Z, now part of our Bibliotheca Universalis series, offers an indispensable overview of the key players in the creation of modern space. From the period spanning the 19th to the 21st century, pioneering architects are featured with a portrait, concise biography, as well as a description of her or his important work.

    Like a bespoke global architecture tour, you’ll travel from Manhattan skyscrapers to a Japanese concert hall, from Gaudí’s Palau Güell in Barcelona to Lina Bo Bardi’s sports and leisure center in a former factory site in São Paulo. You’ll take in Gio Ponti’s colored geometries, Zaha Hadid’s free-flowing futurism, the luminous interiors of SANAA, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s unique blend of Scottish tradition and elegant japonisme.

    The book’s A to Z entries also cover groups, movements, and styles to position these leading individual architects within broader building trends across time and geography, including International Style, Bauhaus, De Stijl, and much more. With illustrations including some of the best architectural photography of the modern era, this is a comprehensive resource for any architecture professional, student, or devotee.

    About the series

    Bibliotheca Universalis ― Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe!

    Read more

    £16.42
  • The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects – Includes Relevant … … Care and repair for this…

    08
    Thinking of buying a Victorian or Edwardian house? Or maybe you already own one? Either way, this clearly written manual explains all you need to know about the care and repair of these classic properties. Today, many houses of this age are in need of extensive updating and maintenance, having suffered years of neglect. Some have been damaged by misguided home improvements or botched repairs using the wrong materials. Even newly refurbished properties can sometimes conceal dangerous structural alterations and shoddy build-quality. This unique manual provides detailed, expert advice, backed up with clear how to colour photographs, describing where to check for the critical danger signs and how to fix all common defects. Each chapter is devoted to a key part of the house in the style of a professional home survey, guiding you safely through the whole building. The author also investigates potential dangers from subsidence, damp, beetle infestation, fungal decay, lead paint, lead pipes, asbestos and toxic mould . Every old house has a story to tell, and one of the joys of owning a valuable antique building is discovering its history stripping back modern finishes to reveal long lost original features. So the manual also includes a wealth of fascinating information about 19th & early 20th century houses everything from the immeasurable contribution made by Victorian toilet pioneers such as the legendary Thomas Crapper, to why horse hair and dung were common ingredients in building materials. Coming right up to date, the book shows the best ways to upgrade and extend your home for 21st century lifestyles, and reveals which improvements add real value and the ones to avoid. * Discover how your house was built its age, materials and history, also where Victorian building work was sometimes skimped. *The DEFECT / CAUSE / SOLUTION format helps you quickly identify and solve all common defects *Step-by-step photo features show the correct way to carry out repairs and maintenance *Common sense solutions to damp and timber problems *Assessing cracking when to start worrying *How to avoid expensive mistakes and quick fix scams *How to boost thermal efficiency to make your home warm with lower energy bills

    Read more

    £16.60£23.80
  • Home by the Sea: Love Where You Live: The Surf Shacks and Hinterland Hideaways of Byron Bay

    01
    Home by the Sea: The Surf Shacks and Hinterland Hideaways of Byron Bay is a beautiful interiors book that opens the doors to a range of diverse and inspiring homes in the burgeoning creative community of Australia’s Byron Bay. Step inside eighteen stunning homes across a range of styles, from interior designer Louella Boîtel-Gill’s Gypsy Creek home to architect Zana Wright’s off-the-grid Quandong Cottage, to fashion designers Lara Fells of St Agni and Candice Rose-O’Rourke of Zulu & Zephyr. Home by the Sea tells the stories of these homes and the people who live there – uncovering, in the process, that there is so much more to Byron Bay than its natural beauty. This is a book about community and creativity, about living intentionally and the value of loving where you live.

    Created by locals, including best-selling author Natalie Walton, and showcasing the light-filled interior and lifestyle photography of Amelia Fullarton, Home by the Sea offers a unique and unforgettable taste of what it’s like to live in this iconic town.

    Read more

    £16.60£28.50

Main Menu