Best books for design lovers

100 Interiors Around the World

If you're looking for that one book which goes above and beyond in terms of interior design inspiration, then look no further than this Taschen title. This comprehensive book catalogues 100 awe-inspiring abodes across six continents. In this A–Z of interiors you'll see everything from the jungle homes of Chiang Mai to the colour rhapsodies inside Mexico City apartments.

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Bauhaus

Bauhaus books are flooding the market this year as the centenary of the Modernist design movement is celebrated worldwide. Founded by German architect Walter Gropius in 1919, this revolutionary school would pioneer the concept of functional beauty and forge utopian design theories that endure to this day.

Taschen and the Bauhaus-Archiv Berlin have updated their ultimate Bauhaus reference book which is packed with 550 illustrations and offers a detailed exploration into how Bauhaus infiltrated the fields of design, architecture, theatre, sculpture, and beyond.

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Entryways of Milan​

Milan holds a reputation as one of the more reticent Italian cities architecturally speaking. But Entryways of Milan, goes behind closed doors to offer intimate views of 144 entryways in Milanese residential buildings. These hidden treasures reveal a whole world of opulent design: tessellated floors, marble staircases, and carpeted hallways offer a dazzling and different image of Italian Modernism.

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1000 Chairs

More than any other piece of furniture, the chair has embodied the creative spirit of a designer. This compendium of famous chairs from the 1800s is almost a history of design itself. From the rigid right angles of Gerrit Rietveld's De Stijl loungers to Charles and Ray Eames's first fibreglass thrones, each chair captures the stylistic values of the period. Take a seat and peruse design through the ages.

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Maximalism by Sig Bergamin

Sometimes more is more. We predicted that maximalism would be a guiding force in the interior design trends of 2019. South American architect and designer Sig Bergamin is known as the grand master of this excessive aesthetic as a designer who unabashedly mixes animal prints, antique wares and outlandish objets d'art together in loud but stylishly-balanced melee. His book extolls the beauty of brashness and takes readers on a whirlwind journey of the most eclectic abodes across the globe.

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Verner Panton

Verner Panton was one of the most significant designers to emerge out of post-war Europe. A true Futurist, Panton caused a storm by rebelling against the subtleties of Scandinavian design, rejecting wood and hand-crafted pieces in favour of plastic and mass-production.

This monograph offers a comprehensive look into the world of the Danish innovator and is packed with images of his curvilinear designs which push colour, material and shape to the extreme.

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The World of Ornament

Immerse yourself in this richly textured read which traces the history of decorative design from antiquity through to the 19th century. This sumptuous sourcebook is bursting with panoply of media such as stained glass, tiles and carpets and a diverse array of styles including Egyptian, Etruscan, and Middle Eastern. Good luck tearing yourself away from these beguiling patterned pages.

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WA: The Essence of Japanese Design

When one thinks of Japanese design, one thinks of simplicity, minimalism and balance as its governing principles. But how exactly is how this traditional philosophy translated into the everyday? Wa (translating loosely as 'harmony') explores contemporary Japanese design through 300 objects ranging from banal items such as bento boxes and soy sauce containers to luxury fashion and lighting elements.

This tactile book narrates the story of Japanese design from its binding to its content and features an essay by leading Japanese designer and art director of Muji Kenya Hara.

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