Category Archives: books

hiroshige’s edo: ukiyo-e woodblock prints of tokyo


‘Hiroshige’s Edo: Masterful ukiyo-e woodblock prints of Tokyo in the mid-19th century’ is a new book from Taschen which contains the most gorgeous images. Literally meaning “pictures of the floating world”, ukiyo-e refers to the famous Japanese woodblock print genre that originated in the 17th century and is practically synonymous with the Western world’s visual characterization of Japan. Because they could be mass produced, ukiyo-e works were often used as designs for fans, New Year’s greeting cards, single prints, and book illustrations, and traditionally they depicted city life, entertainment, beautiful women, kabuki actors, and landscapes. This reprint is made from one of the finest complete original sets of woodblock prints belonging to the Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokyo.

Hiroshige (1797-1858) was one of the last great artists in the ukiyo-e tradition. Though he captured a variety of subjects, his greatest talent was in creating landscapes of his native Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and his final masterpiece was a series known as “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (1856-1858). The stunning artwork in the book would be perfect from framing, that is if you don’t mind taking out pages out of this €150 book.

living in bahia


Living in Bahia is another gorgeous book that will be published by Taschen in July. Bahia is one of the most interesting states in Brazil, notable for its cultural history, music, art, cuisine, and most famously, its laid-back lifestyle and architecture that have turned Bahia into a favorite destination for travellers from around the world.

The makers of this book have searched high and low for Bahia’s loveliest homes and spots, from typical fisherman’s huts to sophisticated modern homes. Highlights include the house of Brazilian’s most brilliant and prodigious singer and composer Caetano Veloso in Salvador, a tree house by sculptor and environmentalist Frans Krajcberg an experimental house with a bamboo roof, and a house perched on a cliff built by artist João Calazans. Available from July from the Taschen website.

new seaside interiors by taschen

design
Taschen has just released a gorgeous new book called New Seaside Interiors. This beautiful book shows extraordinary coastal living from Iceland to Chile.
design
Highlights include a Martha’s Vineyard mansion, a Knokke apartment designed by minimal architect Vincent van Duysen, the Kjærholm house in Denmark, the domicile of Fiona Swarovski in Capri, the Lautner-designed Marbrisa residence in Mexican Acapulco, and a house in Ipanema, São Paulo by architect Isay Weinfeld. From minimalist to cozy, from ethnic to modern, these homes all share a love for the deep blue.

baileys home & garden


Mark and Sally Bailey are the authors of Restoration Home and Recycled Home. In these books the Baileys share their passion for the simple and well-made things in life. The look they love is stripped back, focusing on the integrity of the materials and surface quality – perhaps chipped paint showing the layers beneath, combinations of rough textures with clean lines or old materials with stainless steel or concrete. Both books are packed with beautifully styled photos. Mark and Sally also have an online store where they sell simple but gorgeous everyday objects. The images above show a sample of their collection. Visit their website to see more, the photos are gorgeous!

London Independent Store Guide

When I read about the Independent London/Store Guide, featured on Decor8, I immediately ordered a copy. The book arrived this Saturday (quick delivery!) and I spent some enjoyable hours looking though it. I recommend this guide to anyone going to London!
london shopping guide
The Independent London/Store Guide is a new shoppers’ guide to London’s most interesting and individual independent stores. The book is packed with unique shops, lovely eateries, little hidden boutiques and more. All stores are organised by area. The colour maps will make sure that you won’t get lost. The guide can be bought online (£8.99) and can be shipped world-wide.

Organising books by spine color

Victoria’s post at sfgirlbybay about her organizing her books by spine color brought a smile to my face. Do you think she is a superfreak? I don’t! I can totally relate to this. I can’t stand clutter and therefore I like to arrange things by color and for aesthetic reasons. So to me it is perfectly normal to arrange books by color. If you think we are superfreaks, then look at this the photo below that I took at a café in Copenhagen, Denmark, called The Laundromat. You probably have to admit that these color organised books do look gorgeous…..
books
By the way, this café is a must visit when you are in Copenhagen. It serves excellent cappuccinos and a very delicious smorgasbord. In this cafe in hip Nørrebro you can also do your laundry (hence its name) and all second-hand books are for sale.

Inspired: how creative people think, work and find inspiration

book
Do you ever wonder how creative people find their inspiration? If you do, then Inspired is a book for you. Writers Kiki Hartman and Dorte Nielsen have interviewed creative thinkers from a wide variety of disciplines. They asked them how and where they got their best ideas, what they surround themselves with and if they follow any kind of formula in the creative process.

book
As a reader you get an insight into what actually inspires the world’s top creative people. Take a peek for instance inside clothing designer Paul Smith’s messy office and find out what he surrounds himself with when looking for ideas. The book has many more inspiring stories and stunning photos. Inspired can be ordered from the book’s own website website or from Amazon.

Stylish Hotel Guides

Earlier this week I posted about the Domus series. Publisher TASCHEN has the best books about design, art and life style. To me the books are a great source of inspiration (and they look good on my coffee table as well!). TASCHEN’s Hotel series books are much more than simple hotel guides. They not only feature the best and most interesting places to stay (from low budget to luxury) but also list hot spots for each hotel’s neighborhood. Not traveling to one of these cities soon? The books are great to flip through as the gorgeous pictures give you lots of inspiration and design ideas.
book covers
TASCHEN has recently released two new additions to this great series of books. The London guide features a wide selection of hotels, from classic to designer, gives a perfect variety to choose from, whether it’s the Dorchester in Mayfair, the Soho Hotel, a Notting Hill’s Lennox Hotel or Eleven Cadogan Gardens in Chelsea. Antique hunters and style mavens alike will find their personal happiness in the list of must-see boutiques, restaurants, bars, and cafes.

Are you traveling to that gorgeous city Paris and you don’t know where to stay? The Paris guide gives you some excellent suggestions: the Christian Lacroix-designed Hôtel du Petit Moulin, the Trocadéro Dokhan’s (designed by Frédéric Méchiche), the ultra-chic Hôtel Costes by Jacques Garcia, the charming low budget Hôtel Recamier overlooking the magnificent Place Saint Sulpice or the intimate secret hideaway of Tom Ford and a Marais apartment for rent owned and decorated by fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa. While you’re in town, enjoy the suggestions for everything from a literary café experience to a luxurious perfume boutique or a renowned cheese shop.

As an added service to TASCHEN’s readers, a dedicated website for their travel books has been set up to allow you to browse all of their hotel selections online or make your booking directly; visit Great-Escapes-Hotels.com to find out more. The books are available from TASCHEN and Amazon for the price of €19.99 / US$ 24.00.

Domus: The very best from the architecture and design journal (1928-1999)

Packed with gorgeous illustrations of architectural and design ideas, the new Taschen domus series is a must have for design and architecture lovers.
domus books
Taschen has truly done a fantastic job of bringing seventy years of domus, one of the best design periodicals there is, together in a set of volumes. The twelve-volume reprint features selected highlights from the years 1928 to 1999. Reproducing the pages as they originally appeared, each volume is packed with articles that bring to light the incredible history of Modern design and architecture.
domus books
For over seventy-five years, domus has been hailed as the world’s most influential architecture and design journal. Founded in 1928 by the great Milanese architect Gio Ponti, the magazine’s central agenda has always remained that of creating a privileged insight into identifying the style of a particular age, from Art Deco, Modern Movement Functionalism and Postwar to Pop, Post-Modernism and Late Modern. Beautifully designed and comprehensively documented, domus presents page after page some of the most exciting design and architecture projects from around the world. The domus volumes are available at Taschen and Amazon for €500 /US$ 600.