By: Anna Popov
By: Anna Popov
Here at Interiors by Popov we are always looking for new inspiration. If you are an avid design lover like us, chances are your shelves or coffee table have room for another book. Luckily, we have already done the research for you. From dreamy retreat homes to mindful living – we have chosen and brought you 5 of the best interior design books of 2021.
FORM + FUNCTION IN ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN
Finding Home: The Houses of Pursley Dixon forwarded by Suzanne Kasler
For me, great interiors start with great architecture – it really is the most important part of the home. One of the highlights of my career has been working with talented architects like Pursley Dixon. It has been so special to collaborate with Ken Pursley and his partner, Craig Dixon, on houses on the coast, in the low country, and in the city. They have a holistic approach to their homes and a sensitivity to interior spaces, and they know how people want to live today.”
To start off our list we have Finding Home: The House of Pursley Dixon. This first one really resonated with us. Designing with purpose is something we value at Interior by Popov. Like Pursely Dixon, our primary focus is integrity and authenticity. Incorporating the teachings of proportions, spatial environments, and building orientation is of highest priority. While we keep industry trends in mind, our eyes are focused on identifying those key design gestures that are specific to you and your home. This enables us to create environments that are carefully understood and thoughtfully executed – leading to more enduring results.
As you flip through the pages of Finding Home you find a display of mindful design. Homes that harmoniously blend form and function. You slowly start to uncover that no matter where the setting, each necessitates a different architectural embrace. That the house is more than just studying room arrangements and figuring out the best views. The process is more delicate with every design decision building upon the ultimate mission of reflecting the clients back to themselves. We really enjoyed the comparison the author makes at the beginning of the book with Norman Rockwell’s painting – Triple Self-Portrait. This illustration features Rockwell painting an idealized version of himself while looking in the mirror, capturing how we see ourselves, how we would like others to see us, and how we truly appear. Like the Rockwell painting, this translation of personalities into architecture is not an exact portrait, because building that perfect home captures not who we are, but who we dream to be.
It carries onto emphasizing this play between interior and exterior. Building with the land, sourcing materials that work harmoniously with the site. It truly inspires a more careful way of designing. You see that like a story every home holds its own thoughtful narrative. As designers, it is up to us to discover the philosophy behind each design and how it connects to the use on an authentic level. Pursley Dixon is doing just that in these homes. They are using fine attention to detail, proportion, and a marvelous connection with nature to create these dreamy retreats. Leaving behind little these touches of humanity that await discovery.
With page-to-page high quality images, each home will leave an impression and inspire a more considered way to design. We highly recommend this book to all design lovers and home enthusiasts. It is a wonderful source of inspiration, especially for those of you who reside here in the PNW.
DESIGN WITH INTENTION
The New Mindful Home: And how to make it yours by Joanna Thornhill
“It stands to reason that if we are to create a mindful home, we must be mindful of the cost of what we place in it – financially, yes, but also environmentally, ethically, sustainably, and consciously. If we overlook all of these elements and simply purchase on whim, or when we’re on autopilot, we do both ourselves and the planet a disservice, and no one wants that weighing on their conscience.”
Our next favorite book of the year is The New Mindful Home. As designers we are always trying to think intentionally. At Interiors by Popov, we strive to create environments that are visually stunning and highly functional meeting the demands of a contemporary way of life. The New Mindful Home will give you the tools you need analyze your space and create a home with intention that truly supports your household. Currently we are all spending time at home more than ever before, leading us all to rethink what home really means. This book helps you look at your space and ask, “Does this environment calm me, revive me, support me?” At the end of the day, we just want a place that we can call our own and that will support our overall well-being.
When thinking about mindfulness and intention we seem to forget that our homes and interiors play a big part in our overall well-being. The book is great as it highlights the links between body, mind, and soul and gives understanding as to why the environment around us supports them. It cuts right through the hacks and fads really digging deep into practical solutions to common household problems. As you turn the pages you uncover the secrets behind slow living, curating supportive room layouts, the power of colors, as well as embracing plants and natural elements in the home. Accompanied with contemporary photography, this book will leave an impression. We love this book as it will surely inspire you and your guests to live more mindfully and guide you to a home that will support a more considered lifestyle.
HAPPY DOG, HAPPY HOME – DESIGNING WITH YOUR PET IN MIND
Cool Dogs, Cool Homes: Living in style with your dog by Geraldine James
“Large bay windows provide Eddie with a very good view of all the goings on the street. I have covered the back of the couch with a cream linen throw and on top of that a piece of African mud cloth, both picked up at the flea market. A sheepskin rug covers the arm to protect it against paw-marks.”
Next, we are looking at Cool Dogs, Cool Homes. Here at IBP, we are always considering the needs of everyone, including pets. We can all agree that you can have the coolest house on the street, but the house is not a home without a family which includes our little fur babies!
The PNW is one of the most pet friendly places in the US. From dog friendly restaurants to off leash dog parks, you cannot but help to think, “Why not take the extra mile and extend the love into your home.”
Any pet owner or future pet owner will understand the question – How can I keep my home – “Instagrammable” with all things associated like feeding bowls, toys, beds. This perfect tabletop read will walk you through beautiful homes that incorporate their pets’ needs without sacrificing style and their pet’s freedom to roam around the home and garden. It gives those thoughtful tips and compromises that will help you adjust and curate a beautiful comfortable home that is designed for everyone. You will find that each home throughout the book uses easy design solutions that give allowances for the pets’ well-being and happiness without compromising your own, a vital part of a happy home. Filled with simple tips, inspiration, and reference images – it ends with heart-warming stories of the rescue dogs pictured throughout that will surely have you searching for closest pet adoption center.
UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING ARCHITECTURE
How to Read Modern Buildings: A crash course in architecture of the modern era by Will Jones
“The Penguin Pool at London Zoo (1934) was designed by Bertold Lubetkin. Its combination of a minimal material palette – concrete – and playful form indicate that is an early Modernist design. The cantilevered, curved ramps are extremely sophisticated engineering and the pool is now Heritage-listed.”
Whether you are seasoned or new to architecture, How to Read Modern Buildings will be perfect for you.
This at-a-glance guide is great for the travelers’ pocket or the smallest tabletop or shelf. Cover to cover, it is filled with clues to understanding and appreciating architecture, particularly in the modern era. It will give you the ability to perceive and identify the built environment that surrounds you. You will begin to see how most buildings in which we live, work, and play are characterized and influenced by several styles.
As you dig deeper you will start to identify the influences behind the buildings you are looking at and will be able to decipher its structure, style, and meaning. The book is rich in visual vocabulary and technological reasoning, paired beautifully with rendered illustrations; it is a must for anyone with an interest in the modern architectural environment. From page to page you will train the eye to spot even the smallest detail – giving away all the secrets.
For those of you who are explorers at heart but have been tucked away at home, this book will be a sigh of relief. It will take you on a personal guided tour through 20th/21st century architecture, its styles, and its influences. A true adventure right at your fingertips.
NEW & UPCOMING
Bunny Mellon Style by Linda Jane Holden
“Everyone copies her, everyone references her, including me.” ―Tory Burch, from the Foreword.
To end this list of fantastic interior design books we are looking at Bunny Mellon Style. This is a new and upcoming book that is projected to be released December 7th, 2021 – we are really looking forward to getting our hands on this one.
The book is a true inspiration that covers the fascinating story of an American style icon Bunny Mellon. She was unintentionally one of the most influential women of her time, an art collector and philanthropist that continues to inspire us and many. Reveled here, we will see how her style grew over time and how she transformed into the confident designer that she is known for today.
The book explores Bunny’s life through the family homes she designed, her collaboration with lead French designers, and her lasting impact on the design world.
The author digs deep to uncover Mrs. Mellon’s personal writings and correspondences, speaking with people who knew her, who were employed by her, and who spent time in her home and gardens. From cover to cover you will dive into published works, extracted information about personal relationships, beautifully blended stories, and accounts with a variety of viewpoints. Leaving you with a unique perspective of the extraordinary women as she moved in the upper level of society.
We are particularly excited to get that first-row seat into everything Bunny Mellon; her style in furnishings, art, collectibles, her diet, her philosophy in designing every aspect of the home including the garden. It is said that you will come away with the highest regard for the down to earth women. There is nothing but respect when looking at her drive, love for learning, and how accomplished she became in so many ways.
As art enthusiasts, this authentic view into her world paired is humbling. It will be a treat to see the abundance of imagery throughout the book as well as the up-close view of her archived photography, watercolors, whimsical hand drawings, and sketches.
CONCLUSION
This year has been a whirlwind, with everything going on in the world we have been living with uncertainty. However, something we have grown to understand more is the importance of home. In this sense, these books help wrap up the year and give us a great baseline into 2022. They give us the opportunity and tools we need to really slow down and really think about how we want to live as well as connecting that back to our built environment and analyzing how it can support us. With the holidays right around the corner, if you or loved one is an avid design lover or book enthusiast, these could be a perfect gift to pair with a cozy blanket. We loved sharing what inspired us in 2021 and are thrilled to see what sources of inspiration we will find next year.
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