Art and design highlights

With the winter months approaching, what better time to sit down (indoors) and reflect on how glorious interior design and art are? With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite recent releases to inspire and motivate.


Off the Grid: Houses for Escape by Dominic Bradbury

Who hasn’t harboured dreams of disappearing off into the wilderness, living self-sufficiently and spending a lot of time gazing whimsically at mountain- and sea-scapes?If that’s you, then Off the Grid is probably the book for you; revealing the creative architecture and cutting-edge technologies that are redefining where and how we live – enabling us to escape to some of the most extraordinary and secluded natural environments on the planet.


Blooms and Brushstrokes by Penelope Curtin and Tansy Curtin

Blooms and Brushstrokes takes you on a unique journey through the history of Australian art, one flower at a time, examining the blooms depicted in still lifes, floral portraits, decorative interiors and botanical illustrations by a long line of Australian artists. Beginning in the eighteenth century with the new influences of Western ideals into Australian art, Blooms and Brushstrokes is spectacular, meticulously researched and full of interesting and quirky facts about the flowers and the artists themselves.


The Sea Journal: Seafarers’ Sketchbooks by Huw Lewis-Jones

The sea is an endless source of fascination and inspiration – both overwhelmingly beautiful and treacherous – so what better way to explore than in the comfort of your own home? The Sea Journal is a remarkable gathering of private journals, log books, letters and diaries. Through them, we follow the voyages of intrepid sailors, from the frozen polar wastes to South Seas paradise islands, as they set down their immediate impressions of all they saw. Often still bearing the traces of their nautical past, the intriguing and enchanting sketches and drawings in this book brilliantly capture the spirit of the oceans and the magic of the sea.


Herman Miller: A Way of Living by Amy Auscherman, Sam Grawe and Leon Ransmeier

For more than 100 years, Herman Miller has played a central role in the evolution of modern and contemporary design, producing timeless classics while creating a culture that has had a remarkable impact on the development of the design world. You could well be sitting in or on a Herman Miller as you review this list; but for those of us who aren’t, Herman Miller: A Way of Living is both a comprehensive and detailed introduction to the brand and an indispensable addition to the bookshelves of any design and furniture lover.


Frances Hodgkins: European Journeys by Mary Kisler and Catherine Hammond

Armchair travel with Frances Hodgkins on the New Zealand-born modernist artist’s travels across cultures and landscapes – teaching and discovering the cubists in Paris, absorbing the landscape and light of Ibiza and Morocco, and exhibiting with the progressive Seven & Five Society in London. With a rich visual chronology of the artist’s encounters abroad, alongside over one hundred of Hodgkins’ key paintings and drawings, the book is an illuminating journey that moves us from place to place through the writings of a number of distinguished national and international art historians, curators and critics.


Shared Living: Interior Design for Rented and Shared Spaces by Emily Hutchinson

Ah, the share house. An experience familiar to many of us from our university days, and one set to be more and more common in later years as well. But what if we told you that share houses could be a unique and creative source of design and living inspiration? Shared Living uncovers the potential of shared spaces – inspirational rather than aspirational, these homes are the work of creative thinkers who focus on savvy ways of decorating eclectically rather than with big-ticket items. Not just a pretty design book, it’s packed as well with plenty of practical tips for harmonious living. Required reading.


52 Assignments: Street Photography by Brian Lloyd-Duckett

Put the creativity back into your photography with 52 Assignments: Street Photography. The book features 52 colour-coded commissions and concepts with alternative ideas for composing, creating and printing eye-catching images from the street. The rest of the journal’s pages are styled for you to add your own thoughts, technical specifications, quotes and sketches, creating a record of your own 52 photographic assignments. A great gift for both hobbyists and professionals.


Nailed It: Nails Fashion Technique by Marian Newman

Having created stunning nail looks for Dior, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy (just to name a few), world-famous nail artist Marian Newman reveals the stories behind some of her most iconic nails created for fashion shows and magazines, as well as the secrets and techniques to creating her incredible nails. Full of beautiful photographs from the world’s most influential photographers and illuminating behind-the-scenes details, Nailed It is the essential book for all nail lovers. Be jealous of the lady on the tram with the glorious nails no longer.


Dior: A New Look, A New Enterprise (1947-57) by Alexandra Palmer

In 1947, designer Christian Dior rocked the fashion world with his ‘New Look’, forever securing his house’s name in the annals of fashion culture and history. He drew on historical models of femininity and the unique skills of Parisian haute couture – as well as a myriad of suppliers – to produce stunning designs that caught the mood of optimism after the Second World War. This absorbing and beautiful book examines the seminal years of Christian Dior, 1947–57, from a truly international perspective.


My Bedroom is an Office: & Other Interior Design Dilemmas by Joanna Thornhill

Just moved into your new home? No idea where to start or what to do? Landlord won’t let you paint your walls? Hate your couch but can’t afford a new one? Wondering if you can paint your horrible plastic chairs? Packed with inspirational and practical advice for both homeowners and renters, this book will help you achieve a home you can be proud of, even if your office is at the end of your bed (and even if everything you own is flatpack furniture).

Cover image for Shared Living

Shared Living

Emily Hutchinson

Available to order, ships in approx 2 weeksAvailable to order