By Zoe Settle
Amplify your love for design with these impressive new books.
Nature’s Own
Thoughtful, sensitive, respectful, long-lasting, practical: this is how Dominic Bradbury describes the 25 homes in nine countries in his book, The New, Natural Home. The houses designed by international architects like Glenn Murcutt, Studio KO and Marmol Radziner, reflect a symbiotic relationship with their environments. Some of the homes are more eco-friendly, but all offer respect for and devotion to their landscapes—whether as the source of their materials, how they are sited, or the reason for their low-impact construction. Each of the five chapters (Design & Build, Let There Be Light, The Material World, Indoor/Outdoor Living, Sustainable Footprints) includes a page-long summary of how you can put into practice what you’ve admired in the houses. The diversity of what’s included—an open-air rooftop kitchen in London, avalanche-resistant glass on an Austrian mountainside, and a grass-topped vacation home off Australia’s coast—reminds us that this really is a global movement for the future. $35, Thames & Hudson, through Amazon.
Meet the Makers
Over seventy international artisans are the focus of French blogger Olivier Dupon’s first book, The New Artisans: Handmade Designs for Contemporary Living. Harkening back to a time when knowing the artists who made your art, china or furniture wasn’t uncommon, the book profiles young craftspeople who make functional artwork their profession, not just their passion. The book, ripe for the Etsy generation, documents their process and final product. Whether a new take on a repurposed object (like the repainted ceramic castoffs American Sarah Cihat finds at the Salvation Army) or an item made from scratch (like Dutch Jurianne Matter’s paper sculptures), don’t be surprised if your creative side starts craving some craft time of your own. $45, Thames & Hudson, available in November; Pre-order through Amazon.
Playground of the Rich and Famous
So where do you summer? Starting in the middle of the eighteenth century, wealthy artists and industrial magnates (the Roosevelts, Morgans and Carnegies, to name a few) made their way to the Adirondack Mountains, thanks to the construction of new railroad lines. A welcome reprieve from Newport, which was often jokingly referred to as “the Gilded Cage,” the wilderness was soon site of splendidly rustic camps, with names like Camp Cedar and Wild Air. Gladys Montgomery’s An Elegant Wilderness: Great Camps and Grand Lodges of the Adirondacks 1855-1935 shows us the appeal of this remote region and the architectural style it inspired, taking us inside twenty-five of these camps, a handful of which no longer survive. We also catch glimpses of the wealthy at play—sailing, fishing, hunting—enjoying the great out doors. $75, Acanthus Press, through Amazon.
