Five Art and Design Books to Add to Your Fall Reading List
Princess Margaret–approved ballgowns, remote escapes, and kitchens to feast your eyes on.
Photo by Toan Trinh
Leonardo: The Complete Paintings and Drawings, by Johannes Nathan and Frank Zöllner
Between The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, you may be familiar with a little old artist by the name of Leonardo da Vinci. Haven’t thought about him since elementary school? Brush up on your art history with more than 700 pages of this master’s sculptures, paintings, and drawings, as well as commentary from art expert Frank Zöllner, in Leonardo.
Out 6/11/19, $50, Taschen.
Blooms: Contemporary Floral Design, by Phaidon and Clare Coulson
The world’s most talented floral designers, including Somerville-based Wildfolk, give new meaning to the phrase “Say it with flowers” in Blooms. Among the unexpected installations and creative editorial work, you’ll find arrangements that celebrate love (think: a cascading backdrop of roses) and others that promote sustainability (see: the recycled monstera leaves artfully placed around a New York City bus stop).
Out 4/17/19, $50, Phaidon.
Kitchen Living, by Gestalten and Tessa Pearson
Whether your ideal kitchen resides in a World War II control tower or a 17th-century Mexican estate, this new Gestalten volume—packed with 20-person dining tables, child-proof boiling-water taps, and impossibly vibrant color schemes—offers something for all design tastes.
Out 3/26/19, $60, Gestalten.
Off the Grid: Houses for Escape, by Dominic Bradbury
Dreaming of cozying up to a wood stove in a Vancouver Island cabin? Perhaps you’d rather star-gaze under a solar-powered roof that opens to reveal Wales’s glimmering sky. Either way, learn what it takes to go off the grid with Dominic Bradbury’s new text, featuring more than 40 eco-friendly getaways.
Out 3/19/19, $45, Thames & Hudson.
Christian Dior, by Oriole Cullen and Connie Karol Burks
Royals flaunt his ballgowns. Kanye West raps about his designs. Museums showcase his work. When Christian Dior launched his debut line “New Look” in 1947, he couldn’t have predicted the impact he’d have for decades to come. Look back on some 70 years of the trendiest threads, all created by this legendary fashion designer and his successors.
Out 4/9/19, $55, V&A Publishing.
