Three Art and Design Books for Your Fall 2024 Reading List

Courtesy photos

The Art of Gracie: Handpainted Wallpapers, Timeless Rooms, by Jennifer Gracie, Mike Gracie, Zach Shea, and Brian Gracie, with Judith Nasatir

For more than 125 years, family-owned Gracie Wallpaper (established in 1898) has graced the walls in many of America’s most noteworthy homes—including the White House. Known as a top resource for interior design, this sixth-generation company has collaborated with leading industry pros, including Michael S. Smith and Summer Thornton, on modern rooms that showcase the breadth of their detailed work. From French pastoral hillsides, exquisite birds, and stunning florals to serene maritime scenes, this book reveals how succinctly the handpainted papers alter and enhance each space. It also contains numerous color photographs of innovative and imaginative projects in every hue. Whether it’s cobalt blues and brilliant metallics or dramatic reds and blacks, the results can be considered true custom works of art.

$60, Rizzoli.

Henry Hobson Richardson: Drawings from the Collection of Houghton Library, Harvard University, by Jay Wickersham, Chris Milford, and Hope Mayo

Delving into the mind of one of America’s most renowned 19th-century architects is bound to be awe-inspiring. It’s especially true when a compilation is the first in-depth publication of his drawings—and that’s the case for this collection on Henry Hobson Richardson. The curated volume of 4,000 works, spanning 450 pages, includes masterpieces such as Trinity Church in Boston and the Ames Gate Lodge in Easton (among others) and was painstakingly reproduced to unveil Richardson’s design process as it explores the impact his work has had on the United States—as well as the world. The book also features several unpublished sketches, renderings, plans of more than 50 projects, and an accompanying essay by James F. O’Gorman that offer insights and context on the architect’s career and life, a summary of the Richardson archive at Harvard University, and more.

$84.95, Monacelli.

Sybil and David Yurman, Artists and Jewelers, by Sybil and David Yurman, edited by Thierry-Maxime Loriot

When it comes to iconic jewelry design, two names often come to mind: Sybil and David Yurman. As masters of their trade, the Yurmans have blazed a beautiful trail in the industry, and this anthology provides an intriguing peek into their creative process and personal stories. Across more than 350 pages, readers are privy to their illuminating journey through imagery never seen before—including those of Sybil’s paintings, David’s sculptures, radiant jewelry portraits, original design sketches, family photographs, and behind-the-scenes shots of several celebrated advertising campaigns. The compilation also includes personal anecdotes from the designers themselves, which highlight how the Yurmans’ backgrounds have influenced their jewelry-making process; traces the origins of their brand and its rise to renown; and shines a spotlight on a number of pieces in their seminal collections—including their acclaimed Cable bracelet.

$69.95, Phaidon.

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Fall 2024 issue, with the headline “By the Book.”