I’m a firm believer that a pretty table can make any meal better and I’ve always admired stylists who can pull one together while making it look effortless. If you’d like some help in this area or just some new ideas, Table Style by Liz Belton and Rebecca Tanqueray is for you.

Table Style first takes you through the basics of a well-laid table and explains how to collect pieces that can be used to create a variety of tablescapes.

It then goes on to give readers plenty of suggestions and ideas for various occasions such as a casual picnic, weekend brunch, elegant cocktail party or just a weekday dinner.

What I love about the authors’ approach is that it’s simple and accessible. The emphasis of Table Style is on being creative and working with what you have. For example, a simple brown paper and vintage lace make beautiful gift wrapping:

A vintage milk crate is used to carry drinks on a picnic:

Vintage ribbon and a sprig of rosemary is all it takes to give napkins a pretty twist:

Table Style is full of easy-to-recreate ideas like these and like all of Ryland Peters & Small’s other titles, it is beautifully styled and photographed so it’s a real visual treat.

If you or someone you know loves to entertain, it’s the perfect gift this holiday season.

(Photos by Debi Treolar via Ryland Peters & Small)

Last week I began a discussion about how it is often the feeling of a space that draws me in more than the decor. Somewhat serendipitously I just received a copy of the new book The Irish Country House by the Knight of Glin and James Peill which is filled with beautiful homes that exude that special atmosphere.

The ten historic homes and castles featured are all still owned and inhabited by the original families; I think that is at the heart of what lends them their special quality.

The houses are not the instant creation of trendy decorators – they have evolved over generations, furnished with heirlooms and cherished hand-me-downs, and exuding the mossy scent of peat fires and Irish setters just in from the rain. This is a book for lovers of Ireland, history, or decoration.

The Irish Country House is full of soul and charm. For more information and to order your copy, visit Vendome Press.

Designer to rock stars and royalty Nicholas Haslam bring us his original, glamorous interiors in Sheer Opulence.

Here’s how Haslam describes his approach to decorating:

I grew up thinking of interiors as works of art to be lived in, not bland backgrounds to be taken for granted. I realized that the key to a beautiful room is not so much an inventory of furnishings, but the feeling that the space you are in is thrilling yet harmonious.

This process is clearly evident in the very grand and luxurious homes featured.

In addition to all the beautiful interiors, Haslam tells his own story, lets us in on his decorating secrets and also shares some of his watercolors plans for the spaces he created. All of this makes Sheer Opulence a highly personal book and that just may be what I like most about it.

(Photos: CICO Books)

Given my penchant for Scandinavian style you can imagine how happy I was to receive a copy of Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design by Heather Smith MacIsaac which is being released today. (Yes, today!)

Lars Bolander is a leading Swedish interior designer who has designed homes all around the world. In Scandinavian Design, he shares his expertise and experience, showing us how to incorporate and mix Scandinavian elements to create the Scandinavian look in our own homes.

The book starts with architecture, then moves into interiors, room by room, highlighting furniture and accessories.

All of the homes featured in the book are beautiful in their individual way while sharing the very Scandinavian traits of being unfussy, well-proportioned, light-filled and tranquil.

Scandinavian Design is definitely another one you’ll want to add to your library and as I said, it’s being released today. Click here to read more and to see ordering options.

Simply Scandinavian by Sara Norman is a beautiful new book published by Ryland Peters and Small that brings together two of my all-time favorite things: Scandinavian style and peeking into interesting homes.

It takes us into 20 homes in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark that range from city apartments to seaside cabins, belonging to artists, chefs, designers and others.

The book explores four styles: elegant simplicity, vintage-inspired, pared-down modern, and contemporary rustic.

While these are distinct, there is still a common thread that runs through all of these homes.

They all celebrate comfort, simplicity, elegance, light and natural materials, which makes them all so very Scandinavian.

Remember this page from my moodboard earlier this week?

These images are just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re a fan of Scandinavian interior design, Simply Scandinavian is a must-have.

Thank you so much for all of your support this week – for all the nice comments on yesterday’s news, taking my poll (which is still open if you’d like to cast your vote), and entries for the Golden Bamboo Table giveaway. If you haven’t entered yet, there’s still time! The winner will be announced Monday.

Have a great (long for us Americans) weekend!

(Photos: Ryland Peters & Small)

*For the record, I was provided a review copy but I only recommend books I genuinely like.

I was really excited to receive a copy of the Comforts of Home by Caroline Clifton-Mogg from Ryland Peters & Small because they publish some of the prettiest design books around.

The Comforts of Home is all about using creativity and imagination with what you already have to create a warm and inviting home.

It is divided into two parts:

1. the Elements. Identifying the elements of home life that need care and attention; and

2. the Rooms. Tips for making each room in our home attractive and comfortable, without spending a lot of money.

Like all of Ryland Peters & Small publications, the photography in the Comforts of Home is stunning. It’s one of those books you’ll find yourself flipping through over and over again just for the pictures.

That would be more than enough for me but it’s also chock-full of ideas, tips and food for thought.

It is going in my library next to Flea Market Style and Bazaar Style, which have a similar style and vibe. If you loved those two books like I did, you’ll love this one too.

(Photos: Ryland Peters & Small)

I was thrilled to be asked to give you my thoughts on Downtown Chic by Robert and Courtney Novogratz of Sixx Design.

The reason I was so happy to is that I’m a huge fan of their relaxed approach to design and also a big believer in mixing it up, a philosophy they fully embrace.

Here are few of the spaces that epitomize their style for me. All of them contain a mix of vintage with contemporary furniture,

shiny lacquer with dark and rustic woods,

industrial elements with a little glitz,

and on top of all that, lots of personal touches like contemporary art, collectibles and souvenirs.

Now, I’m sure most of you already know that Robert and Courtney Novogratz are the uber cool couple behind Sixx Design who renovate houses, turning them into super stylish homes, all while raising 7 impossibly cute kids.

What you may not know (I didn’t before I read the book) is that in addition to their homes in New York, they have a vacation house in Brazil.

It’s long been one of my dreams to own a vacation house somewhere faraway that is completely different from my full-time house and environment. I think this is a pretty common wish for people who love houses like we all do.

This house is featured in the book and it is decorated in the same effortless style as their New York homes but adapted to the tropical surroundings. I think they have created the perfect antidote to urban life.

Downtown Chic is available at Amazon. You may have also heard that the family is getting their own show on Bravo. 9 by Design is scheduled to premiere in April. I will definitely be tuning in!

(Photos: all from Sixx Design except 4&5 from New York Times)

If you have any Francophiles on your list and you’re stumped for a gift, I have the perfect thing.

French Interiors of the 18th Century by John Whitehead

Now this isn’t your average pretty coffee table book.

Apart from the eye candy, it looks at the eighteenth century interiors of French royalty and aristocrats and discusses how they were created using inventories, letters, and journals of the artists, designers and architects who worked for them.

It also explores etiquette and society as they relate to different styles of French interiors.

It’s the kind of thing that die hard French decorative arts and interiors buffs will find fascinating. (I know I do!) It’s a tremendous resource and a must have for any Francophile’s design library.

You can order it directly from Laurence King Publishing (which offers free shipping within the UK) or Amazon.

The past weekend was pretty rainy and wet so it was the perfect time for one of my favorite Seattle outings which is to go to the International District, have lunch in a tiny hole-in-the-wall ramen joint and then browse in the Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya for my Japanese “mook” fix. (Mook = Magazine + Book. There’s a good explanation about them here.)

I have been hooked on the books by two publishers in particular for a while now. First, Editions de Paris which:

. . . publishes interior design books that give a glimpse into the comfortable and enjoyable life (art de vivre) in Paris, and visual books that depict active lifestyles of Parisians and Parisiennes.

and second, Édition Paumes which is described as:

working in close contact with artists and designers in Europe on different editorial projects. With a poetic and original approach, édition PAUMES explores the environments of those who stimulate the creative industries, and in doing has produced a set o fcreative “bibles” that overflow with inspiration.

I have Ma Déco à Paris from Editions de Paris and Paris Love Apartments from Édition Paumes. (“Love” is used to mean belonging to a couple in this case. It’s one of those lost-in-translation things!)

Another unfortunate translation is the one that is titled Les Secret de Beautés des Parisiennes which in English is called Beauty Secrets of Working Girls in Paris. Ahem. ANYWAY . . . . . this weekend, I added Stockholm Love Apartments to my collection.

I’m loving it.

I would next like to find Maisons de Campagne des Parisiens (Parisians’ Country Homes):

and Chez les Parisens (Parisians’ Homes):

At around $28, they’re not cheap but they’re chock full of great images and ideas so I think they’re worth it. I think everyone just buys them for the pictures but in case you’re thinking of buying one, I should mention that they’re written entirely in Japanese.

Are there any mook fans out there? Which titles do you have? Any recommendations?

Don’t forget to enter the All Modern Giveaway this week!

I have to share with you my current favorite design book. It’s called Creative Space: Urban Homes Of Artists And Innovators and I can’t stop looking at it.

I’m obsessed with how people live but I’m even more obsessed with how creative people live. To quote from the introduction:

Creative people’s spaces provide a glimpse into creative thought. Their homes give an insight into their work – how they collect inspiration and how their work influences the space around them.

The best way I can describe it is that it’s like the Selby in a giant (9 1/2″ x 11″) book form with delicious, full page photos. It takes you into the homes of 30 artists, designers, writers and other creative types in 6 cities and the homes featured run the whole gamut in style.

Each home starts with a profile and Q&A with the homeowner about their work, influences and other interesting insights into their style.

And just like the Selby, there is a real lived-in quality to these homes which feels so much more intimate than most books or magazines. If you’re tired of cookie cutter design, these eclectic interiors with sometimes wacky collections and hodgepodge furnishings will be totally refreshing.

As a fun bonus, there’s even a one-page city guide for each of the cities featured. I highly recommend it for fellow creative personalities and anyone interested in inventive interiors.

(Photos: Laurence King Publishing)

Hi, everyone, how was your weekend? I spent most of it cleaning and getting ready for our guests but on Friday, I did slip away to do a little shoe shopping at Nordstrom. As I was happily leaving with my purchases, I decided to swing by the home department and there I found the book Inspired Styles. It features some of my favorite designers like Vicente Wolf and Kelly Wearstler and it was 50% off so of course, I had to bring it home. It’s a really interesting book, very different from other design books so I thought I’d show you a little of it.

The book is all about giving readers a peek into the designers’ creative process through mood boards and short essays by the designers.

Many pages are like inspiration boards or sketchbook entries. There are also lists of their favorite artists, movies, hobbies and other things that inspire them.

So it’s a book that is more about the process than the finished product (although there are plenty of photos of finished rooms) and that’s exactly what I like about it. If you like that kind of thing too, I highly recommend it.

(Photos: Assouline)