Design Books That Matter (To Us)
Design books that matter (to us)
There are five design books that really matter to CMID.
Quite naturally the books are beautifully presented, but they also serve as a valuable professional resource. The design books currently reside in the home library and are treasured by Charlotte.
“They’re useful reference points for interior design, styling and product inspiration, ideas, and knowledge”
They are also well guarded because our library is a constant battle for territory.
Let me explain. The bookshelves are strictly partitioned. On one side is Craig’s collection, mostly consisting of warm and fuzzy reads on history, politics, and international affairs. On the other side of the dividing line is Charlotte’s collection, with its many publications on design, interiors, and architecture (and Jo Nesbo)
Despite her husband’s persistent (some might say, exasperating) efforts to have his books encroach on her book space, Charlotte repeatedly (and some might say, eagerly) resists his advances.
Charlotte is committed to preserving and protecting her beloved collection of books, and for good reason.
In this issue of The Interior Dispatch, we look at those design books that regularly influence CMID’s interior design thinking.
They might even do the same for the amateur home design enthusiast.
The Remodelista series
The Remodelista design books are among Charlotte’s most valued.
“They’re useful reference points for interior design, styling and product inspiration, ideas, and knowledge,” she says.
The Remodelista series is the book form of the flourishing US home design and lifestyle website of the same name. Remodelista’s co-founder and editor-in-chief is Julie Carlson.
Julie Carlson of Remodelista
“Carlson has an eye for both the bigger design picture and the finer details,” Charlotte says.
Charlotte owns three Remodelista books: Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home (2013); Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Outdoor Spaces (2016), and Remodelista: The Organized Home (2017).
While Gardenista does not have the interior focus of the other two titles, it remains relevant to Charlotte’s work and her personal interests.
“The garden is often an extension of the home, so there is a clear connection. Also, I enjoy plants and gardening, so I really had to buy the book,” she says.
The well-thumbed Organized Home is a helpful source of practical ideas and products that help bring order to a modern home without compromising on style.
“The products are nicely pared-back in their design and not necessarily expensive,” says Charlotte.
In Manual, Remodelista’s debut book, Carlson amassed the collective wisdom of design experts across her business to profile handsome homes and workspaces across the US. It also has sizable sections offering product and design tips and advice.
“Carlson has an eye for both the bigger design picture and the finer details”
Carlson moves between New York City and San Francisco, and the book adopts the bi-coastal attitude of understated style.
“Though set in the US – mostly on the East and West Coasts – the various interior designs in Manual could easily translate to another setting. The style is refined, yet unpretentious. It is timeless and not at all trend orientated. Those design values are relatable, I think, to New Zealand and our own broader style outlook” Charlotte says.
“They are also core design values of Charlotte Minty Interior Design.”
The Terence Conran collection
Charlotte also owns several much-cherished books by Terence Conran. Two stand out for her: The Essential House Book (1994) and Easy Living (1999).
There is a bit of sentimentality with these books. They have been in Charlotte’s possession since well before for her interior design career, with Essential House being one of the first design books she owned.
“I have had Essential House since my design student days. Once I started with that book, I simply had to get Easy Living. They still influence my own design thinking. I look at them often,” she says.
Sir Terence Conran
The late Sir Terence Conran was a design legend. A driving force behind contemporary home and interior products in the UK and globally since the 1960s, his design legacy (his work and various design philosophies) endures to this day. So does his commercial footprint. Conran founded the famous Habitat homeware retail empire in 1964. The flagship Habitat store on the King’s Road in Chelsea and The Conran Shop within the famous Michelin House in Brompton Cross were frequent haunts of Charlotte’s during her time in London. It was very much a moth to a flame situation.
“In Essential House, Conran reveals that style can be found all around us in everyday things, and being mindful of everyday design always matters,” says Charlotte.
The Conran Shop (on the left) in the Michelin House, London
As its title suggests, the book also explains how a house essentially works. It shows drawings of floor plans and simple graphics detailing vital and less vital functional aspects of home design e.g., what electrical systems look like or how much clear space and ceiling height is needed to install a bidet. All good stuff, really.
It is an uncomplicated design book, according to Charlotte. And that is part of its appeal, she says.
“It shows the value of returning to design basics. That is why Conran originally planned to call the book Back to Basics,” she says.
“It shows the value of returning to design basics. That is why Conran originally planned to call the book Back to Basics”
Easy Living offers a more sensual approach to interiors. It uncovers how interior design can positively impact the senses. The book looks at the impact light, colour, and textures, for example.
“For me, Easy Living was a further step towards understanding how to design a space that makes its occupants feel nice,” says Charlotte.
So, these books matter for Charlotte while also providing insight into her approach to interiors. It is sometimes said, after all, that one of the best ways to understand someone is to examine their collection of books. That’s pretty accurate, I would say.
Words: Craig Greaves