ARQUITECTURA Y DISEÑO

Following the success of his first book, New York Interiors, Simon Upton turns to London—a city in which he has been based for most of his working life. Exploring an incredible range of homes in this vibrant city, Upton looks behind the scenes into the private spaces of creatives and influencers. Presented in two parts, the book begins with “Town,” which is devoted to the homes of those who live solely in London, such as grandee of interior design John Stefanidis; House & Garden’s Interior Designer of the Year 2019, Maria Speake; industrial designer and architect Tom Bartlett; fashion designer Bella Freud; model Poppy Delevingne; and antiques dealer and interior designer Adam Bray. Then, “Country” showcases those who divide their time between London and a retreat in the British countryside, which includes names such as antiques dealers Jorge Perez-Martin and David Gibson, known together as Brownrigg; film director Gaby Dellal; and designer Jasper Conran. Edited by interior design writer Karen Howes and featuring a foreword by iconic decorator and Upton’s friend Nicky Haslam, London Living reveals a series of unique locations, each illuminated by an interview in which the owner defines their true meaning of “home.”

The mid-19th and early 20th centuries heralded new means of transport and equipment and, with them, new and original ways of exploring the world. Transatlantic liners, automobiles, long-haul airplanes, zeppelins, and express trains unfurled new horizons and changed travel itself into an adventure. Distant lands were no longer solely accessible to aristocrats, explorers, and adventurers. Instead, the world opened up to new groups of people eager to circumvent the globe. And for many of these new globetrotters, traveling was synonymous with Louis Vuitton, the French label whose iconic and functional luggage trunks could be found on nearly every boat, plane, car, and train around the world. In this beautiful book, author Francisca Mattéoli recounts 50 tales of thrilling travel undertaken in every possible mode of transit, from the hot air balloon to the space shuttle, each lavishly illustrated with more than 300 historical photographs and ephemera from Louis Vuitton’s official archives. Louis Vuitton: Extraordinary Voyages is a journey all its own—an evocative and transporting account of the most surprising and transformative trips taken since the 19th century.

The definitive monograph on iconic Parisian designer Madame Grès, seen by her peers as the tutelary genius of French haute couture. Renowned for her signature draping and innovative asymmetrical dresses, Madame Grès (1903–1993) was one of the leading fashion designers of twentieth-century Paris. Formally trained as a sculptor, her complex yet delicate haute couture designs evoke ancient statuary and exude a timeless elegance.

Markham Roberts is renowned for his boundless creativity and ability to work in a wide range of styles. In this, his second book, he examines his working method, identifying the key elements of a project and explaining how he addresses them. He begins with his top priority: taking into account his clients’ point of view by interpreting their needs and reflecting their style. Other elements include establishing a sense of place, layering and embellishing to make spaces more personal and interesting, acknowledging the need for practicality in materials, and doing the unexpected, from upholstering walls to mixing disparate materials and styles of furniture. Throughout, specially commissioned photographs illustrate his solutions to the challenges each of these elements poses. He concludes the book with a chapter on a single project that encompasses all of the elements.

With an in-depth knowledge of periods and styles, Watson is known for his meticulously researched designs. His rooms always make architectural sense and his work is often inspired by collaborations with architects. Watson strives to uncover and recognize the special qualities found in historic structures and furnishings, and to preserve them while moving them forward into the present. Watson’s interiors are noted for their calm and lightness of being, which he achieves through a gracious sense of proportion and a harmonious continuity via subtle repetitions in color, pattern, material, and silhouette.

The work of renowned firm McALPINE has always communicated the power of romanticism, speaking directly to the heart through the beauty and poetry of the home. Tapping diverse influences, the residences draw from architectural languages ranging from Elizabethan and Dutch to colonial Caribbean and agrarian American. The book opens with Bobby McAlpine’s own newly designed house, featuring exquisite spaces that are modern in expression but classical in order and balance. Other projects include a white-on-white neoclassical pavilion-by-the-sea in the Bahamas; a masonry dwelling in the rolling hills of Virginia; a quintessential American country house in Tennessee that combines the familiarity of a farmhouse with crisp minimalism; and an exuberant house sited on the edge of a pastoral golf course in Alabama. Freely choosing from architecture’s treasury, the assembly of houses is familiar, bold, and surprising, all at the same time—reflecting the complexity of the human experience.