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From design-focused city hotels to remote forest cabins and luxurious retreats high above the Arctic Circle, Nordic Places To Stay showcases some of the very best accommodation options across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands. Drawing on her extensive travels and her many years as a blogger and hotel reviewer, author Abi Dare presents a curated selection of overnight stays across the Nordic region. They vary in size, style and location, but all offer an unforgettable experience. Through stunning photography and informative text, the book explores what makes each one special, whether it be innovative architecture, beautiful interiors, delicious food or a breathtaking view. There are also inspiring guides that bring the featured destinations to life, helping you to plan and make the most of your own Nordic adventures. 

Stucco decorations have traditionally been studied considering their formal and artistic qualities. Although much research and numerous publications have explored the works of stucco artists and their cultural context, little attention has been paid to their professional role in relation to the other actors involved in the decorative process (architects, painters, sculptors, patrons), the technical skills of these artists, and how their know-how contributed to the great professional success they enjoyed. From the 16th to the 18th century, many of the stucco decorations in churches and palaces throughout Europe were made by masters from the border area between what is now Canton Ticino and Lombardy. This collection of essays aims to examine how these artists worked from Spain to Poland, from Denmark to Italy, via the Netherlands, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Austria, adapting to the realities of the different contexts. The authors examine these issues with an interdisciplinary approach, considering art history and social history, the history of artistic techniques, and the science of materials. 

Text in English and Italian.

John Ruskin wrote this fable for a teenage family friend, Effie, and later he married her. The marriage was famously disastrous, but before it fell apart the Ruskins allowed The King of the Golden River to be published. It became one of the most popular works for children of its time. Richard Doyle contributed over 25 full-page illustrations and vignettes.

The King of the Golden River is the first literary fairy tale in English (as opposed to collected folk tales). Ruskin himself said it was ‘a fairly good imitation of Grimm and Dickens, mixed with some true Alpine feeling of my own’. Later he spoke of the capacity of the traditional tales ‘to fortify children against the glacial cold of selfish science’.

It remains a powerful fable about humanity’s dual capacity for destructiveness and redeeming love, with as strange fairy-tale creatures as one could hope to meet.

An essay by Simon Cooke explains the book’s importance.

There are many reasons to plan a visit to The Hague. It is the international city of peace and justice, the only large Dutch city by the sea, one of the greenest cities of the Netherlands, and it boasts a long and rich history.
For this book, Tal Maes listed her 500 favorite places and tips, presenting them in original and interesting lists such as 5 historic houses of famous Dutchmen, 5 fun boat trips, the 5 best spots for Dutch “maatjes” herring, 5 museums around the Binnenhof, the 5 best lifestyle and concept stores, and much more. This guide encourages you to look further than the usual hotspots. Walk to the far end of the beach to find peace and quiet, try a beer from a hidden monastery, discover cutting-edge art in a former power plant. Of the highlights included, lesser-known aspects are revealed.

Published in conjunction with the tenth year of the New York-based showhouse Holiday House, the book highlights the best and brightest rooms by over 75 of the world’s top interior designers. Holiday House: Ten Years of Decorating for a Cure is a celebration of the union of design and philanthropy. The Holiday House showhouse was founded by Iris Dankner to raise breast cancer awareness in the design industry. Dankner is a 20-year breast cancer survivor, and has made it her mission to raise funds for breast cancer research and to support women who need help fighting this disease. In 2008, combining her two passions – her love of design and her efforts to help women in need, Dankner created Holiday House, the first designer show house held in New York to benefit a breast cancer organization. In this lavish book, the magic and skill of interior designers comes to life as empty rooms are transformed into a variety of interpretations. The showhouse was held at the Academy Mansion, a historic house on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and was a resounding success, with all the proceeds donated to help end the scourge of breast cancer. Since its inception, Holiday House has received critical acclaim, been endorsed by some of the most celebrated global luxury brands, and has expanded to showhouses in the Hamptons on Long Island, SoHo in downtown Manhattan, and in the Fall of 2017 in London, England.

Modern is the second monograph on Jennifer Post, the AD100 designer best known for her sleek white minimalist interiors. The book features Post’s latest and most significant projects to date – the majority of which have never been published. Working in some of New York’s most impressive luxury buildings as well as in the Hamptons, Florida, and the Caribbean, the style of these interiors reflects a shift in her design philosophy. As she moves away from purely monochromatic spaces and introduces more vivid colors and dark contrasts, Post still works tirelessly to create modern lifestyles for her clients. Featuring three double-page gatefolds showcasing a few especially jaw-dropping interiors, Modern is a reflection on her recent transformation as she looks forward to her next brilliant act. Contents: My World; Home Sweet Home; Country Barn Chic; Caribbean Freedom; Fabulously Futuristic; World View; Classic Kahn; Cool & Cozy; Long Island Retreat; Perfect Panorama; The Other White House; Downtown Glamour.

The lure of a home by the ocean resonates with us all, bringing to mind the beauty and changing moods of the water, the intoxicating salty scent and the sound of waves against the shore. But what makes a beach house, and how does the idea of a home by the coast differ across the world? This stunning edition showcases a global snapshot of beautifully designed coastal homes, with a diverse mix of types, from Hamptons style to more minimalist residences, reflecting the different landscapes and locations. Lavishly illustrated with full-color images of award-winning architecture combined with spectacular views, this curated list brings together the most recent designs from highly regarded architects to produce the best examples of contemporary beach house residential design. This book is a captivating glimpse into the irresistible world of modern and stylish contemporary living in homes that take full advantage of their beachside settings.

Crown moldings or cabinetry? Vintage or Victorian? Orange or ocher? Successful interior design – creative, comfortable rooms with a personal touch – is built from layer upon layer of color, texture, pattern, embellishment, and more. But the plethora of choices available in the early twenty-first century has made it almost impossible to assemble these layers thoughtfully. Prominent decorator and author Penny Drue Baird is here to help with On Interior Design, an incisive exploration of the essential aspects of contemporary interiors. Baird considers architectural details, furniture, color, fabric, flooring, lighting, and accessories, offering equal servings of expertise, history, and recommendation. She illustrates her topics with dozens of photographs of her own work, from apartments in New York City to houses in the Hamptons and Palm Beach to a residence in Paris. Building on her three previous books, in On Interior Design Baird imparts the lessons and principles gleaned from her thirty-plus years in practice.

Careers in fashion and business permitted the Belgian couple Reinhilde Gielen and Hans Pauwels to travel the world, both professionally and privately.

There were years when their combined travel schedules meant spending over 200 days abroad, mostly alone, often staying every night in a different city at a different hotel. They were nomads who got glimpses of cities through the windows of taxis and hotel rooms. Time with people they met and admired was too short. So they compared notes and kept a list of places that they wanted to visit again and people that they wanted to get to know better. This book is about these places (95 cities all over the world) and their people. It’s a visual chronicle of fragments that share one characteristic: beauty.

Locations include Athens, Rome, New York, Buenos Aires, Milan, Paris, The Hamptons, Yorkshire, Berlin, Granada, Saint-Tropez, Nice, Miami, The Cotswolds, London, Beijing, Ibiza, Sicily, Kyoto, Tokyo, Mallorca, Goa, Trinidad, Palm Springs, Havana, Madrid, Los Angeles, Maasai Mara, and many, many more.

Contemporary Beach Houses is a stunning collection that showcases 18 newly designed beach houses and apartments from around the globe. Created by some of the world’s most celebrated architects and interior designers, each project offers a fresh take on coastal living. From sleek, modern retreats to warm, minimalist escapes, the book captures the unique charm and character of contemporary seaside architecture. With a strong emphasis on natural light, open spaces, and a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor environments, these homes redefine the beachfront experience. Beautiful photography and insightful design commentary bring each project to life, offering inspiration for architects, designers, and beach lovers alike. Whether you’re drawn to bold innovation or understated elegance, Contemporary Beach Houses delivers a captivating look at the future of coastal design.

Three and a half years after the international success of World’s Finest Homes comes World’s Finest Homes II – a new journey through 29 extraordinary residences that redefine contemporary living across the globe. Bound in natural linen and crafted with the same care as the homes it celebrates, this second volume offers an intimate looks into architecture and interior design at their most refined – where luxury speaks softly and beauty endures.

From the urban sophistication of penthouse in Miami to the serene elegance of a beach-side retreat in Maui, each home tells a story of places, personality, and purpose. Throughout the book, readers will discover homes in Toronto, Los Angeles, Sydney, São Paulo, Sun Valley, Austin, Dubai, The Hamptons, Ireland, and beyond – each designed by some of today’s most inspiring architects and interior designers. 

Stories of Home is an exploration of the idea of living and how Hacin—the award-winning architecture, interiors, and visual identity firm based in Boston—creates spaces that foster a true sense of belonging and connection.

This expressive and evocative publication presents a curated selection of Hacin’s projects and explores the emotional and conceptual threads of each residence, highlighting what’s most important to the people who live there. Together, these homes tell a larger story of life, and reveal how every aspect of a design, down to the finest detail, can embody memory and meaning. Interwoven throughout are narratives that reflect on Hacin’s commitment to concept-driven design, skilled craftsmanship, community, and the historic character of Boston’s neighborhoods—the setting of much of Hacin’s work.

Richly illustrated and beautifully presented, Stories of Home reflects on Hacin’s decades-long private residential practice and the firm’s narrative approach to design and place-making for contemporary residences in Boston and across the United States.

Los Angeles has so much to offer, and this guide helps you to choose where to start when discovering this beautiful city. Where are the best farmers’ markets? Which street foods are not to be missed? What are the liveliest places to go dancing? What are some unlikely places to spot celebrities? Which art galleries are worth a visit? In The 500 Hidden Secrets of Los Angeles, Andrea Richards shares 500 must-know addresses in one of the coolest cities in the United States. It is an affectionate guide to the City of Angels that avoids the touristy places and points out the urban details you are likely to miss. From the best outdoor concert venues to the most beautiful country escapes, this guide is the perfect companion visitors who want to make the most of their stay and residents who want to get to know their city even better. 

Also available: The 500 Hidden Secrets of Miami, The 500 Hidden Secrets of New York, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Toronto, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Vancouver and many more. Discover the series: the500hiddensecrets.com

“Opening it and turning the pages is an invitation to dream, to wonder, and to appreciate the very large emotional size of the natural landscapes in the United States.” Frames
“The 230 beautifully rendered black & white images in the book provide a compelling tour of America’s wild places and national parks, from Yosemite and Yellowstone to Death Valley and Utah’s Canyonlands to the Hudson Valley in New York and beyond.” — Black & White Photography

“From towering redwoods in California to the remote canyons of Utah, his work shows us not just what these places look like, but what they feel like to those who dare to go.” About Photography

“Ortner’s use of black-and-white film and large-format cameras for Visions of Paradise unveils the true essence of the natural world. By peeling away color, he forces us to immerse ourselves more deeply and see anew America’s breathtaking sites through the purified language of light and shadow, form and texture, shape and pattern…”VIE Magazine

“… a photographic masterpiece celebrating the extraordinary majesty and rich legacy of America’s wild places, as seen through the eyes of one of the country’s foremost wilderness photographers, Jon Ortner, and conveyed through the transcendent medium of black-and-white film.” Dodho Magazine

Visions of Paradise: American Wilderness is a singular, timeless publication—a photographic tour de force celebrating the extraordinary majesty and rich legacy of America’s wild places, as seen through the eyes of one of the country’s foremost wilderness photographers, Jon Ortner, and conveyed through the transcendent medium of black-and-white film. Ortner has always been fascinated with the natural world, particularly as an avid hiker in the American wilderness. This luxurious book collects in a large format his inspiring landscape images, forming a passionate tribute to the American wilderness. In this sensational portfolio of 200 black-and-white images, Ortner has rediscovered and reinterpreted the compelling beauty of many of his most cherished wilderness locations with remarkable portrayals of their sublime, dramatic, tranquil, and transcendent aspects. Join Ortner as he guides us through his visions of paradise.

This book invites you to travel in a way that tourists rarely do, whether you’re a lifelong New Yorker looking for an excuse to leave your apartment or a first time visitor searching for a companion that won’t drag you around like a sightseer. Following her first best-selling book Don’t be a Tourist in Paris, Vanessa Grall has taken on New York, teaming up with local New York writers and explorers Luke J Spencer, Francky Knapp and Scott Walker to create the ultimate compendium of unique ideas and off-beat addresses.
This book can wake up your inner explorer; tap into your curiosity and help you to discover all five boroughs like a roaming detective; a seeker of stories and collector of local secrets. Over the past decade, Grall’s distinct style and curation has already helped inspire and guide over a million monthly readers on Messy Nessy Chic, the cult online magazine that became a bona fide lifeline for the internet’s most curious minds. Guidebooks are often organized by borough, or by the times of day, or categorized by activities that tourists are expected to do. But as you’ll start to realize, Messy Nessy Chic doesn’t travel by the rules. These chapters are created around a person’s mood and the cards that life has dealt us on any given day. Because when you wake up in New York City, a new adventure awaits… Also available: Don’t be a Tourist in Paris ISBN 9781916430921

Based on the industrial manufacturing history of Shanghai over the past 100 years, this book introduces the development of Chinese design throughout the different eras of the People’s Republic of China, from the planned economy stage to the later economic reforms and the opening up of the country to trade. We detail industrial-product design, packaging design, poster design, and other related subjects. The characteristics of each era are discussed in the following five sections: daily life, national image, transmission and reception, export trade, and communication and transportation. We approach each design from numerous perspectives, exploring its development as well as how it altered tastes and trends. These products were not just a symptom of change; they also answered social needs and spurred development, keeping China apace with production methods in Europe and giving ordinary citizens access to mass-produced luxuries like TVs, radios and cosmetics. The work of Shanghai designers was fundamental in turning China into the thriving economy we see today.

Of all the customs and traditions concerning the lives of oriental women, the harem is probably the most familiar and least understood in the West. Travellng artists, writers and poets let their imagination run unbridled upon this theme. To such an extent that in all the paintings from the early eigtheenth century to the 1940s, reality and imagination are closely intermingled. Beyond the theme of odalisques and almahs, this volume reflects upon the small pleasures of daily life, family and women’s work. Over 150 Orientalist painters, both prestigious and less known, are brought together in this book as individual monographs.

In five complementary contributions, recognized authors draw a fascinating and complex picture of contemporary jewelry in the twenty-first century. Through a rich palette of themes, works, reports and concepts from current art practices, they illuminate the conditions and interconnections of education, making, presentation, marketing and networking in design and art using the example of the New Zealand Handshake project. This book will enrich and bring pleasure to all who are interested in the visual arts in their broadest sense! Handshake is a unique mentoring programme in the art world, in which established artists spread their knowledge to less experienced protégés. The knowledge accumulated in this exchange, of a relationship based on feedback, is realized in exhibitions and joint projects. Exhibition at The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt (NZ), 5th August to 3rd December 2017. www.http://handshakeproject.com/ https://handshake3.com/”

In this book, Cristina Filipe offers a critical examination, from a social and art historical perspective, of some of the artists and contexts that contributed to the transformations in Portuguese jewelry from the vanguard of the 1960s to the early twenty-first century – a decisive period in which the term ‘jewelry’ itself was redefined. In addition, Contemporary Jewellery in Portugal contextualizes the international scene, reflecting on how Portuguese artists responded to these external influences. What jewelry was made? Who made it? What were the underlying trends and creative references? These are some of the questions that this book seeks to answer through the analysis of artist interviews and exhaustive factual research, accompanied by a visual narrative mirroring the changes in contemporary jewelry in Portugal.

With this publication a comprehensive study of Impressionism in Canada is available for the first time: from its beginnings in France, via the dissemination of the new style through artists, gallerists, dealers and collectors in North America, and its incorporation into and propagation within a hitherto conservative milieu, to the reception of Canadian Impressionism both nationally and internationally.

The study culminates in the concise portrayal of the lives and works of fourteen of the most significant Canadian artists – including William Blair Bruce, Maurice Cullen, J. W. Morrice, Laura Muntz Lyall, Marc-Aurele de Foy Suzor-Cote, Helen McNicoll and Clarence Gagnon – along with several other artists who for some time also employed Impressionist techniques. In this overview not only are the sources of inspiration in French Impressionism presented but also how masterfully and with aplomb these artists found their own artistic form of expression, which has decisively shaped Canadian Impressionist painting today.

With a foreword by Guy Wildenstein and an introduction by William H. Gerdts.

“For Iris Fishof, a piece of jewelry is not merely an ornament but it can be a reflection of societal history. Her extensive, beautifully illustrated history, “Jewellery in Israel Multicultural Diversity 1948 to the Present” is the first book of its kind. Fishof, an Israeli art historian and curator, begins with folk artists who worked in pre-state Israel and covers the establishment of the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in 1906 and the role of immigrants, like the Germans who brought the modernist Bauhaus tradition with them in the 1930s and Yemenites who brought their own intricate silversmith traditions in the 1950s. She describes contemporary internationally recognized artists working in various materials and styles, still with a ‘distinctly local flavor’.” – The Jewish Week

In Israel East meets West. Their jewelry traditions blend, resulting in creative innovations. In the 1930s, European immigrants introduced the spirit of the Bauhaus, while oriental craftsmanship was invigorated in the 1950s and 1960s by immigration from Islamic countries. State jewelry companies preserved traditional crafts, while at the same time developing a new and elegant style, designed to express the national identity of the still young state of Israel. There are important links between native jewelry makers and European and American jewelry artists, who were guest lecturers at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in the 1970s and had a lasting influence on Israeli artists. The transition to art jewelry was finally completed in the 1980s, paving the way for artists who are now internationally renowned. A further chapter is dedicated to contemporary works by some outstanding young artists. Although their works are part of the global jewelry scene, they are also dedicated to their homeland, for example through unequivocal references to local political tensions.

Artists (a selection): Bianca Eshel Gershuni, Esther Knobel, Deganit Stern Schocken, Vered Kaminski, Attai Chen.

As the 1930s began, Alfred H. Barr Jr., founder of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and Philip Johnson, distinguished architect, brought the principles of the Bauhaus to America – even before exiles from Nazi Germany fully established the idea of architecture and furnishings as a functional whole in the United States. Barr’s organization of the museum reflected the departmental structure of the Bauhaus, elevating architecture, graphic design, utilitarian furniture design, industrial design, photography and film to be on an equal footing with painting and sculpture, and endorsing all to be recognized as art. Barr and Johnson curated exceptional exhibitions such as Modern Architecture, International Exhibition (1932) and Machine Art (1934) at MoMA and created modern interiors in private living quarters. In this book, comprehensive essays and series of photos trace how modernism found its way into the American cultural landscape.

Text in German.

Artists of The Spanish Golden Age such as Murillo, Zurbarán and Velázquez were the key to instigating a truly passionate appreciation of Spanish art among the great collectors at the end of the Modern Age, as well as the public institutions or other institutions that sprang from private initiative after the Industrial Revolution.

There are notable sets of works created by Spanish artists in the United Kingdom, from the Osonas to Joan Miró, such as the ones conserved in Apsley House, Pollok House and the Dulwich Picture Gallery. The collections owned by public institutions also include a significant number of masterpieces of Spanish art, including the National Gallery of London and the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. Other public and private collections, such as the Wallace Collection, the Duke of Stafford Collection, the Fitzwilliam Museum and Bowes Museum, also contain masterpieces.

María Campos Carlés de Peña, a leading expert in furniture history, has undertaken an exhaustive project of research into the large and varied production of furniture made in Peru in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries – the colonial period – for churches, convents, monasteries and private collections. Over eleven chapters she provides a thorough description of this type of furniture, which was inspired by artistic styles ranging from Mannerism to Neoclassicim, with their many variants and creators.

Her analysis allows for an appreciation of the way vice-regal furniture in Peru is a valuable witness to its time: an example of a syncretism of varied and different cultures, endowed with symbolism, iconographic meaning and enormous beauty.