12. These design, architecture and decor books are top of our wish list right now

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Looking for an especially inspiring gift for a fellow design lover – or simply feel like spoiling yourself? Here are three beautiful new architecture and design titles that will definitely fit the bill.

VIVID: STYLE IN COLOUR by Julia Green, with photography by Armelle Habib Hardie Grant Books | R620 Packed with eye candy, Vivid conveys the storied experience of renowned stylist Julia Green, showing how the application of colour in our homes and workplaces can create diff erent atmospheres and outcomes. There are eight chapters divided by colour – orange, red, blue, green, pink, yellow, neutrals, and black – and full of inspiring imagery courtesy of photographer Armelle Habib, as well as interviews with colour mavens around the world, including designer Mariella Ienna (who is based in Sydney and Palermo), and Laurence Leenaert of LRNCE, in Marrakech. Short essays delve into topics such as the science of colour and colour psychology; the use of bold or clashing colour; and styling with colour in small spaces, and for the seasons. If you love colour, this book should be at the very top of your wish list.

ROBYN ALEXANDER PHOTOS SUPPLIED COMPILED BY

WOMAN MADE: GREAT WOMEN DESIGNERS by Jane Hall Phaidon | R1 180 As author Jane Hall says, “Woman Made attempts, as a reference point, to ensure that women designers have a better chance of visibility.” Her book profi les more than 200 female creatives – specifi cally within the fi eld of product design – working from the early 20th century to the present, and includes icons and trailblazers such as Ray Eames, Eileen Gray, Florence Knoll, Ilse Crawford and Faye Toogood. Entries are arranged in alphabetical order by surname, and each features a key product image as well as a brief biography of the designer. An essential reference for anyone interested in the history of design and the o en under-the-radar work done by women in this particular creative fi eld, Woman Made both informs and inspires.

LIVING BY THE OCEAN: CONTEMPORARY HOUSES BY THE SEA by Phaidon editors Phaidon | R885 Paleontologists have determined that human beings were living alongside the Indian Ocean at Pinnacle Point, near Mossel Bay, 170 000 years ago. And if there’s one thing that hasn’t changed much since then, it’s our ongoing delight at the prospect of living close to the sea. What has changed is the style in which we do so – which is what this gorgeous coff ee-table tome presents. From awe-inspiring dwellings perched on cliff tops to covetable houses built on white-sand beaches and even a home constructed underwater, Living By The Ocean covers architectural innovation and creativity on six continents, and features designs by 47 internationally renowned architects. Stunning exteriors and inspiring interiors of each home are showcased, with all 50 projects sharing a genuine sense of connection between the buildings and their surroundings.