Book Review: Jane Packer's Flower Course

I've always been an advocate for fresh flowers in the home. Whether it's a simple vase of tulips you pick up for $7 at the grocery store, an elaborate florist bouquet you receive as a kind gesture, or something handpicked from your own flower garden, corralled together in your favorite container - there is something undeniably brightening about those petals. Frequently, I will go to my local Trader Joe's and pick up a mix of things for under $20, and come home to work a little magic and create a florist inspired bouquet of my own. That's when having books like Jane Packer's Flower Course comes in handy! 

Jane Packer Flowers is one of London's best-known elite florists. The bouquets are distinctive, elegant yet refreshingly modern. The prestigious company supplies flowers to hip boutique hotels, designer stores, and offers a highly regarded four-week career course to students who are lucky enough to travel to London and learn from her genius. In this book, published by Ryland, Peters and Small, Jane Packer covers the same ground as you'd find if you took her course, helping to make you a much better floral arranger! From party and wedding flowers, to small arrangements and floral gifts, to dried hangings - it's all here in beautiful step-by-step photography and easy to follow instructions! Let's take a look: 

Honestly, the book is a must for anyone who enjoys beautiful flowers and DIY floral arrangements. It's an impeccably detailed resource for getting it right, each and every time, and bridging on what great skills you already have - to make you a more confident and well-rounded floral designer. And really, who doesn't want to be the envy of all of your friends when you can make $18 worth of flowers from Trader Joe's, look like a $250 bouquet from the local high-end florist and design shop? Give it a look, and grab a copy for yourself via the Amazon link below: 

Book Review: Life Unstyled

 Life Unstyled by Emily Henson, Photography by Debi Treloar

Published by Ryland Peters and Small

Emily Henson is a London-based interior stylist and author with three books under her belt. Emily has a passion for color and pattern, and believes in embracing the beauty in life's imperfections, creating a home that is always evolving and never, ever done. She believes that perfection, is overrated.

Life Unstyled is all about beautifully imperfect interiors, homes that are photographed (by talented photographer Debi Treloar) to show what living really looks like, with all the unfinished edges, unmade beds, lumps, bumps, and anything in between. Henson says that Life Unstyled came about as a form of rebellion against the impossibly high standards set in magazines and in social media, where very often when are only shown a moment in time when a room has been styled to look it's very best.

Isn't it the truth! Those rooms we covet are filled with furniture and objects, art, etc., all on loan or purchased for the shoot, with flowers, and plants, and vignettes that take hours to style while the other side of the room is often a mound of pillows and mess. The real life, but beautiful homes featured in Life Unstyled are inspiring, but inspiring without the impending shame of having a house that is anything less than perfect.

Take a peek: 

Indeed, the book is inspiring. With houses that are filled with creativity and energized by the real life we all live. Many of the homes featured are in Europe, so there's a definite European flare to the interiors throughout the book. Some of the houses are large, some are small, some are filled to the brim, and others are quite minimal. What they all have in common however, is the personality and flare of their owner, and a comfort with letting a space evolve. It's a wonderful book to keep it all in perspective, and get inspired at the same time! Take a longer look, and purchase your copy via the Amazon link below: 

And, if you're interested in taking a look at the first two books by Emily, you can view them here:

Book Review: Bold and Bright: Chic and Exuberant Interior Inspiration from Brazil

Bold and Bright: Chic and Exuberant Interior Inspiration from Brazil 

By Maira S. Teixeira

Published by Ryland, Peters and Small

There've been a few books published on homes in Brazil this year, but still the interiors of the verdant South American country are relatively undiscovered. During the 1950s and '60s, Brazil was in the vanguard of architecture and design, and many of the beautifully curated homes there still have a generous helping of the mid-century modern element to them. 

What's beautiful though, especially in the homes captured within the pages of Bold and Bright, as photographed by Maira Acayaba, is the mix of textures and styles - all seamlessly - with a sophistication and confidence that is truly inspiring.

From city apartments to country homes, beach houses to jungle bungalows, there's no shortage of inspiration in the pages of Bold and Bright. Architecture, vignettes, and design - it's all here, with a touch of the colorful and exuberant spirit that is quintessentially Brazilian. Take a closer look, and purchase your copy via the Amazon link below:

Book Review: In the Mood for Colour

In the Mood for Colour: Perfect palettes for creative interiors

By Hans Blomquist, Published by Ryland Peters & Small

Color is powerful! Whether we are wearing it, using it in interiors, or viewing it in our world in general, it can change our moods, raise our spirits, affect us positively and enhance our appreciation of all things. Still, many of us fall short in choosing colorful shades to use in our home, falling back on safe, (sometimes bland) neutrals. 

Hans Blomquist is an art director and stylist, starting his career with IKEA, but also working for prestigious Harrods, Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, and HM. In this book, his third, he reveals his way of seeing color, navigating us with beautiful photography by Debi Treloar, through palettes pale to dark, showing how color can soothe, enchant or excite.

If color is something you struggle with, or if you'd just like to have an inspiring collection of palettes for your next project, take a look at Hans' book, and purchase your copy via the Amazon link below: 

And if you're interested in taking a look at some of Hans' other titles, you can view them here: