2021 Reading List

The Flower Hunter: Seasonal Flowers Inspired by Nature and Gathered from the Garden by Lucy Hunter (Ryland Peters & Small, 2021). Floral and garden designer Lucy Hunter's first book transports us to her North Wales garden and art studio where she creates painterly, seasonal arrangements from her surroundings. Through essays and step-by-step projects, she inspires us to embrace the rhythms of the natural world and find our inner creative voice. See an excerpt from the book.

Cover photo by Lucy Hunter

The Well-Loved House by Ashley Whittaker (Rizzoli, 2021). Botanical custom murals, exuberant and quiet floral fabrics, and walls done in aubergine and candy-red lacquer and faux tortoiseshell are just a small sampling of the joy that leaps off the pages of Ashley’s first book. Her love of home is evident throughout, and her pattern prowess is on full display. See our Q&A with Whittaker.

Cover photo by Thomas Loof

Flower Flash by Lewis Miller (Monacelli Press, 2021). Everything we’ve ever wanted to know about esteemed New York florist Lewis Miller and his famous Flower Flashes that bring beauty to the urban landscape and joy and comfort to all who pass by them. See our story on Miller's Flower Flashes. 

Cover photo by Irini Arakas Greenbaum

Seasons at Highclere: Gardening, Growing, and Cooking Through the Year at the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon (Rizzoli, 2021). Best known as the setting for the historical drama Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle is the epitome of an English country manor. This book, written by Lady Fiona Carnarvon, who currently resides in and runs the estate, offers insights into how the seasons govern daily life. In addition to detailing activities and gardening responsibilities, the countess, a consummate hostess, shares her tips and menus for seasonal entertaining.

Dragons & Pagodas: A Celebration of Chinoiserie by Aldous Bertram (Vendome, 2021). Artist, illustrator, and interior designer Aldous Bertram takes us on a whirlwind tour that explores the beauty of chinoiserie through the porcelain, color, pattern, flora, fauna, people, architecture, and tropical exoticism. His passion for the style is evident on every page, from the extravagant to the charming. A true visual feast, the book is accompanied by Aldous’s chinoiserie-inspired watercolors and collages.

Watercolor by Aldous Bertram

Dior and Roses by Éric Pujalet-Plàa, Vincent Leret, and Brigitte Richart (Rizzoli, 2021). Couturier Christian Dior loved flowers, and perhaps the rose most of all, as this book showcases so meaningfully. The House’s fashions, fragrances, and beauty line pay tribute to the bloom. His sister Catherine Dior inspired his first scent, Miss Dior, in homage to their shared passion for flowers and gardens. Each subsequent shepherd of the iconic brand has kept the designer’s legacy in roses alive and thriving.

Collected Interiors: Rooms That Tell a Story by Philip Mitchell (Rizzoli, 2021). In his first book, which features nine homes ranging from New York’s Upper East Side to Nova Scotia, Philip’s signature “modern maximalism” is on full display, as is his talent for layering different styles and eras. His passion for engaging art, collections, and gallery walls encourages us to go bold.

Cover photo by Annie Schlechter

A Life in Flowers: Lessons and Affirmations from the Garden by Holly Heider Chapple (BLOOM Imprint, 2021). One of the floral industry’s leading luminaries shares her story, from her early days tending plants in her family's nursery in the 1970s to a career that has blossomed with the success of her eponymous floral design firm, as well as Hope Flower Farm. Stay tuned for our Q&A with Holly about the book.  

Cover photo by Emily Gude

Vaux-le-Vicomte:  A Private Invitation by Guillaume Picon (Flammarion, 2021). Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte’s rich history began in 1641 when infamous French finance minister Nicolas Fouquet, the original owner, worked to create a harmonious relationship between architecture and landscape. To assist him, Nicolas enlisted a number of talented artisans of the time, such as architect Louis Le Vau, painter Charles Le Brun, and garden designer André Le Nôtre. So spectacular were the results that Louis XIV used the gardens as inspiration for Versailles. This book traces the château’s history from the 17th century through the Belle Époque, World War I, and its public opening in 1968.

Home: A Celebration, edited by Charlotte Moss, in collaboration with No Kid Hungry (Rizzoli New York, 2021). “What is home to you?” is the universal question posed by Charlotte Moss to a mélange of luminaries—artists, designers, writers, photographers, actors, and activists. Her inspiration for this project was Edith Wharton’s Book of the Homeless (1916), a successful fundraising effort that aided refugees and children during World War I. A portion of the proceeds from Charlotte’s book will benefit No Kid Hungry. The 125 contributors use a variety of mediums to express their often moving answers. See Flower's Q&A with Charlotte Moss about the book. 

House Dressing: Interiors for Colorful Living (Monacelli Press, 2021). With a fearless love of color and a deft hand at mixing pattern and periods, Richmond designer Janie Molster showcases lush examples of her work and a can-do approach to tackling intimidating design challenges. See our Q&A with Molster.