Tag Archives: Books

Architecture, Books, Cities, Design, Technology

Design Books: ‘The Ideal City – Exploring Urban Futures’ (Gestalten)

December 10, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Urban life is humankind’s biggest experiment to date, our cities are constantly evolving and adapting to climate and economy. The cities we have today are not necessarily the ones we need, but big and small innovation is rethinking visions of urbanization.

Together with pioneering research and design agency SPACE10, we present future-orientated design which enhances quality of life and makes our urban spaces more vibrant.

As technology and urban life edge ever closer, The Ideal City explores the ambitious actions and initiatives being brought to life across the globe to meet tomorrow’s demand in clever, forwarding-thinking ways. From pedestrian infrastructure to housing, the book uncovers what is being discussed at the forefront of urbanism through expert essays and profiles.

SPACE10 is a Copenhagen-based research and design agency that is on a mission to enable a better everyday life for people and the planet. They specialize in innovation and future-living, often presenting models both for urban spaces or food that could lead to me a more sustainable future.

Architecture, Books, Design, Home Design, Profiles

Profile: Spanish Architect & Designer Ricardo Bofill – ‘Dreamer Of Modernity’

December 4, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

December 2, 2020

What Bofill creates with exceptional mastery are spaces or the sense of space. He describes this ability, probably jokingly, as being an escape from the claustrophobia of his childhood in Barcelona, living in bourgeois apartments crammed floor to ceiling with decorative objects.

Postmodernity in the work of Bofill does not have to be the abolishing of rules or the death of history. In his own words, postmodernity “breaks with cultural hegemony to adapt models to different cultures, considering the place and its history.” It is more of a reaction against the uniformity of modern architecture.

Ricardo Bofill was born on December 5, 1939, in Barcelona. The son of a contractor, in the dullest hours of the Franco regime. As he explains himself, the feeling of being, not in the middle of the world but the outskirts, in a periphery—a Catalonia that was not just physically isolated from the cultural capitals but also far from national, political decision-making—sparked dreams of freedom and faraway lands, and was probably what later inspired his nomadic lifestyle. The importance of the vernacular, it’s engagement with classicism, Bofill’s sense of atemporal elegance—all find their roots in this early period.

Architecture, Books, Home Design, Homes

HOME DESIGN: ‘LIVING IN – MODERN MASTERPIECES OF RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE’

November 30, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Openhouse has spent the last six years giving readers a closer look at some of the most extraordinary houses around the globe. In their first book, the editors open the doors to their highlights, including exclusive photography and rarely seen homes.

With a range of architectural styles from Brutalism to 20th-century mastery from the likes Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, this book portrays the stories of architects and residents of the most remarkable and inspiring living spaces around the world. Enter the adobe house of Georgia O’Keefe in New Mexico, step into the Modernist Casa Pedregal designed by Luis Barragán in Mexico City, and discover the sensorial architecture of George Nakashima’s house, studio, and workshop in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

From case study houses to cutting edge contemporary architecture, Living In describes what it feels like to occupy these spaces from the perspective of their owners—who themselves have become stewards of architectural history.

Arts & Literature, Books, Homes, Travel, Videos

Literary Travel: ‘Hill Top’ – Cumbria, England Home Of Beatrix Potter (Video)

Video November 30, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Hill Top, the much-loved Cumbrian home of author Beatrix Potter, creator of the character Peter Rabbit™. Although the farm is closed at the moment you can still explore the writer’s paintings, drawings, treasured objects, as well as the surrounding countryside that inspired her. Look out for your favourite characters along the way.

Hill Top is a 17th-century house in Near Sawrey near Hawkshead, in the English county of Cumbria. It is an example of Lakeland vernacular architecture with random stone walls and slate roof. The house was once the home of children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter who left it to the National Trust.

Books, Food, History, Podcasts

Book Podcast: ‘Borough Market – Edible Histories’ Author Mark Riddaway

Audio November 30, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Award-winning food writer Mark Riddaway travels back through the centuries to tell the fascinating, surprising and often downright bizarre stories of some of the everyday ingredients found at London’s Borough Market.

Discover how the strawberries we eat today had their roots in a clandestine trip to South America by a French spy whose surname happened to be Strawberry, why three-quarters of Britain’s late-18th-century intake of tea was sold on the black market, and what Sigmund Freud found so fascinating about eel genitalia.

From the humble apples and onions that we’ve grown on these shores for centuries, to more exotic ingredients like cinnamon and bananas that travel from across the world to finesse our food, Borough Market: Edible Histories offers a chance to digest the charming stories behind every last morsel.

Books, Cities, Foreign Affairs, Interviews, Politics, Videos

Interview: Fareed Zakaria – ‘Ten Lessons For A Post-Pandemic World’ (Video)

Video November 28, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Fareed Zakaria of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” discussed his latest book “Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World.” The discussion covered the consequences of the pandemic and how COVID-19 could reshape the nation and the world, globalization and the digital age.

Books, Culture, Landscape, Photography

New Photography Books: ‘In Search Of Elsewhere’ By Steve McCurry (2020)

November 27, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

In Search of Elsewhere takes us across the globe and offers new perspectives on many of the locations that the photographer has already made famous – from India, Myanmar and Cuba, to Kashmir and the white-washed temples of the Himalayas. Each image is reproduced at large format and in remarkable detail and this new compilation reveals the incredible depth of his work.

A unique collection of previously unseen images spanning Steve McCurry’s extraordinary career.

Steve McCurry is known for creating some of the most iconic images of recent times and in this new collection, he shares previously unseen photographs from his incredibly rich archive.

Read and see more

Adventure, Books, Travel

Train Travel Books: ‘Tales Of The Rails’ (Gestalten)

November 24, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Tales of the Rails embraces traveling by train and explores the infinite discoveries to be made onboard, from spectacular scenery and colorful cities, to the many different characters in the carriage.

Discover 13 impressive train routes from around the globe, learn about Japan’s record-breaking bullet train, then slow down to experience an overnight journey on one of Britain’s last sleeper carriages. Studying where and why these routes exist, and discovering facts about the people that keep the engines running, this fully illustrated book is an ode to the golden age of train travel.

Nathaniel “Natty” Adams is a writer and custom suitmaker currently living in Baltimore, USA. He is the co-author of two gestalten books on men’s style, I Am Dandy and We Are Dandy. A long-term train travel enthusiast, he is transfering that passion into his first children’s book.

Ryan Johnson lives in Oakland, California, where he makes, he paints, he draws, and he moves pixels, infusing his love of color into each of his works. His clients include NPR, Bloomberg Businessweek, Smithsonian, and Boston Globe.

Art, Arts & Literature, Books, History, Uncategorized

Art Books: Watercolor – A History (Marie-Pierre Salé)

November 22, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The most comprehensive and best-illustrated history of watercolor painting ever published.

The term watercolor calls to mind atmosphere, luminosity, and immediacy―qualities that derive directly from the quick-drying, translucent nature of water-based pigments. In Watercolor: A History, Louvre curator Marie-Pierre Salé provides an authoritative and beautifully illustrated account of this versatile and widely beloved artistic medium.

Salé’s incisive text traces the development of watercolor from the thirteenth to the twentieth century in Europe and the United States, encompassing every type of work―from plein-air sketches to finished studio pieces―and a wide variety of artists. Here are Dürer’s detailed animal studies, Turner’s landscapes, Cézanne’s tireless explorations, Sargent’s light-dappled sketches, O’Keeffe’s pioneering abstractions.

This handsome volume features more than three hundred full-color illustrations, specially printed on Munken paper to capture the vibrancy and texture of the original works. It is sure to be welcomed by art historians and art lovers alike.

Architecture, Books, Home Design, Homes, Photography

New Architecture Books: ‘Escapology – Modern Cabins & Cottages’ (2020)

November 21, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Escape from 2020 and give your mind a getaway with Escapology: Modern Cabins, Cottages and Retreats. Curated by Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan, the 265-page book takes you to 24 dreamy homes around the world where you can mentally cozy up around a wood-burning fire and immerse yourself in mother nature.

One minute you’ll be in a rugged mountain lodge and the next you’re held up in a minimal Scandinavian cabin surrounded by foilage. The duo even highlights their own retreat on Ontario’s Drag Lake. Filled with impressive photographs, this book might even inspire you to turn your own abode into your dream retreat.

Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan―Scottish interior designers, TV hosts, and property speculators―are cabin aficionados who divide their time between homes in Canada and their beloved Scotland. iEscapology: Modern Cabins, Cottages and Retreats is a stunning book of modern-day retreats―bucolic weekend escapes by the sea, remote getaways in the woods, and rustic mountain hideouts―to inspire peaceful and quiet living. The authors genuinely believe that cabin time has a remarkably positive impact on our health, wellbeing and our happiness.

Whether it’s a rustic cottage nestled deep within a Nordic forest, a robust mountain lodge in Montana, a breathtaking treehouse in Canada, or a steel-walled, one-room “hotel” in Denmark, these retreats share one vital aspect in common: they proffer the chance to escape and to and live in harmony with nature, far from the madding crowd. Part style bible and lifestyle manual, the book features a beautiful collection of classic and contemporary cottages and cabins, each accompanied by an informative design profile and beautifully photographed images.

And of course, the book is also packed with practical building and design advice that fans of Colin and Justin have grown to love. You’ll find relevant information about different types of dwelling styles, builds, sustainability/off-grid living, tiny homes, renovation on a budget, room zonings, décor and everything in between.