Update your library with the best design books (2024)

When it’s cold and dark outside, indulge your wanderlust by diving into SJ Axelby’s second book. Pure escapism on every page, it captures in vibrant watercolours some of the world’s most beautifully designed locations, from the San Domenico Palace (the hotel from season two of The White Lotus) to boats, bars, shops and even a stylish train, while the text is packed with insider knowledge and history. It’s the ultimate Grand Tour for an armchair traveller. £35, pavilionbooks.com

Writer and activist Charlene Prempeh is the founder of A Vibe Called Tech, a Black-owned creative agency known for its work with brands such as Gucci and Frieze. Her debut book celebrates a century of groundbreaking work by Black creatives. Organised into three sections, on fashion, architecture and graphics, it explores how Black design has been perceived within culture through the work of names such as Dapper Dan, Ann Lowe and Francis Kéré. £24.99, prestelpublishing.penguinrandomhouse.de

The state of the world can feel bleak, so Stefan Sagmeister’s book provides a welcome alternative perspective. Combining art, design and history with quantitative analysis, he cleverly transforms data sets into colourful artworks to bring encouraging statistics to life. The book includes an essay by design historian Steven Heller and a conversation between Sagmeister and Hans Ulrich Obrist, and concludes that things really are better than before, inspiring us to think more hopefully about the future. You couldn’t wish for a finer companion with which to start the transition into 2024. £29.95, phaidon.com

In the first book exploring the singular story of Chinese socialite, businesswoman and artist Song Huai-Kuei, aka ‘Madame Song’, Pi Li, head of curatorial affairs at Hong Kong’s M+ museum, traces the parallel arcs of Song’s life and the social upheaval of 20th-century China. From her success within avant-garde circles to her efforts to revive traditional Chinese aesthetics, Song’s contribution to contemporary visual culture deserves to be celebrated. £40, thamesandhudson.com

Following a career as a successful fashion designer, renowned for his opulent, jewel-toned clothes, Matthew Williamson has embraced interiors with equal exuberance. His new book is packed with tips, anecdotes and inspiring photography of projects in the UK and abroad, making a compelling case for living cocooned in colour. If you want to break out of a neutral rut but aren’t sure where to start, let this inspiring handbook be the nudge you need. £30, thamesandhudson.com

With playful illustrations in three striking colours, Gaby Bazin’s art book for children translates the magic of the lithographer’s world onto the printed page. Combining science, art and history, it beautifully depicts how a centuries-old printing practice has evolved into the process that is used to make books, magazines, newspapers and posters today. It’s an illuminating exploration of the skill and creativity behind this artistic profession that might inspire budding young lithographers to try it themselves. £15.95, davidzwirnerbooks.com

Anyone who has ever savoured a perfectly mixed Old Fashioned will appreciate co*cktail connoisseur, Amanda Schuster’s tribute to the greatest drinks of all time. This comprehensive volume features 200 iconic creations from around the globe and across history. Her criteria for a ‘signature’ co*cktail relates to its ability to evoke the nature of a particular time, person or place, and the culture that created it. Even if your Martini is now enjoyed from the comfort of the sofa rather than at Dukes hotel, this book offers a portal into a more glamorous world. £29.95, phaidon.com

The compulsion to seek out, organise and display rare or unusual things reveals a lot about our nature, and the art of collecting is celebrated in this volume from designer, illustrator and antiques hunter Marin Montagut. In homes, flea markets and ateliers, items as diverse as Grecian plaster casts, bistro chairs and copper dessert moulds are arranged en masse, bringing a fresh perspective to the objects themselves and their surroundings. Photographed by Pierre Musellec, and with moodboards and illustrations by Montagut, it provides a novel angle on French interiors. £30, flammarion.com

Described by Stanley Tucci as ‘actually bellissimo’, this visual feast from restaurateur Russell Norman is a tribute to the unfussy and exceptionally tasty food of Florence. These are the dishes you’ll find at Brutto, the trattoria he opened with the aim of returning to the basics of authentic Italian cuisine. More than just a cookbook (though you will surely want to make the recipes, including penne alla vodka and sausages with braised lentils), it’s a love letter to the city. £32, penguin.co.uk

Few brands have contributed as much to design culture as Cassina; this comprehensive tome captures why its output is so important. The ‘iMaestri Collection’ launched in 1973, reissuing iconic models by 20th-century titans such as Gerrit Rietveld and Frank Lloyd Wright. Collaborations with Gio Ponti, Carlo Scarpa and Franco Albini followed, cementing the collection as the ultimate expression of ‘Made in Italy’. This is a fascinating reflection on how great design can evolve. £65, cassina.com

Flowers have always been important to the Armani universe, and this book puts them centre-stage. With text by Giorgio Armani, Dan Rubinstein, Renato Bruni and Harriet Quick, it explores the designer’s knack for floral composition and how nature inspires his fashion and interiors. The sophisticated volume has a silk cover and Japanese-style inserts, and all proceeds from the royalties will be donated to the Forestami urban-forestry project. £95, rizzoliusa.com

The compulsion to seek out, organise and display rare or unusual things reveals a lot about our nature, and the art of collecting is celebrated in this volume from designer, illustrator and antiques hunter Marin Montagut. In homes, flea markets and ateliers, items as diverse as Grecian plaster casts, bistro chairs and copper dessert moulds are arranged en masse, bringing a fresh perspective to the objects themselves and their surroundings. Photographed by Pierre Musellec, and with moodboards and illustrations by Montagut, it provides a novel angle on French interiors. £30, flammarion.com

Model, photographer and the first female war correspondent to report on the liberation of Paris and the concentration camps, Lee Miller is one of the last century’s most intriguing figures. This book examines her relationship with surrealist artist Man Ray and the influence they had on each other. Through previously unpublished imagery, archive material and contributions from family members, it honours Miller’s pioneering photography and her remarkable life. £32, skira.net

Whether it’s a seaside retreat or London villa, any space designed by Rose Uniacke is instantly recognisable, thanks to the clean lines, sense of serenity and fine craftsmanship. Uniacke revisits 13 projects – stylishly photographed by François Halard and Simon Upton – and dissects them in detail with design critic and author Alice Rawsthorn. For anyone seeking inspiration, it’s a wonderful way to learn how to create an elegant, light-filled sanctuary. £57.50, roseuniacke.com

The well-known paint brand brings its seminal decorating tome up to date to reflect changes in how we live now, including the WFH revolution. Beautifully photographed spaces, from urban apartments to stately country houses, illustrate the ways paint can change a room’s feel, with lots of practical, easy-to-follow tips. If you’ve ever deliberated between shades of white, or wondered where the firm’s famous colour names come from, you’ll find the answers here. £35, octopusbooks.co.uk

From Eden to the humble veg patch, gardens have always exerted a powerful influence over artists, and this ambitious survey endeavours to impose some order on centuries of creative expression. Featuring more than 300 examples from the likes of Gertrude Jekyll, Claude Monet, Marianne North and Crispijn de Passe, it’s a visually rich celebration of humankind’s enduring relationship with the natural world. £44.95, phaidon.com

Showcasing Lissoni & Partners’ most important residential and commercial architectural projects to date, as well as museums, boats and product design, this is the first far-reaching monograph on the design studio led by Piero Lissoni. Packed with photographs, renderings, floor plans and sketches, Environments provides a new perspective on the visionary Italian architect and designer who is known for his iconic furniture creations. £77.50, rizzoliusa.com

Published with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, this beautifully illustrated book looks at the roleof plants in the lives of peoples from across the planet. From origin myths to medicine, plants have provided us with physical and spiritual nourishment since the beginning of humanity’s existence. Author Dr Sarah Edwards has researched medicinal plant use in the favelas of northeast Brazil and traditional plant knowledge with Aboriginal communities in northern Australia. £30, quercusbooks.co.uk

Taking in issues including class, race and climate change, James Mollison’s ongoing photographic project documents the wide variety of conditions in which children live, play and sleep around the world. From boarding schools to refugee camps, his detailed portraits and accompanying texts about their families, habits and hobbies deliver a powerful and poignant message about what it means to be a child in the world today. £35, hoxtonminipress.com

This visual feast tells the story of one of the 20th century’s most intriguing creative figures, a provocateur who straddled the worlds of architecture and industrial design, mixing the playful and political in his innovative practice. Twenty chapters draw on conversations between Pesce and leading curator Glenn Adamson and are lavishly illustrated with images of the artist’s work, plus never-before-seen archive material. £69.95, phaidon.com