Here is a sampling of books and magazines offering an eclectic mix of interiors inspiration – from DIY skills and transforming a rented space to admiring homes in the Blue Mountains in Australia and Waiheke Island in New Zealand.
Home Sweet Rented Home: Transform Your Home Without Losing Your Deposit by Medina Grillo
This is an inspired book for renters. Faced with a home where the walls are magnolia, interiors blogger Medina Grillo shares her favourite tips, tricks and DIY projects for transforming a rented space. Discover ways to add a splash of colour with removable wallpaper, learn how to hang artworks without damaging the walls, and turn your hand to upcycling those furniture bargains you picked up at the flea market. With chapters covering all aspects of the home, from walls, flooring and lighting to storage and accessories, this will appeal both to DIY experts or those who have never lifted a paintbrush. Mitchell Beazley, £15
The Foraged Home by Joanna Maclellan
Anyone can create a beautiful home by foraging, and salvaging what they find, maintains Joanna Maclellan. Whether it’s a box of rusty nails or a disused armchair missing a leg, discarded objects can be restored, recycled or repurposed to fill the home with personal style. Presenting the techniques and philosophies of a wide spectrum of foraging homeowners, this book showcases unexpected and inspiring interiors from all over the world, from an upturned boat in France to an Australian beach house. In an era when self-sufficiency, living off grid and saving our planet have never been more important or appealing, this provides guidance and inspiration for all those looking to go beyond the world of mass-produced flat-packs. Thames and Hudson, £25
Spectrum: Heritage Patterns and Colours (Victoria & Albert Museum) by Ros Byam Shaw
This original book analyses the palettes that have been used by designers in the creation of furnishing fabrics and wallpapers from the 15th century to the present. Each fabric and wallpaper is arranged chronologically on its own double-page spread, accompanied by a caption that provides information about each product and its significance in the context of interior design. Unique in the book are the colour grids shown beside each pattern, in which the colours in the original piece are shown in proportion to their use, and with their CMYK references to enable designers to replicate these colours in their own work. Thames and Hudson, £25
DIY with Jay by Jay Blades
With tales of furniture restorer Jay Blades’ own do-it-yourself escapades and plenty of inspiration from his favourite home fixes, this guide will give you the knowledge you need to choose the right wall plugs, revamp those old dining chairs and give your bathroom a whole new lease of life without breaking the bank. Including information on laying new kitchen flooring and building your own BBQ, making new sofa covers and choosing the right bedroom vibe for the best night’s sleep, this manual provides tips and problem solvers for anyone hoping to embark on a new DIY journey. Bluebird, £20
Ark Journal
Interior design magazines are a big draw at Magalleria, especially anything Scandinavian. A favourite is Denmark’s Ark Journal, a coffee table darling with sleek, minimalist good looks, packed with design and furnishing ideas. The publisher says, “We explore the spaces around us, the objects we put in them and the people who make them. Bridging architecture, design and art, we show them as interplay rather than in silos, and with a sense of enduring Scandinavian values and aesthetics.” £20, store.magalleria.co.uk
The Local Project
From the other side of the world, The Local Project is an imposing, deluxe magazine showcasing the vitality of the scene in Australia and New Zealand where the design and construction of the domestic space is arguably more innovative. With locations from the Blue Mountains to Waiheke Island, Christchurch to Brisbane, the Great Ocean Road to Auckland, the magazine opens up a dynamic design community to provide inspiration for architects and designers all over the world. £35, store.magalleria.co.uk