Love interior design? Love whacking great books full of gorgeous photographs? Then there’s only one publisher for you: the mighty TASCHEN! Here we select six stunning TASCHEN interiors books to adorn your coffee table...
Very much a publisher after our own hearts, TASCHEN. Their books are high quality, unusual, lovingly-made, gorgeous to look at, and often rather risqué. Just like our designer lighting, then (apart from the risqué bit, unless you count Tristan and Isolde). For decades now, it has been the place to go for beautiful, hefty art and design tomes of the kind generally referred to as ‘coffee table books’. And for lovers of interiors, these coffee table books serve a double purpose. They’re a joy to read and a feast for the eyes, of course, but they’re also beautiful things in themselves. Whether lined up on the shelf or artfully laid on a table, merely having these books enhances your own room’s loveliness. So, without further ado, here are six TASCHEN books about interior design that will make your sitting room – and your life generally – that much more stylish…
1) 100 Interiors Around the World
This sumptuous edition has 100 eye-popping interiors from six continents, so you can compare and contrast contemporary styles from countries as varied as Brazil, Greece, Morocco, Japan, Spain and Kenya. Metro described it as ‘the perfect gift for design fans’ but you should just buy it for yourself, really.
2) Case Study Houses
If you’re a fan of the mid-century modern movement, when architects and designers of the 1950s and 1960s began imagining the homes of the future in all sorts of wonderful ways, then this is the coffee table book to beat them all. The Case Study House program (1945-66) was a unique event in the history of American architecture. Using now-iconic designers like Eero Saarinen and Charles and Ray Eames, it oversaw the construction of 36 Los Angeles homes intended to be prototypes for houses that could be cheaply replicated during the postwar building boom. This book is a lavishly illustrated retrospective of the program, with photos, floor plans and much more. (And if you like this stuff, see our post on midcentury modern lighting design.)
3) 100 Contemporary Houses
…And if you want to see how those mid-century pioneers influenced the way that design has actually turned out in the 21st century, then treat yourself to this two-volume publication featuring 100 of the world’s most extraordinary homes from the past decade, including work by Shigeru Ban, Tadao Ando and many more. 
4) Restaurant and Bar Design
You’ve seen the 10 Most Beautiful Pub Interiors in London, now feast your eyes on 100 exceptional bar and restaurant interiors from around the world. This gorgeous book is a round-up of entries to the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards—the world’s only awards dedicated to hospitality design. Warning: it might make you feel thirsty.
5) The Architect’s Home
This is a fascinating idea for a book – what do architects do when they actually have to live in the houses they design? As the blurb to this beautiful volume says: ‘If houses reflect their owners’ personalities, then architects’ own homes are like autobiographies. Location, layout, style, lighting, artwork, furnishings—every detail adds colour to the story. Each of these dwellings, presented A-Z by architect, speaks more about its designer than any other building possibly could.’
6) And finally, one we couldn’t resist… 1000 Lights
Ok, so it’s a bit more specialised than an ‘interior design’ book, but how could we fail to include this definitive guide to lamp and lighting design? It’s got examples of every historical style imaginable - Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern, Post-Modern…we could go on all day, really.
That lot should get your coffee table book collection going nicely, but TASCHEN have plenty more about design and architecture on their website. And if you like interiors and design generally, check out the We Love Interiors section of our blog and browse our designer lighting here.
Thanks to the good people at TASCHEN for allowing us to use images.
