My friends know this already: when the Summer is in full swing, I always launch a thread on my social media channels to share books to read and get fresh tips. It’s a little tradition I like to keep alive and that always brings lots of inspiration for everybody.

This year I’m adding an extra twist to it. I’ve made a themed list with my favorite 5 design books to add to your Summer readings. If you crave beautiful interiors, lush gardens, curated design places, and flower arrangements these books will please any design-longing on your list.

5 design books to add to your Summer readings. A frame for life – Ilse Crawford

I start with my favorite designer ever, Ilse Crawford. She is (unknowingly) my mentor. I totally agree with her vision of interior design as a discipline that is all about «human happiness and well being. It is about making life better».

A frame for life is her third book and I simply loved it. I agreed on almost everything, it seemed the book was talking directly to me. It features Studioilse’s projects, from private residences to hotels, restaurants, and retails illustrating the effectiveness of the human-centered design. What you will love about it: you’ll get a grasp of how much design impacts our everyday life.

5 design books to add to your Summer readings. Blooms – Contemporary floral design

This book is definitely a feast for the eyes, it is a floral extravaganza. It features a selection of the most talented floral designers in the world whose works challenge the traditional image you have of florists.

Can flowers be art? Yes. Can flowers float on a tableful of guests? Yes, of course. This is a visual book to read with Instagram open by the side because you’ll want to start following all the designers featured. And start training as a florist!

5 design books to add to your Summer readings. Joyful – Ingrid Fetell Lee

This has been one of my readings during the lockdown. I was looking for colors. In a broad sense. And I’ve found them in the book of the former director of IDEO NY. Many concepts and thoughts to agree on while learning the impact of colors and patterns on our lives. The environment and the places we live have a direct influence on our feelings and I think this is a dimension of our life that is often overlooked.

What you will love about this book: it’s easy to read, it’s packed with beautiful anecdotes and you don’t need to be a design professional to really appreciate it. What you need is just being curious. And love colors of course!

5 design books to add to your Summer readings. The Kinfolk Home. Interiors for slow living – Nathan Williams

The book is from the namesake Kinfolk magazine, a mecca for interior inspiration. The book features 35 homes around the globe that embraced a more considered approach to living space.

The book is all about slow living and well-thought interiors that rediscovered what is really essential. It’s 368 pages full of photos, essays, and interviews to better understand what is behind the domestic spaces of the creative people who live in them.

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Craving for more interior inspo? Tour the beautiful houses in the Home Tours section.

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5 design books to add to your Summer readings. The Scandinavian Home – Niki Brantmark

I think Niki Brantmark has been one of the first bloggers I started following a few years ago to know more about Scandinavian design. The Scandinavian home is a book from 2017 but it’s still relevant if you approach Scandi interiors for the first time.

The book features different kinds of homes, from cottages to apartments all united by the love for natural materials and for simple yet welcoming interiors.

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Did you read some of these design books? Do you have other book recommendations to share? Let me know in the comments below.

Get more interior inspiration on my Pinterest!

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