Layering pattern, colour & texture: New interiors inspiration

Whether you’re looking for small steps to brighten up a tired, well-loved home, or to start from scratch with a total home overhaul, these new interior design books have your home inspiration covered. Dip your toe into the world of Maximalism with More Is More Is More, and experiment with layering: colours, textures, styles and patterns to create a true ‘wow factor’ home. Or unleash your inner artist with Making Murals, a DIY guide to creating unique wall art that will stand out and set your home apart — bland white walls be gone!

If low-maintenance, cosy interiors are more your style then check out Love Your Home Again and A Home to Share. Both books are filled with family-friendly, practical tips for injecting warmth and spirit into your home without sacrificing on design, function or liveability. 

And for some serious notes of inspiration, take a dreamy tour around Australia’s most stunning country abodes in Country Homes in Australia, compiled by the highly popular Country Style magazine. You’ll find sleepy cottages with quaint period details, restored farmsteads with a new lease on life, and renovated retreats that were once destined for demolition. Dive into our new interior design books for all of your home improvement needs!

Love your home again : organize your space and uncover the home of your dreams / Lightfoot, Ann
“When people first move into their homes, they have clear ideas about what they want from every room. Then time passes and clutter happens, the home they dreamt of is far from the reality. In ‘Love Your Home Again’, mother-daughter organizing duo teach readers how to manage their homes in a way that is modern, kind, effective, and fair through their signature systems of decluttering, organizing, and maintaining. (Adapted from Catalogue)

Country homes in Australia
“Regional Australia is as beautiful as it is diverse, and so are the houses and people that live there. Peek into the most gorgeous homes around the country, from charm-filled cottages and family farmhouses to lovingly restored Queenslanders and homesteads. A collection of the stand-out homes of the past three years featured in the iconic Country Style magazine.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

A home to share : design that welcomes family & friends from the creator of My 100 year old home / Saeta, Leslie
“A Home to Share is all about the spirit of welcome. A guide to giving new life to underused spaces, and to bringing cozy, truly livable decor to every room of the house. Friends and family are Leslie Saeta’s true north, so she has also woven in plenty of signature entertaining ideas for hosting relaxed gatherings large and small.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Create : inspiring homes that value creativity before consumption / Henson, Emily
“Creativity before consumption is about reinvention and sustainability for the sake of the planet, but also for the pure joy and satisfaction of creating a home that is truly unique. Using her experience as a stylist and set designer,  Emily shows how to create homes that meet our needs yet have style, dash and personality aplenty without relying on yet more disposable ‘stuff’ for the next generation to deal with.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Creative style : liveable, loveable spaces / McGraw, Lizzie
“When designing a space, one should thoroughly understand the lives of its inhabitants. The creative process is fun and adventurous, though it takes patience, imagination and self-awareness to transform your home into your sanctuary. In ‘Creative Style’, the basics–textiles, furniture, and accessories– are featured in new and exciting ways to create inspiring interiors projects that celebrate creativity.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Stephen Sills : a vision for design / Sills, Stephen
“Stephen Sills is a true icon and recognized as a unique artistic voice in the design world. Renowned for his ability not only to design innovative and beautiful rooms but also to establish a pervasive atmosphere of luxury and calm. This book is an in-depth look at several of Sills’s most recent projects as well as Sills’s own residences.  It will serve as an invaluable resource for all design lovers and students.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

More is more is more : today’s maximalist interiors / Dellatore, Carl J.
“Jewel-like colour, glorious pattern, enchanting lacquered ceilings and geometric floors. Although Maximalism has always had a place in interior design today it is bigger than ever. Thanks to its contemporary practitioners, rooms rich with color, pattern, and everything else have exploded onto the design scene. Celebrate the best of this work with vivid inspiration and ideas on color, pattern, surfaces, elements, and layering.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Making murals : a practical handbook for wall painting and mural art to enhance your home / Wilkinson, Clara
“Liven up your home! Mural artists share their techniques for wall art and mural painting, including different methods for scaling up technical painting styles and detailed advice on how to prepare walls and surfaces. There are step-by-step tutorials as well as 10 magnificent murals for you to follow – designs for hallways, bathrooms, bedrooms and more, in a wide range of styles to start ‘unsaming’ your walls.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

How to Find Stillness Within: New Health Titles in the Collection

From birth to death and everywhere in between, we have a whole host of new health titles in the collection this January.  Here are some to get you started.

How to find stillness within : the yoga therapy plan to help you find inner peace in a chaotic world / Dunsmuir, Colin
“How to Find Stillness Within is a therapeutic programme to help readers accept their flaws and discover a more fulfilling way of living, featuring a foreword by Cara Delevingne.  Whether you’d like to boost your mental and physical wellbeing, general health, or gain a supportive framework to help you to overcome difficult situations that you’re facing in life, this book can help.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Overcoming stress-induced brain fog : 10 simple ways to find focus, improve memory & feel grounded / Weber, Jill P.
“Brain fog-that feeling of being overstimulated and stressed to the point where it affects the ability to focus, concentrate, or communicate effectively-is a very real issue for many people. The prolonged stress and anxiety that lead to brain fog can decrease motivation, passion, and even one’s sense of self-worth. This book presents proven-effective skills from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and neuroscience, and offers readers ten powerful and accessible approaches for cutting through the haze and reclaiming control.” (Catalogue)

Duel without end : mankind’s battle with microbes / Frøland, Stig Sophus
“From the bubonic plague to theoretical pathogens on other worlds, a sweeping look at the past, present, and future of mass infections-and how we battle them. In this panoramic and up-to-date account, we learn how the Black Death, smallpox, the 1918 influenza pandemic, and other great epidemics have not only led to enormous suffering and mass death but have also contributed to the fall of empires and changed the course of history. Duel Without End is a fascinating journey through the long history of infection, from the dawn of life to humanity’s future exploration of deep space.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)

Healthier homes : a blueprint for creating a toxin-free living environment / Stout, Jen
“We spend 90% percent of our time indoors and consider our homes to be safe havens from the stresses and dangers of the outside world, but what most of us don’t know is that the materials used to build our homes can contribute to our ill health. Healthy Home Builder is a soup-to-nuts guide for builders and DIY-er’s starting with the design and site selection, progressing to the materials for the interior and exterior of the home, and addressing the finishing touches of interior design and furnishings – and it includes a gorgeous photo gallery of homes that have been built with health and wellness in mind.”(Adapted from Catalogue)

Rest is resistance : a manifesto / Hersey, Tricia
“Disrupt and push back against capitalism and white supremacy. In this book, Tricia Hersey, aka The Nap Bishop, encourages us to connect to the liberating power of rest, daydreaming, and naps as a foundation for healing and justice. With captivating storytelling and practical advice, all delivered in Hersey’s lyrical voice and informed by her deep experience in theology, activism, and performance art, Rest Is Resistance is a call to action, a battle cry, a field guide, and a manifesto for all of us who are sleep deprived, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of Grind Culture.”(Adapted from Catalogue)

The myth of normal : trauma, illness & healing in a toxic culture / Maté, Gabor
“In this revolutionary book, renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the rise. So what is really “normal” when it comes to health?”(Catalogue)

Stumbling through space and time : living life with dyspraxia / Richings, Rosemary
Rosemary shares her experience of growing up dyspraxic, and how it impacts her sense of space, time and co-ordination.  Full of practical tips and insights into the strategies that gave Rosemary the confidence to succeed, this is an essential guide for other dyspraxics and those supporting them, which shows you how you too can thrive as a dyspraxic person.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Minding your mind : understanding your mind : taking control of your mental health / Hickie, Ian
“It’s our greatest asset, but it can also be our greatest adversary, allowing in self-doubt, anxious thoughts and depression. Written with compassion and curiosity, warmth and humour, Minding Your Mind is for anyone who wants the best for their mental well-being but might not know the best way to get there. It’s a check-up for everything happening between the ears and through the body, flagging the warning signs when things get wobbly and offering a pathway to a more fulfilling life.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Shodo : the practice of mindfulness through the ancient art of Japanese calligraphy / Takeda, Rie
“The ancient Japanese art of calligraphy is more than just a decorative skill; it is a revolutionary approach to mindfulness. This is alongside spiritual guidance, including the concept of Mushin (an undisturbed mind), Qi energy, and how to discover your unique inner quality. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

And finally : matters of life and death / Marsh, Henry
“From the bestselling neurosurgeon and author of Do No Harm, an unflinching and deeply personal exploration of death, life and neuroscience. As a retired brain surgeon, Henry Marsh thought he understood illness, but he was unprepared for the impact of his diagnosis of advanced cancer. Elegiac, candid, luminous and poignant, And Finally is ultimately not so much a book about death, but a book about life and what matters in the end.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

For more new items in our collection, go to What’s new & Popular / January 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)