PERFECTLY IMPERFECT
Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design (Clarkson Potter, 2011) by DwellStudio founder Christiane Lemieux, profiles 20 American homes whose imperfections make them beautiful, personal and memorable. $40, Barrett Bookstore, Darien, (203) 655-2712, and barnesandnoble.com.
DESIGN GUIDE
Large-scale renovations give your home a totally new look. But if you only want to freshen up a few rooms, we’ve got just what you need. In A La Carte: Elements of an Elegant Home (Pointed Leaf Press, 2010), New York–based interior designer Sherrill Canet provides tutorials in creating any room in a number of styles. $65, Diane’s Books, Greenwich, (203) 869-1515, and barnesandnoble.com.
CLEAR PICTURE
A towering Tod’s store in Japan, a Parisian hotel with a wavy façade, a wall of Bamboo in Beijing, the new Dow Jones offices in NYC—it’s all here, in Marc Kristal’s stunning new book Immaterial World: Transparency in Architecture (Monacelli Press, 2011). With 200 color illustrations over 208 pages, this book explores the tension between our need for privacy and the impulse toward community through some of the most impressive architecture in the world. $45, available March 22, Elm Street Books, New Canaan, (203) 966-4545, and barnesandnoble.com.
