5 New Design Books to Add to Your Growing Collection

If you haven’t added to your design library lately, you’re missing out. The latest crop of reads is filled with visual inspiration and compelling stories — not to mention, will look great on your coffee table.

Arranging Things

If you’re a collector, don’t miss this debut from interior stylist extraordinaire Colin King. True to its name, Arranging Things guides readers on how to assimilate and display collections, both old and newly acquired.

The multifaceted creative revealed his design approach to online magazine Frederic. “I like to clear all the surfaces, take away all the textiles, really start with the base of the room and listen to what the room wants to be, and then start to slowly add,” said King. “I compare it to a jigsaw puzzle. You separate all the edges out, then you build out the border, and then you start to go in color by color.”

Creative Interior Solutions

In this newly released guide, veteran AD100 designer Vicente Wolf offers real-life recommendations on a range of topics, from overcoming space and budget limitations to remaking outdated spaces. Evident throughout: the design luminary’s sophisticated sense of space, color, and ease.

Highlights include Wolf’s own photography plus an in-depth look at his personal New York City loft — a mix of design styles, periods, and pedigrees. “It’s all instinctually done,” he told One Kings Lane. “It’s about visually seeing something that is pleasing.”

John Ike: 9 Houses/9 Stories

John Ike, founding partner of the award-winning architectural firm Ike, Kligerman Barkley, spotlights nine exceptional residences. The twist? Each chapter profiles a person instrumental in bringing the project to fruition.

Be among the first to own this lavishly photographed book celebrating the bond between the architect and those who helped implement his vision. It releases Tuesday.

Casually Sauntering the Perimeter of Now

Multidisciplinary designer Misha Kahn wants readers to judge his new book by its cover. For its launch at last month’s Milan Design Week, he created 50 limited-edition dust jackets all available for purchase.

The rest of us can get this collectible tome via online retailer Paper Cut, which describes Kahn’s work as “glitzy, wobbly, hairy, and witty” (Think underwater mosaic sculptures, scrap-metal chaise lounges, and a gem-encrusted, wrist-worn, labyrinth-style ball game).

Content includes sketches, photographs of the creative process, final works, and installations. The book also contains candid conversations with six fellow creatives including Interview magazine editor-in-chief Nick Haramis and Dallas-bred fashion designer Todd Oldham.

Barbie Dreamhouse: An Architectural Survey

This being Mother’s Day, we’d be remiss not to include this tribute to one of the most famous dwellings of all time: Barbie’s iconic dreamhouse, beloved by moms, grandmothers, and daughters alike. The limited-edition book, published by PIN-UP Magazine and Mattel Creations, chronicles 60 years of keepsake abodes, from its mid-century cardboard debut through 2021’s post-pandemic pod.

“Barbie transforms with the times, just like her home,” according to Mattel. “But some things never change — she’s always been independent, a homeowner since 1962.”

Those late to the game can still find copies on ebay. The original sold out quickly — not surprisingly, the same day the viral live-action Barbie movie teaser hit the web.