Organic Beauties A flourish of fresh tomes to inspire a naturally beautiful abode
Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating
by Lauren Liess
Fall under the spell of meticulously curated spaces with this October release from the founder of buzzy blog
Pure Style Home. Regarded as a mix maestro, Liess applied her fine eye for eclecticism and talent for mixing the textures of natural elements with contemporary and vintage pieces to create her first collected work. Wood, stone, botanicals—these are just few of the enchantments the Virginia tastemaker employs to her sometimes idiosyncratic, yet always modern, effect. As an indispensable design resource, the book brims with lush depictions of how to bring the natural world into a variety of indoor environments. $35, AbramsBooks.com
A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus: Menus and Stories
by Renee Erickson
In this delicious foray into regional food, out now, James Beard-nominated chef and acclaimed Seattle restaurateur, Renee Erickson, puts Pacific Northwest cuisine on a much wider map. As an ode to the region’s fresh and seasonal fare (please pass the House-Smoked Salmon), this memoir-like effort focuses not only on what’s plucked in Puget Sound, but also French cuisine. Home cooks have their pick of simple dishes or those requiring more chops, but either way, this effort (divided by season) has Erickson pairing personal menus and methodology with the occasional industry bio, and a collage of scrumptious photos. $40, SasquatchBooks.com
The Hands-On Home: A Seasonal Guide to Cooking, Preserving & Natural Homekeeping
by Erica Strauss
Talk about ruling the roost. The new wave of urban homesteaders will love this modern look at keeping house, out next month. So comprehensive is this 416-page opus, written by edible food movement guru Erica Strauss, that it segues from cooking to preserving to personal care to home care with ease. Whether it’s whipping up a fresh fig salad, fizzy bath concoction or nontoxic laundry softener, this bookshelf essential is endowed with an abundance of DIY details and luscious photos that give new meaning to domestic art. Weaved throughout are Strauss’ thoughts on everything from unheralded pleasures (slow cooking) to crafting with a conscious (beeswax candles in mason jar containers). $35, SasquatchBooks.com
Photos courtesy of Abrams and Sasquatch Books