Good evening,
It’s been almost a year since I moved into my first house and current home. Compared to many others, my approach to my home renovation and decoration been slow and thoughtful. There might be several reasons for this, but the main reason was that I really wanted to get to know the home before I started doing any changes to it. We are lucky to have bought a 80s Scandinavian coastal home with a lot of 80s features and I wanted in the renovation and decor process to make sure that we maintain the sole and catcher of the house.
But to find out what a home really has a potential of becoming, I really like to find inspiration from other interior designers, decorators and entertainers. My home is built as a home to entertain, we can see it in the layout of the home with a large formal room, even the pervious owners told us that this was a home for entertaining. To find inspiration to the home, I therefore wanted to read entertaining and decor books from the great designers and takes makers of the world. So in my process of decorating my home, here are my top wish list for books on decor and entertaining that I would like to get my hands on.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my weblink, at no extra cost to you. Read more about my Privacy Policy here
1. Entertaining beautifully by Arein Lauder
I really love the look of freshness to the home to Arein Lauder with being light but also traditional. She wants to make everything in her life beautiful, which means that she focuses on all the details that makes a home a home.
The book is organised by season and covers all the holidays and how you can decorate and entertain for any occasion. From Thanksgiving leftover to a Champagne party in the city. The book contains the most extraordinary table settings but also how her famous heritage has influenced her.
2. A table for Friends by Skye McAlpine
It’s not only the home interior and table setting that is important when you are entertaining. The food also matters. The food does not necessary be advanced, as long as it is good. This book helps you with this. Ms. McAlpine has created a book with over 100 simple recipes that allows you to also enjoy our company while you are entertaining.
The book is divided into four chapters, stars, sides, sweets and extras. The chapters are all divided into Through Together, On the Hob and in the Oven. This will enable you to plan what’s best for you based on what you have and how much time you have. She also include how you can lay the table when you have friends over, if it needs to be relaxed or not.
3. An Affair with a House by Bunny Williams
This books covers the 28 year journey interior designer Bunny Williams had with an 18th century New England home that was in poor condition when she took it over. The book covers in detail how she and her husband rescued, nurtured and recovered the house room by room.
The book is full of learnings about creating a warm and welcoming home with lots of pictures and how-tos. It not just tells a story about a house, it also covers topics like mixing design styles, stocking the pantry and outfitting the linen in the closet. Definitely a book you can learn a lot from.
4. Charlotte Moss Entertains by Charlotte Moss
I really love the details in a table setting from Charlotte Moss, from serving a grand dinner to just a small afternoon tea by yourself. Charlotte is always chasing to incorporate elegance and romance to the everyday life. It’s all about bringing style to everyday domestic activity.
The book covers everything you could imagine in relation to entertaining, from china, linen, silver, pantries, storage and flowers. You will find it all in this book.
5. You’re Invited: Classic, Elegant Entertaining by Stephanie Booth Shafran
This book by Stephanie Booth Shafran covers everything you need to know to become an amazing hostess. It covers table settings, decor, color-coordinated menus and invitations. The book covers specifically eight parties. A housewarming party, pool party to a festive Christmas brunch to name some of them.
She also gives advises in the book when it comes to different types of events. It can be blue and white for a women brunch or deep burgundies for a wine party. The book also includes a guide to party essentials like flowers, seating, the bar and some selected recipes.
6. Entertaining at Home: Inspirations from Celebrated Hosts by Ronda Rice Carman
Entertaining at Home is a book that covers a collection of different learnings from tastemakers of the world of interior design, architecture, culinary arts and society, who showcase how they entertain and how to achieve the same look and feeling in our home.
The tastemakers, covers areas like arranging flowers, setting the table, selecting menus, stocking the pantry, compiling killer playlists, and purchasing the perfect hostess gift. There are also included some easy recipes when it comes to what to serve.
7. An Entertaining Story by India Hicks
This book by India Hicks covers everything you need to know when it comes to entertaining with dreamy table scapes and centrepieces. The book is organised by meal and begins with cocktail hour and end with breakfast and include other meals like big family dinners, birthday cakes, Christmas crackers, British breakfasts, quick teas and long luncheons.
The book also includes advise and inspirations on place settings, handmade flower arrangements and table design. The parties are created on what’s in hand, even when it’s a beach towel as a table cloth. The book also covers the authors background and her family.
8. A Place to Call Home: Tradition, Style and in Memory of the New American House by Gil Schafer III
This book by Gil Shafer covers how to make a home that has a timeless charm and that are imbues with memory. You will be able to learn about seven beautiful houses in a rang of style that all have their own character. The book covers the exterior, interior and landscape and how you put it all together to make it look timeless.
The book covers the authors approach to classic design and how it developed through his life and the influences that really made an impact. The author is a traditional or classic style architect, but with modern features and contemporary ways of living. It’s traditional style made for the modern person and lifestyle.
These are the books on my wish list right now. Some of them are easier to find and to purchase that others since some of the books where published a long time ago. But you can definitely find them second hand.
What are your interior and entertaining books that you have in your collection?
