THE LAST WORD

Joseph Dirand’s Minimalist interiors in Paris and New York, plus books on Studio Ko and maverick style

1. THE OTHER MODERNS: SYDNEY’S FORGOTTEN EUROPEAN DESIGN LEGACY Edited by Rebecca Hawcroft, photography by Margret Michaelis (Hotel Hotel Projects, $50) Canberra property and creative production house Hotel Hotel profifiles the little-known creatives who contributed to Sydney’s architectural and design development: migrants from Berlin, Budapest and Vienna during and after World War II. 2. JOSEPH DIRAND: INTERIOR By Joseph Dirand, photography by Adrien Dirand (Rizzoli New York, $84) The acclaimed French architect and designer — who counts Alexander Wang, Givenchy and Rick Owens among his clientele — shows how he incorporates quintessential French style into a variety of Minimalist interiors in Paris and New York. 3. BOHEMIAN RESIDENCE: METROPOLITAN APARTMENTS & INTERIOR DESIGN (Gestalten, $95) From Milan and Paris to London and Beverly Hills, urban living presents its own unique set of design challenges. This book showcases the dwellings of those who have truly made it work with clever design, impeccable art and downright inspiring application of colour. 4. THE APARTMENT HOUSE Edited by Katelin Butler and Cameron Bruhn (Thames & Hudson, $70) As the Australian dream of home ownership evolves, Butler and Bruhn examine new apartment builds and renovations alike to determine what works and what doesn’t, supporting their fifindings with plans, illustrations and data. 5. GARDEN By William Dangar, photography by Prue Ruscoe (Murdoch Books, $60) To mark 25 years of creating glorious greenery, Sydney garden designer Dangar educates and entertains with a book that explores ‘ Will’s World’ — his vision, approach, collaboration with clients and, not least, skill. 6. STUDIO KO By Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, photography by Dan Glasser (Rizzoli New York, $182) This tribute to the fifirst two decades of the French architectural duo’s career — celebrated for their deft blend of modernism and historical reference — features lavish photography and never-before-seen architectural plans, including the new 3995-square-metre Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech, a Cubist-inspired temple of terrazzo and terracotta. ( French edition shown.) 7. THE MAVERICK SOUL By Miv Watts, photography by Hugh Stewart (Hardie Grant Books, $60) Interior designer Watts (the mother of actress Naomi) celebrates 25 unconventional homes of equally free-spirited owners ( see our extract on page 104), including singer Marianne Faithfull’s bohemian white stucco Paris pied- à-terre and artist Wendy Whiteley’s harbour retreat and ‘Secret Garden’ in Sydney’s Lavender Bay.