My top design books and magazines for inspiration

Who doesn’t love design books? Sometimes people ask me where do I get my ideas from. Many come from pictures I see on the websites or social media of the people I love and that inspire me. (Maybe a topic for another day?) But a big part of my inspiration comes from books and magazines. In this post I’ll feature some of my favorite in the design and interior departments.

From left to right: Novum, Soffa, Cereal, Apartmento, The Kinfolk Home and The book of Hygge.

I’ll just start with the big one, that most of you may already know:

The Kinfolk Home: interiors for slow living.

This one was a love at first sight for me. Bought it in Czech Republic, when I lived there for 3 months. I kept going to that book store just to look at those beautiful pictures and amazing interiors. Decided to buy it, and make room for it to come home with me when I came back to Portugal. It presents us with dozens of “home tours” from around the world focused on slow living and simplifying life. But, the truth is that those spaces don’t seem “livable” for most people. It’s hard to imagine living day to day in these environments. Well I still love it! The textures, color combinations, material choices  and overall aesthetics do inspire me.

Apartamento

Apartamento on the other side is a real honest interiors magazine. It shows us people’s rooms as they are, often small, cluttered and rented. Has more of a “maximalist” vibe rather than a minimalist, that we are used to see in most magazines nowadays. They chose and photograph the spaces really well. It is vibrant, energetic and original, nothing like what you are used to see.

SOFFA

This one is from Czech Republic. The design studio I worked in when I lived in Prague, had a connection with the magazine editors and founders. That was how I got in touch with this beauty. It’s more of a lifestyle related magazine, and it includes travel stories, original and different DIY ideas, recipes as well as charming interiors. What I love the most about it is the editorial design that they have on their pages, and (this is embarrassing) the paper! If you are a designer you will understand me for sure.

Novum

If you are a graphic designer you should totally buy this. It is not actually related to interior design, but it gives you a lot of rich visual inspiration. Instead it features contemporary graphic design, illustrations and typography. Novum is a valuable reference, almost like a solid rock, for anyone involved in design.

Cereal

Much like Soffa, this one is all about food, travel, architecture, amongst other interesting categories. Undoubtedly, the minimalist style rules the magazine. All the pages are very light and airy, and the photographies are flawless. I would say that their “alternative” city guides are the best part of each issue.

The book of Hygge

I’ll be honest, I don’t even know how to pronounce the word “Hygge”. Supposedly it is the magic ingredient that makes the Danes the happiest people in the world. Even though it was a trend on last Christmas, this for me, is just the perfect Sunday afternoon reading. Makes me wanna go home, lit some candles and enjoy the cosiness as the Danes. But it is not only about  blankets and fireplaces, family and friends also play a part. And that is the best part for me, life is to be shared. This inspires me to have a better work/life balance, and to make homes inviting for other people.

Hope you had the best week!

P.S: that’s Pablo in the last photo, my new pet!