Great reads

Reviews of four tomes ideal for your coffee table and for perusing during holiday downtime

-  ARABELLA YOUENS

Robert Stilin: New Work by Robert Stilin and Sam Cochran (£65, Vendome)

New York-based interior decorator Robert Stilin has a reputation for designing contemporary, sleek spaces with an industrial edge that crucially also have warmth.

Comfort, to him, takes precedence over everything else. A longtime collector and dealer, his client list which includes Starbucks founder Howard Schultz and fashion designer Oscar de la Renta - takes in those who are passionate about living with art and good design but who stop short at turning their homes into museums. Sam Cochran celebrates in the introduction to the book Robert's ability to juxtapose high and low: flea market table lamps find second lives beside bespoke headboards.

Part of his success can be attributed to the freshness of an outsider's perspective. Robert was born and raised on a timber business in rural Wisconsin before moving to Palm Beach in 1989 and opening a vintage furniture store where his career took off. This is the second monograph on his work. The last was published in 2019 and focused largely on his home base of New York City. Here is a chance to see how he brings the signature elements of his aesthetic to projects all over the USA, and in different architectural guises, from lofts to American 'rustic' houses and beach homes on Long Island.

Life with Flowers by Frances Palmer (£25, Artisan Books)