STYLISH READS

Renowned interior designers showcase their work in these engaging new books

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NICOLA HARDING As with many people who had a peripatetic childhood, home for interior designer Nicola Harding was about belonging. 'Growing up in a military family, we lived in a series of generic houses with standard-issue everything - even crockery,' she says. 'I hankered after a sense of being rooted to a place.'

Today, she is known for her ability to mix traditional charm with a rich atmosphere using antiques, colour and craftsmanship. 'I did no formal training. My first projects came through word of mouth and have grown from there. This book is about sharing what I learned along the way.' She also pays homage to the luminaries she befriended and held up as mentors, including Christine Van Der Hurd, who writes the foreword, Christopher Howe and colour specialist Joa Studholme.

The first chapter opens with Nicola's own family home and tells the story of gently bringing it into the 21st century. Before going into some of her favourite projects, she also reveals her secrets about how to craft places so rich in soul and atmosphere that people instinctively feel at home, giving the reader practical takeaways that can be used in their own interiors.