Wild Isle Style

by Banjo Beale

Banjo Beale is a Herbrides-based Aussie interior designer, author and winner of BBC1’s Interior Design Masters season 3. He creates spaces that remind me of (what I’d imagine) the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen would happily live in if they were around today - characterful, a bit moody, old school, and heaps cosy. 

What to love & key takeaways:

• Banjo’s creativity and storytelling approach to interior design shines through on every page. This book is beautiful and is BRIMMING with thought-provoking design/styling inspiration. Don’t get me started on the photography (the images of Windswept Hebrides had me entertaining thoughts of moving there). 

• The funny anecdotes about life and design, Banjo’s writing style is warm and down-to-earth and often had me chuckling and nodding in agreement. One of my favourite quotes from the book: Nothing haunts you like an antique you didn’t buy. 

• The focus is on sustainability and resourcefulness. Banjo offers creative and practical tips on how to repurpose and upcycle everything from furniture and homewares to building materials to create unique, homely spaces. I love his emphasis on natural materials and a more mindful approach to furnishing our homes through thrifting and antiquing. 

• Featured homes section of the book, which gave us a peek into the beautiful dwellings of celebrated creatives

• Banjo’s underlying ethos of design that doesn’t cost the earth underpins every chapter in this section of the book. You get a real sense that he’s not only passionate about this philosophy—he lives by it, too. 

Create. 

by Emily Henson 

Emily Henson is a UK interior stylist, set designer and author. Her portfolio includes work for Anthropologie and film and photography productions. 

What to love & key takeaways:

• When it comes to creating a home, Emily encourages us to prioritise creativity before consumption

• Clever and practical tips on infusing character and style into a space - from paint choices to creating furniture with your own hands

• The interviews with everyday people which feature gorgeously styled homes

The Sensory Home

by Pippa Jameson

Pippa Jameson is a London-based interior stylist and creative director. Her work includes projects for film and television, such as BBC2, ITV, and Dulux.

What to love & key takeaways:

• Pippa’s book highlights the impact of our home spaces on our nervous systems

• An insight into how interiors affect all our senses - from sight, sound, smell, and touch - which in turn affects how we feel, think, and live (our quality of life within the context of our home)

• Packed with tips on how we can design and style a more calming, peaceful and multi-sensory home