The first book in the series, House & Garden Fifties House, will debut on 6 October 2014. Octopus Publisher Alison Starling acquired world rights in a deal agented by Julian Alexander of L.A.W.
Curated and written by mid-century modern enthusiast Catriona Gray, Books Editor of House & Garden, the series draws on the authoritative archive of photographs, illustration and fine writing commissioned by the magazine since its inception. The first book in the series will appeal to all those who wish to replicate a 1950s look in their own home, collectors of mid-century modern homeware, students and design professionals.
Exploring the 1950s house room by room, House & Garden Fifties House features interiors belonging to key tastemakers from the decade, including Hans and Florence Knoll, Le Corbusier, Giò Ponti and Eero Saarinen. Sir Terence Conran (whose first family home is featured in the book) has written the foreword.
Susan Crewe, Editor of House & Garden, said “House & Garden is shorthand for stylish living, and its influence and impact have been in evidence for decades. For over 65 years, the magazine has had unparalleled access to the most stylish and well-designed homes in the world. This series will reveal the best of these stunning interiors, decade by decade.”
Alison Starling said of the acquisition, “It is hugely exciting to have access to House & Garden’s archive of iconic interiors images. We’ve worked closely with Catriona and the House & Garden team to capture in the book the flair, innovative design style – and humour – of the magazine during the 1950s. To borrow a quote from the July 1957 issue, “In a magazine like House & Garden there lies, hidden to us who are so close to today, the evidence that will speak to another generation of our way of life, of the sort of people that we were in the 1950s.” The book is not just a rich and varied visual sourcebook for all those who love the design of the decade but an absorbing history of the way we lived then.”
House and Garden was first published in 1947 and has a current readership of 694,000 (July-Dec 2013 NRS.) Since its inception, its pages have acted as an authoritative 'Who's Who' of interior design, say the publishers.
House & Garden Fifties House will be published by Conran Octopus at £30 hardback.
