In Detail Book Review

I have a GREAT giveaway for interiors enthusiasts out there today. You can win one of FIVE copies of the stunning brand new title by stylist and art director Hans Blomquist, IN DETAIL, from Ryland Peters + Small. Photographed by both Hans and professional photographer (on the world's best) Debi Treloar, this is THE coffee table book of the moment. Would you like to WIN a copy? C'mon, of course you would! And since it doesn't release until next week - and I'm kicking off his blog tour online - 5 days, 5 bloggers -- I'm also including a book review and some brand new images from the book to feast your eyes upon that you can pin and click on for a larger view.

I've snapped a photo of the book on my coffee table above so you can see how lovely it really looks as a decorative object in addition to a learning tool.

About the author: Hans Blomquist is a renowned art director and stylist whose evocative, painterly style is highly sought after by a multitude of prestigious brands. Hans started out working for IKEA in Sweden at the tender age of 16 and ended up art directing their catalogue. He then moved to London, where he was based for eleven years working as a freelance art director for clients such as Harrods, Marks & Spencer and John Lewis. Hans now lives in Paris where he recently directed campaigns for H&M, Monoprix and Zara.

Description: In Detail takes a closer look at the details behind international interiors stylist and art director Hans Blomquist’s unique and idiosyncratic take on the world. In hundreds of ravishingly beautiful, inspiring pictures, he encourages the reader to see the world through his own eyes, revealing the possibilities in even the humblest of items and putting together pieces to create striking, painterly and evocative rooms and displays. Chapter by chapter, Hans focuses on and discusses the key ingredients of his distinctive look: Nature, Texture, Colour, Textiles, Collecting and Display. He explains the creative process, offers up his own treasures and puts inspiring ideas for beautiful interiors within every reader’s reach.

5 Things I Liked About This Book:

1. I love that it is split into the very details that make a house a home. Nature, Texture, Color, Textiles, Collections and Display.
2. I love the paper quality, the jacket image, the jacket texture, the size, the overall quality of the book makes me happy.
3. The moody, gorgeous photography - each photo has a cinematic feel to it - like you are watching a gorgeous film.
4. That Hans has a conversation with the reader. He doesn't ramble on and on. He gives food for thought. Lots of it.
5. Hans offers styling tips and ideas throughout. He doesn't show, he also tells. Often stylists have a hard time putting into words what it is that they do, which often means that books by stylists can lack real advice and are mostly filled with inspirational imagery. These days, we can get all of that on Pinterest and blogs. Content is king. What does the author have to teach? Knowledge is what I think we're going for when we buy interiors books today. Hans doesn't show elaborate step-by-step projects for any of his ideas, but he does talk through the images explaining the thinking behind how he has styled it or what you, the reader, could try at home yourself.

5 Things That I Learned By Reading This Book:

1. I learned that you can take a large branch and simply prop it against your wall at home or turn it into a lamp by wrapping a long cord around a couple of the stronger branches, adding a decorating light bulb to, "create an unusual and cozy corner" (page 28).
2. You can make plant pots for growing cuttings or smaller plants using newspaper. I love this idea! (page 37)
3. Vintage wooden clothes pegs can be used to display posters instead of picture frames (page 51).
4. Use painted backdrops in a home because they are a, "brilliant way to add interest to an interior, and they can be repainted at any time to ring the changes" (page 87).
5. Use luggage labels and rubber stamps to make hand-printed labels to kitchen storage jars. Simple tie them with twine (page 186).

5 Ways I'd Like To Use This Book:

1. To wrap in brown paper and give as a gift.
2. To showcase on my coffee table.
3. And later, to display on my bookcase with his first book, The Natural Home, published in 2012. My review of The Natural Home can be found here.
4. To read it from cover to cover and try to apply some of the ideas.
5. To identify some of the vintage objects that I like and hunt for them at the local flea market.

Visit the rest of my blogger friends this week to see their reviews too. You can stop by Lobster & Swan, The Lifestyle Editor, Such Pretty Things and Decor Art all this week.

Now it's time for FIVE of you to win a copy of this book! The contest will wrap up on Friday October 17th at 11 am EST and I will announce the winners at the end of the day this Friday. To enter, please leave your first name, blog URL (if you have one) and tell us what 5 things you love about interiors books in general.

UPDATE Oct 18, 2014: Winners have been chosen and will be contacted. Books will be sent to winners directly from Ryland, Peters and Small in London. A warm thank you to all who entered. Comments on this post have now been closed.

WINNERS: #23 Irene, #36 Marilen, #44 Lesley, #151 Emma, #189 Aga,

xo,

Holly