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Architecture & Design

Are you looking to be inspired by some of the finest designers and architects? You find a wide selection of fascinating architecture and design books at Tales. The design books can inspire you to renew your style or house, but you can also use them in your creative process both as a student or professional. If you are more into buildings and the process behind them, take a look at our architecture books that will take you around the world to the most wonderful and groundbreaking buildings on Earth. All of them will look good on your coffee table.
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  • Save 20%
    by Charlotte Cotton
    £80.49

    Jump into the megawatt world of Mert and Marcus, the creative tour de force who have styled and shot some of the most powerful brands and personalities of our time, from Miu Miu to Angelina Jolie, Givenchy to Gisele Bundchen. Sourced from our best-selling Collector's Edition, some 300 pictures illuminate the hyper-glamorous, hyper-glossy...

  • Save 20%
    by Caroline Jones
    £11.99

    An illustrated account of the film and fashion icon whose legacy has endured long after her death.

  • Save 15%
    - 40 Happy Lessons for Painting the World Around You
    by Emma Block
    £14.49

    Experience the escape of watercolour painting! Forty straightforward lessons promise sweet and colourful results: no artistic skill required.

  • Save 20%
    - A Coloring Book
    by C D'errico
    £11.99

    Following the success of her first coloring book, Pop Manga Coloring Book, artist Camilla d'Errico takes fans beneath the waves with 70 black-and-white images of beloved characters from undersea fairy tales and myths in this stunning coloring book.

  • Save 21%
    - Turn Your Art and Photos into Personalized Collages
    by Clover Robin
    £13.49

    Cut Paper Pictures is both an inspiration and a guide to using paper as your paint in creating personalized art with amazing depth and texture. Collaging is a fun and easy craft to make no matter what your skill level, and this is an excellent book to assist creative minds through whatever making process they favor.  Collaging can be done with a variety of different materials. Cut Paper Pictures shows how you can incorporate paint and other materials into your collages to really bring your art to life. Teaching through demonstration and deconstructed projects, visual artist Clover Robin guides you through the process without pushing you into specific projects. Offering step-by-step instructions, visual inspirations, and even a library of unique colors and textures, the author covers all the necessary materials, tools, and know-how, from adding color and using existing photos to create unique personal art.  Additional uses include:Scrap books,Vision boardsArt journalsCreative PlannersDecoupageOr any other mixed media art project! Whether you're looking to create floral lettering, patterns for prints, nature scenes from landscapes, photo recreation for homemade gifts, personalized maps, or unique and colorful personal cook book entries, this book is for you.   The book also includes 31 perforated pages that you can pull out and use for your own collage creation. Simple, approachable, and endlessly rewarding, this book allows you to create unique and charming keepsake that you'll cherish forever.

  • Save 23%
    - Visual biographies of the world's greatest designers
    by Fashionary
    £15.49

  • Save 24%
    - Step-by-step lessons for figures and poses
    by Jeff Mellem
    £18.99

    The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Drawing Figures! To draw an anatomical figure, you don't need a stack of weighty anatomy books. Just take it step by step!

  • Save 18%
    - Practical Lessons in Pencil and Paper
    by Astrid van der Hulst
    £16.49

    From the creative minds and remarkable illustrators at Flow magazine, a delightful book that teaches the art of drawing through 50 step-by-step lessons in drawing the everyday.

  • Save 15%
    - How to draw mind-bending illusions and three-dimensional trick art in graphite and colored pencil
    by Jonathan Stephen Harris
    £10.99

    Perfect for beginning artists, The Art of Drawing Optical Illusions will help you create mind-bending optical illusions to fool your brain and tease your senses.

  • Save 20%
    by Rita Catinella Orrell
    £25.49

    The world of erotic product design is revealed in this curated showcase of over 100 beautifully crafted objects and the creative minds behind them. The latest adult toys, jewelry, and accessories from leading companies, as well as intriguing prototypes, are featured. Each product, from high-tech gadgets to handcrafted pieces of art, is presented with concise descriptions in a minimal graphic format that emphasizes the flowing curves, materiality, and overall design of the products. Once taboo, sex toys are in the midst of a design revolution. Including a foreword by Sarah Forbes, curator at New York City's Museum of Sex, and in-depth interviews with leading sex bloggers, shop owners, and designers, the book will appeal to both fans of good design as well as "lovers" of good design interested in acquiring these pieces for their own collections.

  • Save 16%
    - An Introduction to Design Concepts in Everyday Experience
    by Meredith (North Carolina State University Davis
    £26.99

    Where do design principles come from? Are they abstract "rules" established by professionals or do they have roots in human experience? And if we encounter these visual phenomena in our everyday lives, how do designers use them to attract our attention, orient our behavior, and create compelling and memorable communication that stands out among the thousands of messages we confront each day? Today's work in visual communication design shifts emphasis from simply designing objects to designing experiences; to crafting form that acknowledges cognitive and cultural influences on interpretation. In response, Meredith Davis and Jamer Hunt provide a new slant on design basics from the perspective of audiences and users. Chapters break down our interactions with communication as a sequence of meaningful episodes, each with related visual concepts that shape the interpretive experience. Explanatory illustrations and professional design examples support definitions of visual concepts and discussions of context. Work spans print, screen, and environmental applications from around the world. This introduction to visual communication design demystifies the foundational concepts that underpin professional design decisions and shape our experiences in a complex visual world.

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    - The most beautiful and forgotten places from around the world
     
    £11.99

    The places time forgotFrom the magical empty theatres of Detroit to the lost playgrounds of Chernobyl, there are places across the globe that were once a hub of activity, but are now abandoned and in decay.

  • Save 24%
    by Henry Delacroix
    £15.99

    First published in Paris as Decoration Moderne dans l'Interieur, this rare 1935 portfolio of full-color plates reflects the influence of Art Deco modernism on architects and interior designers. Designs for every space include living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, offices, terraces, artists' studios, and other settings. Equally eye-catching are the lighting, chairs, tables, beds, bookcases, desks, accessories, and other furniture along with floor and wall treatments and additional elements of modernist interior design. Captions identify the creator of every design, and the book includes a translation of the original Introduction and a new Publisher's Note. This splendid collection of authentic, hard-to-find designs will provide a treasury of inspiration for architects, interior designers, and designers of furniture and accessories as well as collectors of authentic Art Deco material and students of design, architectural history, and popular culture.www.doverpublications.com

  • Save 21%
    - A Collection from The Vintage Showroom
    by Douglas Gunn
    £13.49

    Fascinating collection of classic workwear, sports and military clothes

  • Save 24%
     
    £43.49

    For decades, the Floor Plan Manual - Housing has been one of the reference works in architecture. The introductory essays on theory and history have been re-written or updated, and provide a clearly structured overview of residential construction and its development over the last 70 years.

  • Save 10%
    - Techniques and Tutorials for the Complete Beginner
    by Paul Clark
    £8.99

    Watercolour painting is an absorbing, meditative art-from that many people would like to enjoy but don't attempt to because they believe they can't paint or simply don't know where to begin. An encouraging voice and a clear, easy-to-follow approach is often all that's needed to give people the confidence to get started and keep going.

  • Save 23%
    by Philip Jodidio
    £11.49

    Discover the audacious futurism of Zaha Hadid. As the first woman to win both the Pritzker Prize for architecture and the RIBA Royal Gold Medal, Hadid broke the rules and re-defined the game, despite some saying her designs were unbuildable. At the time of her unexpected death in 2016, she was firmly established as the first great architect of...

  • Save 19%
    - Colourful, Creative Mindfulness Through Watercolour
    by Jean Haines
    £12.99

    Paint Yourself Calm is a captivating book written by the renowned author Jean Haines. Published in 2016 by Search Press Ltd, this book delves into a unique genre that blends art and mindfulness. The author invites readers to explore the tranquility and calmness that painting can bring to their lives. Jean Haines, with her distinctive and charming style, guides you through a journey of self-discovery and relaxation. Paint Yourself Calm is not just a book; it's an experience that opens up a world of calmness and serenity through the medium of paint. It's a must-read for anyone seeking a creative outlet to escape from the stresses of everyday life. Published by Search Press Ltd, this book is a testament to Jean Haines' ability to inspire and transform lives through art.

  • Save 20%
    by Arnt Cobbers
    £11.99

  • Save 23%
    by Bernd Growe
    £11.49

  • Save 17%
    by 3dtotal Publishing
    £14.99

    An inspiring collection of drawings and articles exploring the sketchbooks and artistic practices of 50 talented character artists.

  • Save 26%
    by Olivier Saillard
    £21.49

    A behind-the-scenes look at the scandalous YSL collection that changed fashion

  • Save 23%
    by Francesc Zamora
    £15.49

    The latest volume in the popular 150 Best series, 150 Best Cottage & Cabin Ideas is your ultimate resource for creating the ideal remote retreat. Discover 150 cottages and cabins from around the world that feature the luxury of modern home construction while preserving the surrounding landscape and utilizing local natural resources. These enviable dwellings showcase inspirations for homeowners, designers, and architects?from exposed-beam ceilings and built-in furnishings to large open-floor plans and floor-to-ceiling windows that accentuate picturesque views of the great outdoors.Filled with stunning full-color photographs and detailed design plans, this volume highlights hidden sanctuaries that offer spacious, comfortable, and, most important, more natural living environments. Whether you're planning a vacation with family and friends or looking for a way to escape the daily grind, this book allows you to explore the diversity and simplicity of the modern cottage and cabin.

  • Save 29%
    - A Retrospective of Both Beloved and New Works by James Jean
    by PIE Books
    £31.99

    Born in 1978 as a Taiwanese-American, James Jean became one of the talented artists/illustrators in both commercial works and fine art gallery works. He contributed numerous works for cover visuals of American comics and he also did creative collaborative project with PRADA in 2007. This title is the long-awaited art collection of James Jean covering most his careers. With roughly half of art works being first published such as CD album artworks of Linkin Park, this can be the treasured book for his fans all over the world.To celebrate the first release in Japan, endorsers are presented in bilingual by Takashi Murakami (contemporary artist) and Guillermo del Toro (film director).

  • Save 21%
    - Learn to Tangle with 101 Favorite Patterns
    by Beate Winkler
    £14.99

    Featuring 101 step-by-step certified Zentangle patterns, The Great Zentangle Book allows you to create beautiful and intricate artwork while relieving stress.

  • Save 20%
    - An Essential Reference for the Practising Artist
    by Marylin Scott
    £11.99

    Master the art of watercolour painting with this comprehensive and compact take-anywhere guidebook. Marilyn Scott presents over 100 step-by-step sequences to demonstrate how to paint a wide range of subjects, from landscapes to buildings, people, and still life.

  • Save 28%
    by Ari Seth Cohen
    £24.49

    This follow-up to the bestselling Advanced Style features more senior street style and inspiration from all over the globe. In this new edition Ari Seth Cohen shares his work from the past few years including some of the world's best-dressed older gentlemen. Similar in format to the original, with dozens of images from cities all over the world including: Los Angeles, London, Cape Town, Rome, Florence, Tokyo, San Diego, Palm Springs, Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Stockholm, and Geneva, the book will also feature 22 short essays (by the subjects of the book) distilling the wisdom and lifestyle secrets of some of Cohen's favorite Advanced Style ladies. Plus an introduction from the always fabulous and witty Simon Doonan makes for a celebration of smashing senior style! "...I must tell you that I am not really an old lady; just cleverly disguised as one. Art and color keep me young, keep me sane. Working as I do as an untutored 'outsider' artist is my therapy, my medicine, my joy, and my purpose in life.Color surrounds me: I revel in it, splash it everywhere, gulp it with a spoon. I am immersed in art. I make it, collect it, it fills and defines my existence. Childish, shamanistic, wild and anarchic, it is as far outside the box as it is possible to be. Box?? There is no box!Be bold, be adventurous. Do profound things, dazzle yourself and the world. Don't wear beige: it might kill you. Contribute to society, and live large. Life is short, make every moment count. It is never too late to find your passion." -- Sue Kreitzman

  • Save 14%
    by Peter-Cornell Richter
    £9.49

    Now available again, this book offers an illustrated portrait of a romance, partnership, and creative dialogue between Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz that continues to resonate today.

  • Save 22%
    by Dorothea Gundtoft
    £15.49

    Featuring fifty notable interior and product designers from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland, this publication celebrates the impact of contemporary Nordic style on interiors, furnishings and product design.

  • Save 23%
    by Klaus Honnef
    £11.49

    Peaking in the 1960s, Pop Art began as a revolt against mainstream approaches to art and culture and evolved into a wholesale interrogation of modern society, consumerism, the role of the artist, and of what constituted an artwork. Epitomized by Warhol's Campbell's soup cans, Pop Art drew on mass-market sources and products as well as the banal...

Architecture

Our selection of cultural books also include architecture books. If you are fascinated by beautiful or memorable buildings we have the books for you. 

Architecture is the art form everyone is in contact with everyday. We move across a wide variety of buildings everytime we go out the door. Schools, work spaces, museums and even your own home is a form of architecture. Some buildings however have that extra effect on you. They make you shop and wonder, and most importantly they are products of their time. They are part of our history and tell the story of the time they were made. Some architects also go beyond that creating something never seen before and these are the buildings that we remember and they might even become attractions or landmarks like the beloved Eiffeltower in the city of lights.   

You could also get inspired as an architect or architectural student yourself. The architecture books invite you into the process of making a building out of the ordinary. If you are interested in sustainability you could also find architecture books about that. In the last couple of years we have also seen an increase in sustainable architecture, where materials are reused or alternative and good for our planet. They are the buildings of the future. 

We also have a collection of garden architecture books. In recent years open air spaces have been desired especially in the big cities, where fewer and fewer have access to a garden or park. Therefore we need innovative ways of finding new green areas in the cities also in order to be sustainable. For that matter we need to plant more trees and have nature surrounding us both for our planet, but also for the wellbeing of ourselves. Find ideas for new kinds of creating just that in our selection of architecture books. 



Fashion and design

Everyone wants to be stylish, and in our selection of design and fashion books you can get inspired by some of the best style icons and designers in the world. You can get that extra tip that will help you become the most stylish person in the room or one of the new style icons of Instagram.  Whether it’s about interior or clothes you will find it all among our fashion books and design books.

Fashion is a way of showing who you are. The way you dress reflects your personality and it is a way of showing how you feel or wants to feel that day, although it can be difficult to mix your outfit in the right way, and that is where the fashion books can help. Another wonderful thing about the fashion and design books is that they look stylish in themselves, and they will look gorgeous as a coffee table book. They add that extra level of style to your furnishing, and you display all your knowledge about fashion. So that is why you find the most beautiful and cool fashion books for decor at Tales. 

In our selection you find the popular fashion book In Paris by the French Instagram it-girl Jeanne Damas and Lauren Bastide. In the book they try to cover the secrets of the parisienne; who she is, what she wears and where she is heading. The fashion book contains interviews with 20 of the most inspiring French women from the city of light, and concludes that being a parisienne is not just about how you look and dress, but a way of life. 

If you yourself dream of having a designer carriere, you could also find fashion books for designing in Tales’ selection of culture books. Get the perfect guide to sewing, draping, and picking patterns for your next stylish creation. 

If you need inspiration to renew your furnishing you could - in addition to selecting a stylish book among our fashion books for coffee tables - also find design books about that. They help you pick the most tasteful furniture on the market and most importantly how to style them, and you could end up with the most wonderful interior in your own house. 


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