These five tomes with California ties are full of design inspo for crafting your perfect home.

A peek at one of Raili Clasen’s chic spaces PHOTO: BY KARYN MILLETA peek at one of Raili Clasen’s chic spaces

SURF STYLE AT HOME

BY RAILI CLASEN

Raili Clasen, founder and principal of Raili CA Interior Design in Newport Beach, is best known for her bright colors, dynamic patterns and cheeky graphic motifs—design techniques that are highlighted in her first tome, Surf Style at Home (Gibbs Smith, gibbs-smith.com). Released in April, the book features Clasen’s top tips for creating “sun-kissed spaces” and inside peeks at some of her favorite projects, including a ranch owned by surf icon Kelly Slater. “With all the design books launching this year, Surf Style at Home feels like a summer vacation waiting to happen. It’s the opposite of dark and moody,” Clasen explains, adding, “Although I love that look too, so maybe for my next book!”

Explore Kirsten Blazek’s inspiring interiors in her first-ever design book. PHOTO: BY MICHAEL P.H. CLIFFORD
Explore Kirsten Blazek’s inspiring interiors in her first-ever design book.

A1000XBETTER: A REBEL BY DESIGN

BY KIRSTEN BLAZEK

Kirsten Blazek’s first book, A1000xBetter: A Rebel by Design (Rizzoli, rizzoliusa.com), perfectly showcases her creative work thus far, including her focus on sustainability and mixing vintage with contemporary pieces. Her interiors are collective, intuitive and soulful thanks to fundamental design elements like color theory, texture and pattern layering and the importance of art—all themes the founder of A1000xBetter design firm touches on in her tome. “Each chapter talks about different aspects of design,” Blazek says. “I wanted to be able to share my passion for interior design through philosophy in the book, but also through the writings which look more deeply into my process and why I make the decisions I do when designing a space.”

Todd Selby’s latest tome explores the ins and outs of family-friendly design. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE SELBY
Todd Selby’s latest tome explores the ins and outs of family-friendly design.

THE SELBY COMES HOME: AN INTERIOR DESIGN BOOK FOR CREATIVE FAMILIES

BY TODD SELBY

Photographer Todd Selby’s fourth book, The Selby Comes Home: An Interior Design Book for Creative Families (Abrams, store.abramsbooks.com), features creative interiors that find ways to incorporate the family unit into their homes. Over the last decade, Selby has married and had kids, furthering his interest in family-friendly design. This tome explores a variety of projects from across the world—from Beatrice Valenzuela’s soulful Echo Park perch to a Maori household full of neon crochet sculptures in Auckland, New Zealand—complete with his signature questionnaires and imaginative illustrations.

Pop art and green hues grace this Tarlow-designed space. PHOTO BY MANOLO LANGIS
Pop art and green hues grace this Tarlow-designed space.

THE PRIVATE HOUSE

BY ROSE TARLOW

Initially released in 2001, this long out-of-print design classic is back and better than ever. Rose Tarlow’s first new edition of The Private House (Rizzoli, rizzoliusa.com) features the same incredible advice but is updated with new images, better paper, sharper colors and a new foreword. “I was initially concerned readers would find a 20-year-old book antiquated,” Tarlow admits. “But when I reread the book, I felt such nostalgia for the project. I truly loved writing [it], and upon rereading, I realized there was wisdom that readers could still enjoy.”

This modern KAA-designed home beautifully balances contemporary spaces with stunning vistas. THE PRIVATE HOUSE PHOTO BY TIM STREET-PORTER
This modern KAA-designed home beautifully balances contemporary spaces with stunning vistas.

RESIDING WITH NATURE: THE HOUSES OF KAA DESIGN

BY GRANT KIRKPATRICK AND DUAN TRAN

Culver City’s KAA Design is known for its timeless contemporary aesthetic and one-of-a-kind homes. The firm’s latest monograph, Residing with Nature: The Houses of KAA Design (Rizzoli, rizzoliusa.com), is written by partners Grant Kirkpatrick, FAIA, and Duan Tran and features 10 unique projects whose designs highlight strong relationships with the outdoors. “Each home exemplifies a dynamic connection to nature, blending indoor and outdoor spaces seamlessly,” Tran notes. “One of our favorite projects is the Tree House, which rises out of a hilltop precipice among an orchard of mature trees.” The authors also provide insight into their process, inspiration and ideas.