10 decor style books we love

Interior designer Sasha Josipovicz of Studio Pyramid shares his favourite books for design inspiration.

Alberto Pinto: Orientalism by Alberto Pinto, $100, Rizzoli, 2004, hardcover, 256 pages. "The Paris-based interior designer has worked for Moroccan royalty, and celebrities like Sophia Loren—he's the Christian Lacroix
of the design world. I try to better myself through his work. I believe you have to be born with a gift for using colour brilliantly, but you can incorporate the ideas of this great designer into your own home. In the designs shown in this book, Pinto uses colour to perfection; in a stunning example, he punctuates a black-and-white room with a swath of fuchsia fabric. What a difference colour makes, especially in your home."

Luis Barragán by René Burri, $25, Phaidon, 2000, hardcover, 80 pages. "Barragán is one of my heroes. I love his architecture as well as his passion for colour and the inclusion of his culture in his designs. He mounted religious artifacts on stark walls, and paired midcentury modern pieces and primitive furniture made of wood or painted with natural dyes. This was considered revolutionary during the '50s."

Read more in Decorating & Design and Styling Secrets