The New Naturalists: Inside the Homes of Creative Collectors

Journalist Bingham (More Is More) tours in this delightful outing the homes of “a new generation of collectors” who decorate “their homes with their finds, everything from fossils to crystals to shells.” There’s the striking animal-adorned home of a taxidermist in the Netherlands, a 1920s “old Hollywood home” in Los Angeles that’s decorated with coral sculptures, and a crystal-covered apartment in London. In Berlin, meanwhile, dried flowers take center stage in a peach-toned apartment, while in Manhattan, a loft is decorated with fossils, minerals, and bark. Each collector offers design tips, which range from practical (“to add drama to a collection, use a bright background to set it off”) to encouraging (“Believe in yourself, and have patience. Every piece of work goes through an ugly stage,” advises one artist). Bingham also shares some resources for starting a collection of one’s own: a collector directory, shopping guide, and list of places to visit for inspiration. Designers looking to bring the outside indoors will find this worth a look. (May)