Ray Booth, The Expressive Home

The photography alone is worth it—I've flipped back through the living room spreads maybe five times now for ideas. What surprised me is how livable the rooms feel despite being so elegant, not the usual cold showpiece interiors.

Some of the rooms here lean so minimalist I wanted more warmth, but the livable layouts and clever lighting ideas make up for it. Booth's second book feels more practical than his first, and I've already flagged a few shelf and seating arrangements to try.

Bought this after flipping through it at a friend's place, and the room layouts are genuinely useful for rethinking an awkward living space. My only gripe is that a few of the featured homes lean so upscale they're hard to translate to a normal budget.