Things I Love by Megan Morton + GIVEAWAY

Things I Love by Megan Morton - out this week!

Some favourite pages from Things I Love by Megan Morton - out this week!

Tear-out postcards from Things I Love by Megan Morton

As I mentioned yesterday, it's a very special time in book publishing land, with many exciting new Australian titles being released this week just in time for Christmas. Our focus today is a truly fabulous book which for many of you will need no introduction - Things I Love by Sydney stylist Megan Morton! If Megan Morton were a book, that book would look a lot like Things I Love.  It's randomly brilliant, and full of mad pearls of wisdom, which reflect two of Megan's best character traits.  The book offers up a visual feast of the prettiest homes, inspiring people, stylist's tricks and fun ideas... all delivered with Megan's infectious energy and enthusiasm, and not a skerrick of snooty highbrow design nonsense! As you'd expect, Things I Love is filled with beautiful imagery styled by Megan, but I must say the book design itself also deserves a little shout-out!  Designed by the very clever Evi Oetomo at Penguin, each page layout is so varied and fun - you aren't quite sure what to expect with each turn of the page.  Very beautiful work! Things I Love is a deliciously dense read, to be dipped into for a burst of inspiration, rather than read from cover to cover.  It's $49.00, published by Lantern / Penguin, and will be available from all good bookshops Australia-wide from this Thursday!  OR buy online here. Megan and her pals at Penguin have kindly offered ten copies of Things I Love for ten lucky TDF readers!  Simply leave your comment on today's post before 10.00pm Melbourne time to be in the running.  Ten winners will be drawn at random and contacted via email tomorrow.  *please be patient and pop-back later if Wordpress has a little trouble with the rush of comments in the morning, the madness usually subsides by mid afternoon!  Thankyou! ALSO, VERY EXCITING ADDITIONAL NEWS!   Melbourne readers will be pleased to know that the inimitable Megan M will be making a special appearance at The Design Files Open House for a special 'Bedside Book Signing' of Things I Love on Sunday December 2nd at 11.00am!  Do make a note in your diary, we'd love you to pop in to meet the lovely MM, alongside Trophy Wife Nail Art, who will be on hand in the master bedroom offering handpainted nail decals.  Let the madness commence!

Super sweet Things I Love promo video by Megan Morton, Sophie Thé and Evi Oetomo, shot by Andre.

We asked MM a few questions about the making of the book... read on for a little more info! What was the thinking behind making a new book? To paraphrase, Muriel, 'Since I have moved to Sydney, my life is as good as an Abba song'. It really has been. This book is really about the spirit of aesthetic enquiry, and my love for Australian talent, as well as the people, spaces and places I love internationally. It's my best Abba song. Sung loudly. This book really is the most beautiful messy mish mash of reference material, creative ideas and useful info, all wrapped up in one encyclopaedic tome.  Why so eclectic? I think its a reflection of how people digest and visually relate to homes and interiors.  I think the way to share ideas and generate original concepts is to present ideas at all levels.  I wanted it to be so much more that the usual interiors book. There is a 'cut out and keep' section. We will call them postcards but they are so much more than that! There's also a 'people I love' section.  I wanted a book where I could share all of the delicious people I get to work with.  Stylists are notorious 'trade secret' kind of people. I wanted to share around all the creative people I admire. So in there you see Carolyn Quartermaine (my personal hero - the Queen Bee/First Lady of Styling) next to my button merchant, Melbournienne Kim Hurley. And houses, how could I not show my ultimate house pervs!  The spaces in Things I Love come in many shapes and sizes, but best of all they show a decorative spirit like no other. What you will get out of Betsy's house (pg. 54) is not budget dependant, even though her house is one of the biggest private landholdings in New York. In the same way, Mary and Ivan's gaffa tape feature wall (pg. 60) is something we are taking inspiration from for a large residential job.

'People I Love' section in Things I Love by Megan Morton

Awww shucks I got a mention in the 'People I Love' section!

The 'Home Love Manifesto' section is particularly genius - how did this idea come about? Sometimes (and this relates to all houses, all budgets, all postcodes, you just have to move forward. It's all too easy as a DIY home decorator to sweat over the small stuff. The manifesto is a series of sweeping statements I have noted down over my years working on people's houses. In most cases, sometimes any decision is the right one. I have our 'Home Love Manifesto' pinned to my wall. When in need, I close my eyes (a la Pin The Tail on The Donkey), throw caution to the wind, and allow myself to  choose any decision over no decision. Progression is all important. I know a woman who waited a year deciding on a kitchen surface. Not cool.

A small section of Megan's 'Home Love' manifesto, filled with pearls of wisdom!

Whats your fave bit? I love the Things I Know How to Do Section! Like we debunk how to mimic the Kate Spade French Hang wall and share how to de-wrinkle a ribbon! I mean, this section is priceless. We hope it's the bit you get your post it notes out for! Those who know me might scoff at the 'Seasonal Cleaning' spread, but at the end of the day I realise it's mandatory, and deep down, I totally want to be the person who actually follows the monthly suggestions. It is, by its design, sheer ingenuity in a cleaning chart! (Thank you clever book designer Evi Oetomo, at Penguin land!) Thankyou Megan - you're amazing!  We can't wait for people to read the hilarious styling definitions on page 209. No Muriel, you're amazing!  And by the way, on that. The minute I filed those definitions, I thought of so many more!

A book sculpture by Nicholas Jones as featured in Things I Love by Megan Morton