Industrial Chic: 50 Icons of Furniture and Lighting Design
By Brigitte Durieux Photography by Laziz Hamani
Abrams, $45

They don’t make ’em like they used to – except when they do: Industrial Chic is a look book of furniture and lighting from the factories and workshops of the late 19th to the mid-20th century, objects whose sleek, industrial aesthetic continues to influence makers today. Design historian Brigitte Durieux profiles cult favorites, such as French company Tolix’s Model A chair, a sheet-metal design first produced in 1934 and now in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (as well as countless homes and workspaces). Each object, presented chronologically, gets at least four pages of attention, with large, lush photographs by Laziz Hamani. 

Much of the earlier work, a lot of it European, has an Eiffel Tower-esque look – masses of metal, exposed structural pieces, welds, and rivets. Later pieces take on an art deco vibe. Joys are abundant: Établissements Nicolle’s utilitarian 1933 Nicolle stool, for example, or Lucien Illy’s lyrical Flexi-Tube chair, circa 1950.

Into the midcentury, more American-born designs show up, such as American Seating’s Envoy school desk and Emeco’s Navy 1006 chair. Designed in 1944 for the high seas, it’s lightweight and rust-resistant; reissued in the ’90s for use on terra firma, it resulted in huge growth for the company – and now, immortalization in this luxe treasury for design and furniture lovers alike. ~Andrew Zoellner

Remake It: Clothes
The Essential Guide to Resourceful Fashion
By Henrietta Thompson
Thames & Hudson, $30

There’s no shortage of books and blogs with ideas for do-it-yourself, repurposed, and recycled fashion, but Remake It: Clothes immediately stands out. London-based architecture and design writer Henrietta Thompson (author of Remake It: Home) has filled her new book’s 250-plus pages with visual profiles of more than 60 cutting-edge clothing and accessory designers; quick-hit advice on creative reuse (as well as essential garment care and wear tips); and step-by-step illustrated projects both inventive and classic, from 10 ways to repurpose a T-shirt to how to turn a tattered collar and refresh a worn dress shirt. With so much inside, the book is not only an inspiration (even a call to action), but also a fascinating snapshot of contemporary, thoughtful fashion. ~Julie K. Hanus

The Sourcebook of Contemporary Jewelry Design
By Natalio Martín Arroyo
Harper Design, $60

Contemporary jewelry is a sprawling, amazingly diverse world; that’s the message of this eye-popping, large-scale, 600-page anthology. More than 1,300 photographs showcase the work of 74 artists who are producing work that is streamlined and minimalist, ornate and effusive – and everything in between. Materials range from the usual (silver, gold, titanium, porcelain, enamel) to the surprising – rubber, cardboard, mineral dust, raffia, tape, thread, sand, spices, horsehair, and koala fur. Also included are brief bios of the artists – many of whom hail from Europe or South America – and in some cases sketches by them. There’s also a 33-page technical drawing guide, making the book especially useful for budding jewelry designers and makers.  ~Monica Moses