A peek at homes of creative women, giants of architecture

“A Room of Her Own” by Robyn Lea (Thames & Hudson, $45)

Australian photographer, director and writer Robyn Lea takes readers “Inside the Homes and Lives of Creative Women,” as the subtitle says. We get a glimpse into the existence of painters, writers, sculptors, chefs, directors, designers and jewelers. Artistry spills into all aspects of the lives of these 20 accomplished women who hail from eight countries.

The book’s introduction explains Lea’s inspiration: “Emblazoned on the walls of their homes, the hues on their palettes or plates and the prints and patterns on their gowns, coats and capes are the markings of artists and thinkers that the world needs like never before.”

Monumental designs

“The Iconic American House” by Dominic Bradbury with photographs by Richard Powers (Thames & Hudson, $65)

“The houses in this book chart a journey across America and across time, embracing many different aesthetics and expressions of form,” says Bradbury.

Subtitled “Architectural Masterworks since 1900,” the 320-page tome published in 2020 explores dwellings designed by giants of the profession.

Philip Johnson’s modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, is showcased along with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. Famous for meticulously built works with sculptural qualities, Louis Kahn is represented through one of the many residences he built in and around Philadelphia.

Homes by Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus School, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe also are included.

The 50 uncommon houses featured share a reverence for the landscapes in which they are set.