4 divine books to give decoristas for Christmas

Christmas is a time of giving — and a beautiful coffee-table book makes a fabulous gift

A HISTORY OF PICTURES

By David Hockney & Martin Gayford

Thames & Hudson, R799

Dubbed as the art book of the decade, this beautiful tome delves into the history of art, from cave paintings to Rembrandt; from Disney to the latest digital technology. The striking cover is designed by Hockney himself, and is a teaser for the lavishly illustrated contents of this brilliantly original book.

The two authors converse throughout, creating a dialogue that takes their readers through a 30,000-year journey of art, constantly reminding us of the rich cultural history we share.

PLANT: EXPLORING THE BOTANICAL WORLD

By Phaidon editors, with an introduction by James Compton

Phaidon, R1,000

An ideal gift for gardeners and art-lovers alike, this visually bold book features 300 beautiful and pioneering botanical images in which you're bound to lose yourself.

A celebration of the beauty and diversity of plants, the book features media ranging from photographs and micrograph scans to watercolours, drawings and prints by celebrated artists, photographers, scientists and botanical illustrators.

The images span millennia, and include ancient stone carvings and medieval manuscripts, reminding us that despite the real-life threats many of them face, plants, quite simply, will never go out of fashion.

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ALL IN GOOD TASTE

By Kate Spade New York

Abrams, R365

The ideal gift for the silly season, this book is an unpretentious and fun guide to throwing chic, stylish get-togethers. Focused less on the food and drink you serve, and more on the flowers you display and the music you play, this guide is packed with easy, festive and authentic ideas for making sure your soiree is a resounding success.

Filled with how-to's, personal essays, anecdotes, menus, tips and recipes, the book covers everything from how to shuck an oyster to the art of putting together the ultimate guest list. If anyone's looking to become the hostess with the mostest, this is the perfect place to start.

PATTERNS INSIDE THE DESIGN LIBRARY

By Peter Koepke

Phaidon, R1,145

Imagine traipsing through one of the largest pattern archives in the world - a warehouse that features more than 7,000,000 pieces of textile and pattern design. Well, now you can.

The Design Library has been around since 1972, and this book reveals its inner workings for the first time. Every season, designers from houses such as Oscar de la Renta and Nike flock to the Design Library for inspiration.

The archive of patterns and textiles dates from the 1750s to the present, and is housed in two venues, in New York's Hudson Valley and in central London. The first of three sections of the book contain photos of the warehouse collection.

The second section is an alphabetical showcase of patterns, from "Abstract" to "Zigzag", and the final section shows the evolution of several designs from initial scribblings to end products. A great gift.