Linda reviews: Rooms by Jane Ussher

Linda reviews: Rooms by Jane Ussher

What a stunning book.

In her latest book ‘Homes’, New Zealand photographer Jane Ussher gives us a peek into the eclectic and unusual interior décor of New Zealand homes. These are not your usual NZ homes with walls painted 50 shades of pale. These are more the homes of an artist who has painted murals on walls, or covered them with clutches of paintings or tapestry. Interiors range from the large rooms of Larnach castle to a city apartment in Auckland.

No text, or people, appear in the over 300 pages of photographs showcasing the rooms. The reader is left to soak in the visual effect the homeowner has established with taonga and objects they have chosen to surround themselves with. You can intrigue over the owner’s personality as reflected in each photographed room. You may recognise some well-known artists' work within these.

The book's introduction gives an insight as to how this book came to be. The last chapter ‘About the rooms’ gives a brief written background of each house and description of the artwork within.

Artists, photographers and interior designers will lap this book up. Librarians will spy books on shelves or coffee tables. The Mount Victoria house has the book ‘The foraged home’. I see the house in Teddington has a good number of books including ‘Banjo’ and ‘Somme’ as well as a scrabble set. The Waimakariri Libraries have all these books if you are interested.

Highly recommended.