10 affordable interiors, cooking and gardening books to gift this Christmas

Best for: Aspiring green thumbs, your mum

In ‘The Plant Book: The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Happiness’, Gardening Australia presenter and horticulturalist Tammy Huynh serves up everything you need to know about caring for indoor plants.

Tammy has curated a list of 50 popular house-plant species and their needs, cultivars and common problems — with photos to help the reader diagnose the issue and bring their plant back to life.

There’s an additional chapter covering general tips on lighting, potting mix, watering, fertiliser, humidity, pests and diseases, buying plants, hydroponics, and pots and planters — no matter what the species. 

Best for: Interiors enthusiasts, your bestie

‘Colour House: Vibrant Spaces to Brighten Your World’ is the no-brainer gift for the design aficionado in your life who’s bored with beige minimalism.

Filled with inspirational and bold photography featuring harmonious and colourful interiors, this stunning coffee-table book is a guide to creating rooms with personality.

Known for its beautiful and affordable lifestyle titles, Harper by Design has also published ‘Plant House’ and ‘Beach House’. Why not buy them all?

Best for: Italophiles, keen cooks, your mother-in-law

London-born cook and food writer Amber Guinness takes readers on a tour through her beloved Tuscany, where she lives, sharing fascinating historical notes and stunning photos of architecture and art.

Of course, ‘Winter in Tuscany: Cozy Recipes and The Quanto Basta Way’ features pages of local comfort-food recipes with a quanto basta approach, which refers to the Italian philosophy of “just enough”.

This quality hardcover cookbook will delight any family member, friend or colleague who is enamoured with either food or iconic Italy (and who isn’t).

Best for: Green thumbs, Super Fans, your aunty

Believe it or not, ‘Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook: The Essential Guide to Designing, Planting, and Growing’ is the homemaking maven’s 101st book.

Perfect for gardening gurus and novices alike, Martha’s 368-page tome reveals all the knowledge and skills she’s garnered (over decades) that the reader needs to design and cultivate a flourishing garden. It also includes photographs of her own gardens.

Martha said it best in her Netflix documentary: “If you want to be happy for a year, get married. If you want to be happy for a decade, get a dog. And if you want to be happy for the rest of your life, make a garden.” This beautiful book is a good place to start.

Best for: Architecture aficionados, your husband

Know someone who inhales interiors content, fixates on floor plans and drags you to every significant architectural site on every “relaxing” holiday you take together? This elegant coffee-table book will keep them occupied this Christmas.

Written by Stephen Crafti with photography by Nicole England, ‘The Architect’s House: Inside The Homes of 20 Architects From Around The World’ reveals what designers design for themselves and their families, including Australia’s own William Smart and Andrew Piva.

The homes are diverse — from luxe apartments to impressive houses surrounded by hectares of native forest.  

Best for: Aspiring mixologists, your dad

Hospitality power couple Michael and Zara Madrusan have created a comprehensive guide to classic drinks from every era, plus modern cocktails, with contributions from world-leading bartenders.

Based on the manuals they’ve curated for their award-winning bars and drawing from their own extensive library of books that date back to 1862 , there are more than 2,800 drinks covered in this ‘encyclopaedia’ of mixology.

It’s the only cocktail-recipe book a home bartender will ever need.

Best for: Home bakers, health-nut friends

What do Peanut Butter Choc Chop Cookies, Light Fruit Cake, Pistachio and Raspberry Cream Dream and Glazed Doughnuts all have in common? They’re entirely plant-based; in Philip Khoury’s beautiful cookbook, anyway.

Australian-born Philip is a world-renowned pastry chef and sustainability advocate who doesn’t believe you always need eggs, dairy or highly processed alternatives to create mouth-watering desserts.

As well as recipes and info on foundational techniques, ‘Beyond Baking: Plant-Based Baking For A New Era’ includes QR-code tutorials to walk the reader through every step.

Best for: Interiors addicts, yourself

In ‘A Visual Feast: Ingredients That Make a Home’, interior designer Jono Fleming explains how to combine all the best elements of design to create a harmonious and stylish space — while still reflecting your unique personality.

Featuring inspiring images and digestible tips, in this book you’ll learn how to make a room feel, not just look, beautiful, thanks to all the nous and experience Jono’s gathered over his career.

And naturally, ‘A Visual Feast’ is a chic styling item in its own right.

Best for: World travellers, cooks, colleagues

If you think Vietnamese food is all pho and bánh mì, you are mistaken. ‘Vietnam: The Cookbook’ is a journey through a rich and diverse tapestry of flavours, cooking techniques and tradition. 

Chef and author Anais Ca Dao van Maneng travelled across Vietnam, from the hectic city of Hanoi to the highlands of Hà Giangis, to curate more than 400 authentic home-cooked dishes — faithfully presented and beautifully illustrated with step-by-step instructions.

Recipes include Summer Rolls, Chicken and Banana Blossom Salad, Savoury Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Dumplings and Baked Palm Sugar Honeycomb Cake. Dee-licious.

Best for: Gastronomes, your father-in-law

Tim Siadatan is the co-founder of iconic London restaurants Padella and Trullo, and a former protégé of Jamie Oliver. His second book is the ultimate pasta-lover’s cookbook.

Beyond its tactile cloth cover, this book features quick, everyday meals to more high-end dishes such as Pappardelle with Beef Shin Ragu — and every recipe is easy to understand with guaranteed delectable results.

‘Padella: Iconic Pasta at Home’ is going to be one of the most coveted cookbooks this Christmas. We said it here first.