A beautiful obsession
Filbert Press commissioned us to design ‘A Beautiful Obsession: Jimi Blake’s World of Plants at Hunting Brook Gardens’, a new book by Jimi Blake and Noel Kingsbury. Taking readers through Jimi’s unique gardens at Hunting Brook, the book shines a light on the bold planting and creative gardening style for which he’s known.
Publishing: Art Direction + Design + Commissioning Illustration
Communicating an obsession
Inspired by the book’s title, our cover design reveals the obsessive nature of Jimi’s plant collection, using overlapping images of the garden designer tending to his space with care, attention and imagination.
Reflecting a bold and unusual style
To bring to life Jimi’s eclectic gardening style (and distinctive sartorial choices), we commissioned illustrator Hello Marine to create bold and beautiful section breaks and spot illustrations for the book. Paired with playful type and pull-out pages, it all adds up to a rich and vibrant effect that perfectly matches the content.
I’d like to thank... Studio Noel for the really funky design – I so appreciate having my name on a garden book that looks so distinctly different!
Showcasing plant collections
To provide breathing space and add variety to the content, we developed lookbook-style pages which showcase Jimi’s vast collection of salvias and dahlias.
Growing interest with typography
Our pull-outs and feature spreads use coloured backgrounds, curved type captions, and spot illustrations overlapping imagery, adding pace and providing standout throughout the book.
Creating a plant directory
At the end of the book, we created a directory-like feel to the list of plants featured at Hunting Brook Gardens, leading with a caption mono typeface to provide contrast with the other chapters.
The eye-catching contemporary page design does much to contribute to the mood here, as do dozens of superb images of gardens themselves.
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