It was 2005 when childhood friends Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill launched The Modern House. Over the course of the 16 years since, we have featured a whole host of rather remarkable living spaces – and often their equally remarkable owners too. As a result, Matt and Albert have learnt a thing or two about inspirational, beautifully designed homes – in particular, that they tend to pay attention to the same five timeless design principles: space, light, materials, nature and decoration. And it’s exactly this that inspired the subject of Matt’s new book, A Modern Way to Live, which is released today.

“A Modern Way to Live is the size of a small cookbook – it can be read in one go like a novel, or dipped into over months and years. The central idea behind it is that good design is timeless, and that the same principles can be applied to any living space at any scale, so I really hope that there is something in it for everyone,” Matt says. “I hope to provide people with a reference point for their refurbishment or new-build project, or indeed for everyday life at home.”

Within its 320 beautifully illustrated pages, there are five chapters, each dedicated to one of the aforementioned modernist principles. Alongside carefully selected images of some of the finest homes to grace The Modern House since its inception, Matt demonstrates how to take inspiration for your own living space, all while sharing anecdotes of his own experience of home.

“The book has ended up being very personal and autobiographical, which is slightly terrifying,” Matt continues. “However, I wanted to share the amazing things that Albert and I have seen since we founded The Modern House, and talk about my own experiences of home, including growing up in a family of architects.”

Fancy a sneak peek? To give you more of an idea about what to expect in the book, Matt has been writing a series of articles for us based on its primary themes. You can read his thoughts on the first four principles – space, light, materials and nature – here, plus stay tuned for the fifth instalment, decoration, coming very soon. In the meantime, don’t forget to pick up your copy of A Modern Way to Live, published by Penguin now.