Architects spend their working lives catering to the whims of clients. This book shows what happens when these creative geniuses answer only to themselves. Over 100 luscious pages, we can snoop around the homes of some of the most significant 20th century-European architects, from Finland’s Alvar Aalto and the austere luxury of the late Piero Bottoni (Italy) to Günther Domenig’s concrete-bunker-breeds-with-the-Starship-Enterprise summer house on the shores of Lake Ossiach, Austria.

Each home is utterly unique and confirms the strong individual vision of each architect. There’s no doubting its appeal to those in the industry, especially the biographies and detailed explanations of how and why these men (yes, they are all blokes) chose the particular materials they did. The rest of us will be happy enough to sit back and enjoy the photography which is beautiful without being too envy-making.

Taschen, $79.99.