27 Best Interior Design Books Of All Time

Last Updated on February 26, 2024

Every interior designer and home decor enthusiast wants to stay up-to-date on the latest design trends and techniques. In this post, I’ll share some of the best interior design books, from must-read favorites to design books for beginners, and discuss how to use them to find decor inspiration for your home. These are books that I own and reach for time and time again. And yes, even in the digital age, I like a hardcover book over my iPad when it comes to design books. There’s something about curling up in a chair under a cozy blanket and flipping through an inspirational book.

Best Interior Design Books for Interior Designers, Beginners, And Decor Lovers

RELATED: Be sure to check out the round up of my top 7 new decor book releases not incuded in this list.

Now that I’ve set the mood, here are the best interior design books I repeatedly reach for. These books are more than just pretty coffee table books. They will help you find what resonates with your personal aesthetic, teach you about design elements to create a beautiful home and help you decorate a room like a pro.

Also, don’t miss my latest roundup of must-read coffee table books to decorate your bookshelves and small vignettes around your home. Let’s get into it! Here are my go-to decor books.

Quick List of the Best Interior Design Books

Click on the links below to shop for a book on Amazon, or scroll down for a brief overview of each book. 

1. Living With Color: Inspiration and How-Tos to Brighten Up Your Home by Rebecca Atwood
2. Living With Pattern: Color Texture and Print at Home by Rebecca Atwood
3. Design The Home You Love by Lee Mayer and Emily Motayed
4. Habitat: The Field Guide To Decorating by Lauren Liess
5. Rental Style: The Ultimate Guide To Decorating Your Apartment Or Small Home By Chelsey Brown
6. Down to Earth: Laid Back Interiors for Modern Living by Lauren Liess
7. Your Home, Your Style: How To Find Your Look & Create Rooms You Love by Donna Garlough
8. The New Design Rules: How To Decorate and Renovate from Start To Finish: An Interior Design Book by Emily Henderson
9. The New Bohemians: Cool and Collected Homes by Justina Blakeney
10. Feels Like Home: Relaxed Interiors for a Meaningful Life by Lauren Liess
11. This Is Home: The Art Of Simple Living by Natalie Walton
12. Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookcases by Emily Henderson
13. Big Thrift Energy by Virginia Chamlee
14. Kabinett & Kammer: Creating Authentic Interiors by Sean Scherer
15. A Tale Of Interiors by Louisa Pierce and Emily Ward
16. Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone
17. Home With Rue: Style For Everyone by Kelli Lamb
18. The Interior Design Handbook: Furnish, Design, and Decorate Your Space by Frida Ramstedt 
19. New York School Of Interior Design: Home: The Foundations Of Enduring Spaces by Ellen S. Fisher and Jen Renzi 
20. Design Remix: A New Spin On Traditional Design by Corey Damen Jenkins
21. The Beauty Of Home: Redefining Traditional Interiors by Marie Flanigan
22. May I Come In by Wendy Goodman
23. Architectural Design At 100: A Century Of Style by Amy Astley 
24. DISC Interiors: Portraits of Home by 
25. Surf Shack: Laid Back Living by Nina Freudenberger
26. The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything 
27. Beautifully Organized: A Guide To Function And Style In Your Home b

Best Interior Design Books For Beginners

1. Living With Color: Inspiration and How-Tos to Brighten Up Your Home is the first book by textile designer Rebecca Atwood and is absolute gold for decor fundamentals. This design book breaks down the right combinations of hues and helps you personalize color palettes. This is srsly the best decor book if you want to learn how to transform your home decor from ordinary to magical.
2. Living With Pattern: Color Texture and Print at Home, also written by Rebecca Atwood, is a best-selling book that demystifies decorating with color and pattern. This design concept stumped me for the longest time. This is my go-to book when I’m having trouble injecting a punch of color into my home design. Rebecca breaks the process down and teaches you how to mix different paint colors and layer prints to create the perfect color scheme.
3. Design The Home You Love by Lee Mayer and Emily Motayed If you’re looking to add personality to your home, this is the book for you. Learn to identify your style and bring that individual look into each room. This book shares all different types of decor styles and will inspire you to create a space that is uniquely yours. Because styles change, this book is one that I come back to over and over again, making it both practical and inspirational.
4. Habitat: The Field Guide To Decorating Lauren Liess is one of my favorite home decor bloggers, and she has written 2 of the best interior design books. This book encourages you to bring natural elements inside by mixing foraged items with eclectic collections of modern and quirky vintage decor. You’ll learn the fundamental elements of interior design, how to create a mood, and how to tackle decor challenges.
5. Rental Style: The Ultimate Guide To Decorating Your Apartment Or Small Home By Chelsey Brown is a great decorating book for small-space living and is filled with clever ideas for renters. Chelsey has you covered with creative tricks that won’t get you in trouble with your landlord, from decorating on a budget to rental home hacks to organizing a small space. Great for the home decor lover wanting to revamp their rental space.

BTDubs, Laura Liess also wrote Down to Earth: Laid Back Interiors for Modern Living, which focuses on creating a lifestyle that inspires creativity and functionality. She walks you through the decorating process step-by-step and shares her design aesthetic so you can create a creative and functional home. I featured her latest book in my round-up of new design releases. 

RELATED: If you’re having troubles styling, check out my coffee table decor ideas.

Interior Decorating Books For The Design Enthusiast

When I find myself in a decor pickle, my go-to decor books happen to be written by a couple of my favorite home decor bloggers turned decor powerhouses. These next few interior design books are must-haves in your library and are also perfect for anyone wanting to learn how to DIY their home decor easily.

1. Your Home, Your Style: How To Find Your Look & Create Rooms You Love by Donna Garlough is a gem of a book by my friend, Donna Garlough. She was the Style Director at Joss & Main and is now the founder and owner of Monroe Home & Style. Donna guides you through understanding your style strengths and identifying and overcoming decorating weaknesses. Learn the basics of styling a bookshelf like a pro and design ideas for creating a cohesive gallery wall. Personally, I think this is one of the best design books ever written with some of the best design advice.
2. The New Design Rules: How To Decorate and Renovate from Start To Finish: An Interior Design Book by Emily Henderson – If you’re gearing up for a renovation or design project and you want to talk the talk with the trades, this is the book for you. You learn so much from this book that I debated grouping it with the Teaching and Fundamentals section. If your skills are questionable in home improvement projects, this practical design book will help you avoid inevitable mistakes, and you’ll learn when it’s okay to break the rules. It’s a great book for interior design beginners and design enthusiasts because it is incredibly detailed.
3. The New Bohemians: Cool and Collected Homes: Although my home decor is nothing like Justina’s coined Jungalow maximalist design world, I love the knowledge she drops in New Bohemians — which is one of the best design books for aspiring interior designers because she’s relatable and easy to understand. Unless you’re into hardcore traditional design principles like Bunny Williams style, this book has something for everyone. She shares 20 homes with unique spaces, beautiful interior styling, practical tips, and banger shopping tips.
4. Feels Like Home: Relaxed Interiors for a Meaningful Life by Lauren Liess I mentioned Lauren above in the beginner’s category, but this is her third and more recent book. It explores the emotional connection to your home and goes beyond buying objects, and looks at how design as a form can create an environment for a more authentic life.
5. This Is Home: The Art Of Simple Living by Natalie Walton is an interior design book that will bring you back to the basics. She goes beyond design elements and helps teach you how to think creatively, not expensively. (BTDubs, don’t miss my post on clever ideas for decorating on a budget.) But back to the book. This home decorating book will teach you how to create balance within a room while reflecting on your decorating style because, ultimately, it’s all about editing. You’ll also learn how to refresh your space without totally rehauling the design.
6. Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookcases by Emily Henderson: Let’s talk about the gal that inspired me to decorate and share my home online – Emily Henderson. When I first discovered the HGTV show Secrets From A Stylist, I snoopy danced. Emily’s sense of quirky, mid-century modern decor was my jam. Her approach to interiors is from the perspective of an interior stylist versus an interior designer. Her expert tips help teach you how to style everything from shelves to coffee tables and help you create that lived-in, cozy look that is uniquely yours to show off your personal style.

Although this design book was released over five years old, I declare it the best interior design book of all time because her teaching method is relatable and easy to understand. My copy is a decorating book that I return to project after project. I also love the style quiz. In the book, she asks many questions and expertly tells you you’re design style.

Design Books For Decorating With Vintage Collections

1. Big Thrift Energy by Virginia Chamlee: If you’re dipping your toes into vintage decor or want to learn how to find the best vintage deals, this interior design book is for you. I have followed Virginia on Instagram for years, and it was such a thrill to receive her book in the mail! She shares the best tips for shopping for vintage decor online, in thrift shops, and in antique malls. You’ll also learn how to repurpose and upcycle the decor in your home. Do not sleep on this book.
2. Kabinett & Kammer – Creating Authentic Interiors by Sean Scherer: My love of decorating with vintage and antique decor runs deep, so when I heard Sean wrote a beautiful interior design book filled with curated vintage collections, I immediately had to purchase it. He teaches you how to display your collections rather than spilling from your shelves, design, and style vignettes, and decorate in a way that is authentically you. Every page has interesting ways to curate your collections of whimsy and wonder.

Beautiful Books Full Of Interior Inspiration

The next three books are great if you’re looking for a beautiful coffee table book or a gift idea for the decor lover. 

1. A Tale Of Interiors by Louisa Pierce and Emily Ward I love Pierce and Ward’s work and have followed them on Instagram for years; however, their decorating style is not easily obtainable. The wallpaper costs thousands per roll, and the furniture is custom designed, but it’s included in this list because this inspiration is off the chain design eye candy! This book is filled with eclectic decor and beautiful photography, a feast for the eyes. This book is for you if you want to get your creative juices flowing.
2. Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone – oh, how I debated including this book. I love Athena’s style, and yes, it’s on the best-seller list, but she shows modern design more than she teaches design fundamentals. Also, this book is not for the traditional home decor lover or the lover of maximalism. So when I updated this list, I decided to add a category dedicated to modern style. The book itself is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing on a coffee table, but it’s more or less one of those decorating books you occasionally flip through for inspiration.
3. Home With Rue: Style For Everyone by Kelli Lamb is filled with homes celebrating personality. As a long-time fan of Rue Magazine, this new book was on my must-purchase immediately list. (Side note, the living room makeover was featured on Rue.) It takes you inside real people’s homes and features advice, how-to information, decorating resources, and practicality — oh, and the foreword is by Nate Berkus, so if he approves, of course, I do too.

Best Interior Design Books For Design Students

If you don’t know the design rules, how do you know when to break the design rules? Enter two must-read interior design bibles…these are books every design enthusiast should read, even if you’re not a professional interior designer.

1. The Interior Design Handbook: Furnish, Design, and Decorate Your Space. The author teaches you how to design a room rather than focusing on what you decorate with. You’ll also learn many lessons about the golden ratio and golden spiral, how to size a coffee table proportional to a sofa, how high to hang a light fixture, how to create a mood board, and more. This is one of the best interior design books for creating a cohesive space with a good flow, and one I refer back to over and over again.
2. When Alexa Hampton writes the forward, you know it’s got to be good. New York School Of Interior Design: Home: The Foundations Of Enduring Spaces takes readers on a journey through the foundation of interior design — a comprehensive education on home design and decor, from color theory to choosing furniture for a room. It’s essentially the best book on interior design for both design students and decor enthusiasts alike.

Best Interior Design Books To Inspire Your Next Project

1. Design Remix: A New Spin On Traditional Design by Corey Damen Jenkins — Corey is an established designer known for using bold colors, chinoiserie prints, Hollywood Regency, and crazy maximalist decor. Design Remix is filled with unexpected mixes of old and new and bursting with color. I recently purchased this interior design book and love how Corey demystifies his creative ways of approaching color and pattern and fearlessly breaks the rules. This classic home decor book is also the perfect holiday gift for the design lover in your life.
2. The Beauty Of Home: Redefining Traditional Interiors by Marie Flanigan — This interior design book was sold out for the longest time, and for a good reason. When I finally got my hands on The Beauty of Home, I about hugged the UPS man. Marie’s signature style is classic, soulful, and timeless, with every room being better than the last. She gives you a peek behind-the-scenes and shares her creative process and the elements needed to recreate her signature look. This book is full of inspiration, remarkable residences, and one that I come back to again and again.

BTDubs, Marie also designed one of my favorite kitchens. Shazam, it’s gorgeous.

Artful Decorating Books — Favorite Coffee Table Books on Interior Design

1. May I Come In by Wendy Goodman is an interior design book that gives you a rare peek into homes that aren’t your typical decor homes. These are not homes that look like everyone else’s homes. They are unique, quirky, fun, and, best of all, they are full of unique personalities. Page after page is filled with eclectic decor and inspiration.
2. Architectural Design At 100: A Century Of Style by Amy Astley is filled with the personal spaces of celebrity homeowners. This book covers everything from a Napa Valley farmhouse to a home in the Dominican Republic and more. This is one of those best sellers that everyone owns, and it looks beautiful displayed on a coffee table, but it’s not my go-to source for inspiration. Anyone who has read Architectural Digest knows how unobtainable those homes are—however, it is fun to flip through and design a dream home in your head.
3. DISC Interiors: Portraits of Home. This design firm is based in California and has a one-of-a-kind modern meets traditional vibe. Much like the Pierce and Ward book, you’re not being taught but rather looking at beautiful interiors. This book is a fantastic source of decor inspiration but not very attainable.
4. Surf Shack: Laid Back Living by Nina Freudenberger If you want inspiration for gorgeous homes with a beachy vibe, this is the interior design book for you. Like the others in this category, the homes featured are not necessarily attainable, but they are stunning projects all the same. When I flip through a book like this, I look at the color palette, paint shades, and vignettes for inspiration.

RELATED: Check out my upltimate round up of the best coffee table books.

Interior Design Books For Organizing Experts

After binging Get Organized on Netflix, I was motivated to pare down, edit, and purge all the things. Never in a million would I think my ADHD brain would be buying storage and organizing bins, but these, how to organize your home books, have helped me greatly.

1. The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything book is the how-to-organize bible. Learn the basics, tips, and tricks on mastering home organization like a pro. And no, you do not have to live like a minimalist or purge everything you own. Contain the chaos and apply these genius ideas to every room in your home without having to Marie Kondo.
2. Beautifully Organized: A Guide To Function And Style In Your Home is a must-read if you’re looking for a gift-giving idea for the person who labels everything. This book features five steps to organizing and encourages readers to organize their homes like a pro. Assess, declutter, clean, organize, and beautify. A step-by-step guide that covers every room in the house, from cupboards to the powder room. This a must-have book for those wanting an organized space that is also peaceful and beautiful.

RELATED: Be sure to check out my organizing tips for home to keep your home tidy with zero effort.

These are just a few of the many interior design books available that can provide inspiration and guidance for creating stylish and functional interiors. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced designer, there is a book out there for you. Take some time to browse my running list of favorite interior design books on Amazon, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different design styles to find what works best for you.

More Must-Have Interior Design Books For Decor Lovers

1. My running list of favorite decorating books can always be shopped here. All of the above books are perfect gift-giving home decorating books. But since these favorites are difficult to narrow down and always updated, here are a few that have dropped off my best interior design books list but are still incredibly inspiring.
2. The Remodelista book is a classic, as is Joseph Dirand’s drool-worthy book on residential interior design work in Paris. Both organizing books by The Home Edit girls are great, but since one was already on the list, I didn’t deem it necessary to include A Guide To Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals as well.
3. Another design book full of vintage decor inspiration is Steven Gambrel: Time And Place. His designs have a fresh approach to color and composition, and he’s a genius when it comes to mixing modern and traditional decor. Although it’s a notable design book, it’s more of an inspiring coffee table book versus one that teaches.
4. Travel Home: Design with a Global Spirit is an interior design book by Caitlyn Flemming and her mother. Together they share a laidback California Cool design that focuses heavily on neutral home decor. If you love Nate Berkus‘ decor aesthetic, this book belongs in your library…oh, and Nate and Jeremiah’s home is also featured here.

Elevate Your Styling With These Beautiful Coffee Table Books

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