Whether you’re a professional interior designer or a newcomer to the field, interior design books can both inspire and guide you. Learn more about this creative industry with these essential reads.
Interior design books can make great additions to your living room coffee table. But, much more than that, in-depth and well-written interior design books can be inspirational resources for both interior designers and those with an interest in styling their homes. While some books seek to inspire, others guide and advise on the processes and principles required to create stunning interiors. Additionally, other interior design books educate readers on the history of interior design, the leading figures in the field, and the technical side of implementing specific designs.
Whatever your goal is for reading interior design books, there is a wide range for you to choose from. In this article, we’ll be looking at sixteen of our favorites.
These are the books we’ve chosen:
- Arranging Things - Colin King
- Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave - Joanna Gaines
- Inside: At Home with Great Designers - Phaidon Editors
- New York School of Interior Design: Home: The Foundations of Enduring Spaces
- Interiors: The Greatest Rooms of the Century - Phaidon Editors
- Domino: The Book of Decorating - Deborah Needleman, Sara Ruffin Costello, and Dara Caponigro
- The House in Good Taste: Design Advice From America’s First Interior Decorator - Elsie de Wolfe
- On Decorating - Mark Hampton
- The Color Scheme Bible: Inspirational Palettes for Designing Home Interiors - Anna Starmer
- The Interior Design Handbook: Furnish, Decorate, and Style Your Space - Frida Ramstedt
- It's the Little Things: Creating Big Moments in Your Home Through The Stylish Small Stuff - Susanna Salk
- STYLED: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves - Emily Henderson
- Inspired Design: The 100 Most Important Interior Designers of the Past 100 Years - Jennifer Boles
- Residential Interior Design: A Guide to Planning Spaces by Maureen Mitton
- A History of Interior Design - John F. Pile and Judith Gara
- Lighting for Interior Design by Malcolm Innes
1. Arranging Things - Colin King
Colin King is a New York-based stylist and interior designer. In his book, Arranging Things, King shares his insights on how we curate beautiful surroundings and elevate our personal spaces in order to reflect our tastes and personal creativity. The book is divided into short anecdotes and visual essays during which King takes the reader through his own interior design process; from arranging old favorites in new ways to finding new uses for familiar objects.
Through the use of stunning imagery, the book also meditates on interior design principles and best practices, looking closely at scale, proportion, color, and texture.
Why you should read this book
A refreshing element of this book is its focus on retraining the eye to find new uses for pre-loved items. This approach by King makes interior design more accessible and sustainable for readers who are less inclined to purchase new or expensive items to create unique looks for their homes.
2. Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave - Joanna Gaines
Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave by American interior designer, television host, and author, Joanna Gaines, guides readers on the process of creating spaces that mirror the stories, lives, and personalities of those who live there. In the book, Gaines discusses how she transformed her farmhouse home and outlines how she found and embraced her own authentic interior design style.
In addition to providing design inspiration, the book is a practical guide; Gaines takes readers on a journey through different rooms and explains what inspired the designs and how she implemented the changes. Readers are provided with a useful design template at the end of the book which contains step-by-step instructions for organizing, planning, and drafting, their own design ideas to support renovations.
Why you should read this book
While Homebody is a beautiful book by someone who has spent their professional life transforming home interiors, the highlight is the fold-out design guide that enables users to start planning their own interior designs immediately.
Also Read: How to Become an Interior Designer in 2023: The Ultimate Guide
3. Inside: At Home with Great Designers - Phaidon Editors
In Inside: At Home With Great Designers, we are taken on a tour of the stunning homes of sixty of the most celebrated design creatives in the present time. This inspirational and visually impressive book features large-scale interior photography of the homes of leading interior designers and decorators such as Brigette Romanek, Roman and Williams, Sheila Bridges, Darryl Carter, Sig Bergamin, and Joseph Dirand, and includes coastal abodes, city apartments, palazzi, and townhouses.
Providing a fascinating look behind the front door of the private rooms and spaces of the very individuals whose sense of style and taste determines interior design fashions worldwide, this book is a rare treat for those looking for fresh ideas while getting a sense of what home really means to influential designers.
Why you should read this book
Although this book mainly serves as visual inspiration for designers and non-designers with its wonderful glimpses of ultra-stylish homes, it isn’t without practical guidance on home interiors. In fact, the accompanying texts to the images are both informative and full of useful tips for those looking to refresh their homes, albeit on a slightly smaller or more modest scale than the interiors shown in the book.
4. New York School of Interior Design: Home: The Foundations of Enduring Spaces
The New York School of Interior Design, one of the most prestigious colleges for interior design in the US, has released its own home design and decoration bible, covering everything from color theory principles to in-depth guidance on how to furnish particular spaces. With lavish illustrations and high-quality photography, this is a book covering all the essential elements of sustainable and long-lasting interior design for everybody interested in creating stylish and standout homes; from established designers to absolute beginners.
Why you should read this book
This book provides readers with the fundamental concepts and founding principles of interior design, leaving readers both inspired and with a better understanding of how interior design works in practice.
5. Interiors: The Greatest Rooms of the Century - Phaidon Editors
Phaidon Editors have put together a visually impressive ensemble of the best living spaces from both the present day and the past- 400 rooms styled or commissioned by leading figures in the interior design space. Categorized alphabetically by designer, the editors don’t limit their choices to the interiors of those who work in interior design but also include the stunning homes of artists, actors, and fashion icons whose spaces are considered to have significantly influenced or contributed to interior design trends.
The book covers glamorous and awe-inspiring interiors from the early 20th century right up to the present day, with images of the insides of penthouses, desert ranches, townhouses, and apartments of the rich, famous, and impeccably stylish.
Why you should read this book
This is a must-read for anyone who is passionate about interior design and the creation of beautiful spaces. The book serves as both a history book on the evolution of interior design styles over the course of the last 100 years and as an inspiration for anyone with an interest in creating and living in exquisite homes.
6. Domino: The Book of Decorating - Deborah Needleman, Sara Ruffin Costello, and Dara Caponigro
Domino: The Book of Decorating acts as both an inspiration to homemakers and interior designers and a practical guide on how to achieve beautiful interior design looks. The book contains expert advice from leading interior designers, how-to guides for putting together stunning rooms, and insider secrets for creating specific designs at home.
The writers take you on a journey through each room in the house, dispensing wisdom garnered from their own experiences as interior designers, and demystifying the processes required to transform each room. Every style is catered to, with tips on designing for minimalist, vintage, opulent, and kitsch styles.
Why you should read this book
This book is a practical guide for those who want to transform their homes on a budget, with the writers providing many tips for giving rooms a new lease of life without laying out a fortune on new furniture, accessories, or reconstruction.
7. The House in Good Taste: Design Advice From America’s First Interior Decorator - Elsie de Wolfe
The House in Good Taste, written by Elsie de Wolfe, the so-called “first lady” of American interior design, is a guide to furnishing, designing, and decorating a house in order to create a beautiful yet habitable home. First published in 1913, the book elaborates on de Wolfe’s groundbreaking approach to design–which puts the focus on the homeowner’s personality– providing both a step-by-step methodology to design as well as an aesthetic treatise.
Her instructions are accompanied by photographs from the period, giving the reader a true glimpse into interior design styles of the time while still providing surprisingly modern pieces of advice regarding the creation of livable and exquisite interiors.
Why you should read this book
This book is a fascinating historical record of how ideas on interior design have evolved over the last century. While some concepts or beliefs may no longer be as relevant as they once were, many still hold true, and this delightful book will inspire you to inject your personality into your home and develop excellent taste.
8. On Decorating - Mark Hampton
First published in 1989, On Decorating, a collection of essays by acclaimed designer Mark Hampton, soon became a design bible for both interior designers and home decorating hobbyists. These pages are filled with Hampton’s insights, ideas, and watercolor illustrations on how to decorate; from applicable signature design principles to instructions on how to design and decorate collaboratively.
The book is divided into different sections, such as Colors, Plans, and Materials. In each section, Hampton makes convincing, if unexpected, arguments for the use of specific colors, arranging styles, and patterns which he recommends interior designers take on board.
Why you should read this book
This collection of essays works well as a reference point for those with an interest in interior design. This is so because rather than simply inspiring the reader, it outlines the core principles needed to design rooms for different purposes and bring out the best of any space.
9. The Color Scheme Bible: Inspirational Palettes for Designing Home Interiors - Anna Starmer
Choosing a color palette for your home, or even for just one room, can be overwhelming, particularly for those with limited experience in interior design. The Color Scheme Bible aims to help simplify the decision-making behind this process by offering an inspirational reference on how to use colors, and which ones to choose when decorating.
Starmer outlines how to use color effectively to achieve certain goals, such as creating specific atmospheres and the illusion of more space, and provides 200 different color scheme ideas for furniture, walls, and floors taken from nature, the arts, and different objects.
Why you should read this book
This book is the perfect read for learning about how color works and which colors work well together. As well as 200 color schemes, the book includes a “how to use this book” gatefold so that readers can directly apply their learnings to their own interior designs.
10. The Interior Design Handbook: Furnish, Decorate, and Style Your Space - Frida Ramstedt
Rather than focusing on what to decorate with, home styling expert, Frida Ramstedt, teaches readers about the hows of decorating in The Interior Design Handbook. Ramstedt is interested in guiding the reader on how, by learning the core principles of interior design, they can create harmonious and beautiful homes.
She guides by expounding on interior design rules of thumb which are accompanied, throughout the book, by illustrations and diagrams which further elaborate on and support her points.
Why you should read this book
Unlike other interior design books, which can focus rather heavily on inspiring rather than educating readers, The Interior Design Handbook seeks to actively teach readers how to put rooms together and why interior design principles work the way they do. This is a great read for those who are interested in interior design theory and using that theory to inform how they design and decorate their homes.
Learn More: Interior Decoration vs. Interior Design: What’s the difference?
11. It's the Little Things: Creating Big Moments in Your Home Through The Stylish Small Stuff - Susanna Salk
Susanna Salk’s It’s The Little Things is a collection of design vignettes from leading interior designers of today. Inspiring readers to look closely at the details of their design choices, such as the trim of a curtain, an arrangement of personal objects on a bedside table, or the choice of a picture frame, Salk celebrates the small design touches that can lift as well as define a room.
The book is organized by the type of design arrangement: from entire rooms designed with close attention paid to the small touches right up to the artful display of small collections of beloved treasures which, when brought together, create exquisite and elegant interiors.
Why you should read this book
This book helps readers to look at rooms in a new way. Rather than suggesting clutter or personal items be removed from a well-designed space, the book encourages us to celebrate the personal items we treasure and to arrange them in ways that enhance the space around us.
12. STYLED: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves - Emily Henderson
This New York Times Bestseller from Emily Henderson is a guide to interior styling, assisting readers in putting together personal, livable, and stunning homes. Styled contains a ten-step guide to styling any kind of space, with tips such as removing objects you don’t love to repurposing items you absolutely can’t live without. The central theme of this book is that styling, unlike decorating or renovating, takes mere moments, costs nothing, and is accessible to anybody with a room available to them.
Henderson uses beautiful photographs of 75 stylish interiors to illustrate her ideas, giving readers a visual reference to work from. In addition, she provides more than 1,000 unique ideas to help solve tricky interior design issues while still enabling readers to retain a sense of their own personality and creativity within the home.
Why you should read this book
The main takeaway from this book is that revamping your home needn’t cost a lot of money or take a lot of time. By following some simple rules, Henderson teaches us that anyone can become their own personal interior stylist and make marked improvements to their living space while still retaining a strong sense of their own personality and preferences.
13. Inspired Design: The 100 Most Important Interior Designers of the Past 100 Years - Jennifer Boles
Jennifer Boles’ Inspired Design is essential for every interior designer’s bookshelf. Covering the lives and designs of all the leading lights in interior design from the last 100 years, this book outlines the impact each designer has had on the industry, what designers today can learn from them, and how we as readers might draw inspiration from their interior styling. In addition, each designer’s profile is accompanied by multiple photographs of their most groundbreaking work for readers to feast their eyes on.
Why you should read this book
Providing readers with a complete history of the world’s most influential interior designers from the last one hundred years, this book teaches upcoming designers about the history of the field, how styles, designs, and processes have evolved, and provides oodles of inspiration for new designs.
14. Residential Interior Design: A Guide to Planning Spaces by Maureen Mitton
Residential Interior Design is an in-depth, academic look at the skills, tools, and experience needed to manage, plan, and design rooms in residential settings. Covering styling, remodeling, and construction, the book zooms in on the human aspect of design such as functionality, accessibility, and how to meet the specific needs of those who live in and use the space.
The book contains step-by-step advice that is illustrated with drawings and photographs to provide readers with context and a visual guide to support their learning. In addition, the book contains vital information on mechanical and electrical systems, accessibility codes, how to design residencies housing multiple families, and much more. It gives designers a thorough overview of designing functional, accessible, attractive, and efficient spaces that comply with regulations and improve the quality of life for every kind of resident.
Why you should read this book
Through this book, those new to interior design principles and practices learn the importance of the marriage between functionality and aesthetics in interior design, what that looks like in practice, and how to implement it successfully. For deeper insights, you can also refer to AND learner Jaladhi Shah’s Residential Project to get a hang of how interior design principles are applied to meet client needs.
15. A History of Interior Design - John F. Pile and Judith Gara
A History of Interior Design is a detailed exploration of the evolution and history of interior design through the study of the cultural, social, and technological movements that have shaped the industry. Writers John F. Pile and Judith Gara shine a spotlight on influential interior designers and iconic spaces in addition to providing readers with a wide range of visual examples and vivid descriptions to support their reflections.
The main message of the book is that interior design is both a reflection of and a prompt for important changes and developments in society as a whole.
Why you should read this book
A fascinating look at how interior design has evolved and its impact on social norms over the decades is something this book promises. An important read for those interested in the evolution of both interior design and how it has shaped how we live.
16. Lighting for Interior Design by Malcolm Innes
Lighting for Interior Design by Malcolm Innes introduces the reader to the world of lighting, discussing principles, technologies, and processes as well as the history of lighting in homes and buildings. The book guides readers on how to create their own stunning and harmonious environments, looking at the ways light and form work together and the impact of lighting on ambiance, functionality, and aesthetics.
Innes demonstrates different uses of lighting in interiors through case studies and striking visuals, explaining the more complex aspects in accessible language for those hoping to master the art of interior illumination.
Why you should read this book
This is the perfect guide for those who want to use lighting to elevate their interior designs and gain an understanding of the technology and trends in the lighting space.
Next Steps
As we have seen, books are an excellent way to learn about interior design history, processes, theory, diverse perspectives, and influential industry figures, as well as to gain practical advice and instruction for the implementation of our own interior designs. Above all, however, interior design books are a hugely inspirational resource for both interior designers and those who are interested in the field and can lead us to try out new ideas or looks in our own homes that we might otherwise never have dared try.
If this article has piqued your interest and you want to learn more about interior design, have you thought about taking an interior design course? If so, check out our round-up of the best interior design courses here.
Here are some additional resources you can consider before making a final decision:
- Watch this session by Snehanshu Mukherjee, Founding Partner at T.E.A.M and Mansi Almadi, an Interior Designer at Studio Lotus
- Talk to a course advisor to discuss how you can transform your career with one of our courses.
- Check out our Interior Design courses - all courses are taught through live, interactive classes by industry experts.
- Take advantage of the scholarship and funding options that come with our courses to overcome any financial hurdle on the path of your career transformation.
Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.
