20 Home Design Books That Will Inspire Your Space

Amber Lewis, a seasoned interior designer renowned for her relaxed yet sophisticated West Coast style, offers you a hands-on guide to creating interiors that feel both lived-in and effortlessly stylish. In this book, you’ll explore the art of layering décor elements—from mixing patterns and textures to selecting timeless materials that age beautifully—illustrated with over 250 vibrant photographs. It’s not about following trends but about building spaces that reflect your personality and comfort, teaching you to balance old and new with confidence. If you’re passionate about personalizing your home without losing practicality, this book will resonate deeply with your creative instincts.

What started as Emily Henderson's passion for vintage-inspired, approachable home style evolved into a detailed guide that demystifies the interior design process for you. Drawing from her experience as a stylist and TV host, she walks you through every decision—from choosing paint colors to understanding when to hire contractors versus architects. The book offers practical insights on materials, furniture arrangement, and lighting, all illustrated with real home photographs and colorful visuals. You'll gain not just ideas but confidence to take creative risks without regret, making it suitable whether you're refreshing a room or tackling a full renovation.

This tailored book explores all facets of home design with a focus uniquely aligned to your interests and background. It examines foundational principles alongside personalized elements such as spatial planning, material choices, and aesthetic harmonies, crafting a learning experience that responds directly to your taste and goals. By synthesizing diverse expert knowledge, this book offers a tailored pathway that guides you through complex design concepts while emphasizing the details that matter most to you. Whether you're drawn to style, functionality, or sustainable design, this personalized guide uncovers insights that bring your ideal space to life with thoughtful precision.

Drawing from her experience coaching a Scandinavian audience on home styling, Frida Ramstedt offers a fresh perspective in this handbook by focusing on the principles behind design choices rather than trendy items. You’ll learn concrete guidelines like the golden ratio’s role in arranging furniture, ideal lighting heights, and how to size coffee tables to sofas, all explained with clear illustrations. This book is tailored for anyone wanting to understand why certain spaces feel balanced and harmonious, regardless of style or location. It avoids vague advice and instead arms you with specific, applicable knowledge to confidently furnish and style your home.

When Corey Damen Jenkins first discovered the possibilities within traditional interiors, he reimagined them through a vibrant, youthful lens that challenges the usual muted palette. This book breaks down his approach into focused chapters like "Bold Standard," which explores unexpected color use, and "Good Bones," emphasizing architectural details that anchor a room. You’ll learn how to balance eclectic elements with minimalism, accessorize with fashion-inspired touches, and create spaces tailored for living and lounging. If you’re drawn to traditional style but crave a fresh perspective that feels both lively and approachable, this book offers clear examples and practical sidebars to guide your design decisions.

What if everything you knew about Southern home design was wrong? Stephanie Hunt, drawing from her deep roots in Charleston and her extensive writing for style and design publications like Veranda and Southern Living, offers a fresh look at Southern interiors that go beyond the typical. This book invites you to explore 27 homes ranging from classic farmhouses to modern coastal retreats, revealing how designers blend tradition with innovation to create spaces full of personality and warmth. You'll gain insight into how landscape and regional culture shape each design, learning specific approaches from celebrated designers like Keith Robinson and Bunny Williams. If you want to understand Southern style as a dynamic, inclusive aesthetic rather than a fixed category, this book is for you.

This personalized book explores a rapid transformation plan tailored to your unique home design preferences and lifestyle. It covers essential concepts and practical approaches to refreshing your living space within a month, focusing on your specific interests and goals. By synthesizing expert knowledge and adapting it to your background, the book reveals how to select colors, furniture, and layouts that resonate with your style. It also examines ways to efficiently balance aesthetics and function, ensuring your home feels both inviting and personal. With a tailored focus, this guide addresses your specific challenges and priorities, offering a clear pathway to update your home swiftly while preserving authenticity and comfort. It’s a focused journey into home styling, designed just for you.

Drawing from his British roots and immersion in California's relaxed luxury, Jake Arnold crafts a unique approach to interior design focused on comfort and timeless style. You explore nine distinct projects that exemplify his warm minimalism, blending elegant materials and tactile elements to create inviting spaces. The book walks you through Arnold's design philosophy with detailed sketches and material swatches, showing how he balances tradition with contemporary ease. Whether you're an aspiring designer or simply passionate about interiors, this book offers insights into creating environments that feel both chic and serene. It's a thoughtful examination of comfort that goes beyond trends to shape lasting interiors.

What started as Hilton Carter's personal passion for nurturing his fiddle-leaf fig evolved into a guide that invites you to transform your living space with greenery. Drawing from his background as a fine artist and plant stylist, Hilton teaches you not only how to care for a wide variety of plants but also how to arrange them thoughtfully to enhance your home's ambiance. You'll find detailed advice on selecting the right pots, combining textures, propagating succulents, and creating air plant displays, all illustrated through his own urban jungle. This book suits anyone eager to deepen their knowledge of plant care and design, especially those looking to blend horticulture with interior style.

Donald R. Wulfinghoff leverages decades of experience in energy efficiency and building design to guide you through creating a home that balances comfort, beauty, and durability with economy. The book breaks down the design and construction process into eight clear steps, covering everything from room layout to alternative energy options like solar and geothermal systems. You'll gain practical knowledge on choosing materials, windows, heating, plumbing, and lighting, ensuring your home is both super-efficient and resilient. This book suits anyone aiming to build, renovate, or select a home with long-term energy savings and safety in mind, without needing specialized construction skills.

Julius Panero, with his deep expertise in interior design, crafted this extensive guide to streamline the decision-making process in space planning. You’ll find precise details on furniture selection, lighting, color choices, and even HVAC and plumbing options, all supported by clear scale drawings and over a thousand illustrations. Each section equips you with practical standards that save time without sacrificing creativity, making it easier to design both residential and commercial interiors. If you’re involved in interior design or managing space planning projects, this book offers a thorough reference to simplify complex choices and enhance your workflow.

Drawing from her experience as a decorator and HGTV star, Lauren Liess reveals how to create inviting spaces that balance style with comfort. The book explores six guiding principles such as timelessness, simplicity, and nature, illustrated through diverse homes—from a modern villa to a classic American foursquare. You’ll find detailed advice on blending old and new elements and embracing natural materials, making it ideal if you want a home that feels lived-in but stylish. This isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s an invitation to build a lifestyle that’s relaxed and full of personality, suited for anyone drawn to approachable, grounded interiors.

While working as a professional organizer, Nikki Boyd noticed that many people struggle to maintain a home that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Drawing from her experience with thousands of clients, she developed five core steps to create spaces that are organized and inviting. In this book, you’ll learn how to apply these steps room-by-room, balancing practical storage solutions with style, enhanced by inspiring photography throughout. If you want to bring warmth and order to your home that supports family gatherings and personal wellbeing, this guide offers clear insights without overwhelming jargon.

After decades covering interior design for French Elle and Elle Decor, Misha de Potestad brings a richly informed perspective to this exploration of early 20th-century industrial style. You’ll uncover how mass-produced, functional furniture emerged alongside the second industrial revolution, with chapters dedicated to lighting, seating, tables, storage, and curious objects that shaped modern spaces. The book offers a vivid look at the engineers and designers like Jean Prouvé who transformed raw materials into iconic forms, helping you appreciate the roots of today’s reclaimed industrial aesthetics. If you’re drawn to the intersection of history, design innovation, and practical style, this book will deepen your understanding and inspire your own spaces.

Michelle Ogundehin brings her architectural expertise and editorial insight to this thoughtful exploration of how your living space directly affects your well-being. Through her nine-step guide, you learn practical techniques to optimize light, space, and furniture choices—like why a dining table serves as a home's emotional center and how the right sofa supports comfort and health. This book suits anyone looking to reimagine their environment to cultivate calm, energy, or joy, whether renting or owning, large or small spaces. Its focus on the emotional and physical impact of design makes it a nuanced resource for anyone aiming to feel truly at home in their own surroundings.

Ashley Gilbreath’s expertise as a Southern-based interior designer shapes every page of this book, which explores how homes can truly bring families together through thoughtful design. You learn to balance comfort, style, and practicality, with chapters revealing how to use color, pattern, and architectural tweaks to create spaces that evolve with your family’s needs. For example, her discussion on weaving a client’s favorite color throughout a home offers concrete guidance on personalizing interiors. If you want a home that feels both inviting and enduring, this book offers a measured, relatable perspective grounded in real-world design challenges and traditions.

Pierre Yovanovitch's decades of experience as a Paris-based interior architect led to this rich visual and conceptual exploration of contemporary elegance rooted in French luxury. You’ll discover how he balances pared-back refinement with authentic materials like wood, stone, and metal, revealing a nuanced mastery of volume and line that transforms historic spaces into modern havens. The book offers detailed insights through projects such as a seventeenth-century château in Provence and a Brussels skating rink converted into a private art museum, showing you how to blend tradition with innovation in interior architecture. This book is ideal if you want to deepen your understanding of sophisticated interior spatial design and haute couture aesthetics in residential and commercial settings.

Drawing from his extensive experience designing environments for diverse clients, Chris Grimley delivers a detailed exploration of interior design principles that shape effective, innovative spaces. This book lays out 100 distinct concepts, each paired with clear definitions and vivid visual examples, helping you grasp how to enhance usability and creativity in your projects. Organized alphabetically and indexed by common design challenges, it works both as a learning tool and a quick reference. Whether you’re a student aiming to build foundational skills or a professional seeking fresh perspectives, this volume offers practical insights without overstating its reach.

Drawing from her extensive experience as 'The Nester' and a bestselling author, Myquillyn Smith distills decorating into approachable, universal truths that anyone can apply regardless of style or budget. You learn how to trust your instincts, use what you already own, and build momentum through small, satisfying improvements that add up to meaningful change. Chapters offer practical insights, such as understanding the emotional connection to your spaces and embracing imperfection as a design asset. This book suits anyone looking to make their home feel intentional and personal without overwhelm or unnecessary expense.

What happens when seasoned organizers with a broad client roster tackle home decluttering? Ann Lightfoot and Kate Pawlowski, founders of Done & Done Home, share an approach grounded in understanding how you live rather than imposing rigid systems. You’ll find strategies that address emotional attachments to belongings, prioritize quality over quantity, and offer room-by-room organizing tips that adapt to your lifestyle. Their use of real client stories brings these methods to life, showing you how to maintain order without feeling overwhelmed. This book suits anyone ready to rethink their space with practical, relatable guidance rather than strict rules.

When Chris Schapdick left his corporate career to launch Tiny Industrial, he brought firsthand experience of building award-winning tiny homes that balance creativity and practicality. In this book, you learn detailed construction techniques from foundation to finishing touches, including framing, roofing, plumbing, and custom furniture making. The guide walks you through the entire process of building a camper-style tiny house with clear photos and realistic cost and time estimates, helping you confidently tackle each stage. Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or someone committed to downsizing, this book offers a grounded roadmap to creating a small home on wheels that suits your lifestyle.

Drawing from her hands-on experience renovating a North Carolina fixer-upper, Myquillyn Smith offers a down-to-earth approach to seasonal home decorating that embraces simplicity and intentionality. You’ll learn how to create inviting spaces that celebrate the rhythms of the year without accumulating clutter or overspending, with practical tips on layering natural elements and focusing on meaningful details. Chapters guide you through balancing style with ease, including how to prepare your home for gatherings without stress and how to develop a personal decorating style that feels authentic. If you seek a relaxed, sustainable way to refresh your home throughout the seasons, this book provides clear direction without overwhelming you.