8 Best-Selling Decorating Books Millions Love

Recommended by Amber Lewis, Martha Stewart Living, and The Independent, these Decorating Books offer expert guidance and popular appeal.

Updated on June 26, 2025
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There's something special about books that both critics and crowds love, especially in a field like Decorating where personal style meets practical living. Millions have turned to these guides not just for inspiration but for proven strategies that help turn a house into a home. Decorating remains a top priority for many, blending aesthetics with functionality to create spaces that truly resonate.

Among the voices shaping this landscape are Amber Lewis, founder of Amber Interiors, whose book Made for Living marries comfort with style, endorsed by Martha Stewart Living for its approachable warmth. Then there's Frida Ramstedt, praised by The Independent for her clear, principle-driven The Interior Design Handbook. These experts have influenced countless readers seeking dependable advice.

While these popular books provide proven frameworks, readers seeking content tailored to their specific Decorating needs might consider creating a personalized Decorating book that combines these validated approaches with your unique style and goals.

Best for discerning furniture buyers
Christiane Lemieux, founder of Lemieux et Cie and author of Undecorate, brings her extensive design background and entrepreneurial success to this book. With roots from Parsons School of Design and a lifestyle brand that gained wide recognition, she channels her expertise into guiding you on how to choose furniture and textiles that endure. Having built DwellStudio before its acquisition by Wayfair, Lemieux understands both aesthetics and quality, making this book a trustworthy guide for anyone serious about decorating their home with timeless pieces.
2016·416 pages·Decorating, Furniture Design, Home Design, Style, Textile Quality

What sets this book apart is its focus on teaching you how to recognize truly enduring quality in home furnishings rather than chasing fleeting trends. Christiane Lemieux draws on interviews with top experts—textile fabricators, artisans, and designers—to reveal the subtle details that make furniture and decor timeless. For example, chapters on textiles explore the difference between mass-produced fabrics and heirloom-quality materials, giving you a sharp eye for investment pieces. This book suits anyone who wants to build a home environment that lasts, blending comfort with lasting style rather than quick fixes.

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Best for comfortable, layered interiors
Martha Stewart Living, a leading voice in lifestyle and home design, highlights Made for Living as an invitation to experience interiors that are both airy and inviting, a rare balance in today's fast-evolving decorating world. Their endorsement reflects how Amber Lewis’s approach resonates widely, offering readers a way to craft spaces that feel genuinely comfortable rather than overly curated. This recommendation underscores the book’s appeal to anyone eager to bring warmth and effortless style into their home.

Recommended by Martha Stewart Living

Made for Living invites you into dreamy homes that are light, bright, and—key these days—comfortable.

Unlike most decorating books that focus solely on style trends, Amber Lewis offers a fresh perspective centered on livability and layering. Drawing from her expertise running Amber Interiors and collaborations with major brands, she teaches you how to mix textures, patterns, and materials to create spaces that feel effortlessly lived in and personal. Chapters guide you through practical decisions, from selecting paint shades to choosing stone finishes, all infused with her signature California cool aesthetic. This book suits anyone wanting to design interiors that balance comfort with visual appeal without feeling staged or impersonal.

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Best for personal style plans
This AI-created book on home styling is tailored to your background, skill level, and specific decorating interests. You share what aspects of decorating you want to focus on and your personal goals, and the book is created to match exactly what you want to learn. Personalizing the content this way makes it easier to grasp the techniques that matter most for your style and space. It’s like having expert-approved guidance crafted just for you, helping you design spaces that truly feel like home.
2025·50-300 pages·Decorating, Home Decorating, Interior Styling, Color Coordination, Furniture Arrangement

This tailored book explores expert-approved methods for styling and decorating homes effectively, focusing on your unique interests and background. It covers essential principles of design, color coordination, spatial arrangement, and the art of combining textures and patterns. By matching content to your specific goals, this personalized guide reveals how to create harmonious and inviting living spaces that reflect your style. The book examines popular decorating techniques validated by millions, ensuring you gain knowledge that resonates with your tastes and ambitions. Through a customized approach, it helps you build confidence in home styling and understand how to translate inspiration into practical, beautiful results.

Tailored Guide
Decorating Techniques
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for approachable elegant design
Shea McGee founded Studio McGee with her husband in 2014, growing it into a nationally recognized design firm that has shaped hundreds of homes. Their journey expanded with the launch of McGee & Co. and the popular Netflix series Dream Home Makeover, now entering its third season. Shea’s vision of making beautiful design approachable underpins this book, where she distills years of expertise and a dedicated design philosophy into a guide for readers to create elevated yet welcoming homes.

Drawing from her extensive experience founding Studio McGee and designing hundreds of homes nationwide, Shea McGee offers a hands-on guide to transforming your living spaces into both elegant and inviting environments. You’ll explore a room-by-room approach, learning how to balance high-end aesthetics with everyday comfort, from entryways to kitchens and even utility rooms. Shea’s blend of personal stories and practical design principles helps you develop a clear process for manifesting your vision without feeling overwhelmed. This book suits anyone ready to rethink their home’s style with accessible yet refined strategies that don’t require a professional background.

Instant New York Times Bestseller
Published by Harper Horizon
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Best for simple, authentic living
Natalie Walton is an interior stylist and designer with more than 10 years of experience, whose work has appeared in leading global interior and lifestyle magazines. She has authored several bestselling books, including This is Home, reflecting her deep expertise in crafting authentic, heartfelt interiors. Her approach in this book emphasizes creating spaces that truly resonate with your personal values and lifestyle, rather than following fleeting trends, making her uniquely qualified to guide you toward a simpler, more meaningful home.
This is Home: The Art of Simple Living book cover

by Natalie Walton, Chris Warnes··You?

2018·240 pages·Decorating, Home Design, Interior Styling, Budget Planning, Sustainable Living

Unlike most decorating books that focus on trends or expensive makeovers, Natalie Walton and Chris Warnes offer a down-to-earth approach centered on simple, authentic living. You learn to identify your true decorating personality, balance aesthetics with functionality, and make mindful decisions about time and budget, guided by your values rather than fleeting styles. The book’s 16 case studies from diverse global homes provide concrete examples of creating timeless interiors without major renovations. If you’re looking to craft a home that genuinely reflects who you are today and supports your lifestyle, this book offers thoughtful, achievable insights, though it’s less suited for those seeking flashy, high-budget transformations.

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Best for foundational styling principles
The Independent, a respected British news publication, highlights this book as "[A] useful and easy approach to interior design." Their endorsement aligns with widespread reader enthusiasm for Frida Ramstedt's methodical take on styling. This approach resonates especially with those wanting clear, principle-based guidance rather than trend-chasing. Publisher's Weekly also praises it as "A first-rate way to ensure decorating success," underscoring its practical value for anyone eager to craft harmonious living spaces with confidence.

Recommended by The Independent

[A] useful and easy approach to interior design.

Frida Ramstedt's years coaching Scandinavian home stylists led her to develop a method that shifts focus from what you own to how you arrange it. This book unpacks fundamental design principles like the golden ratio, ideal furniture proportions, and lighting placement, offering clear explanations and illustrations that demystify interior design basics. You'll learn why certain layouts feel balanced and how to apply these rules to any space, regardless of style or size. If you're aiming to create a harmonious home that feels thoughtfully put together rather than cluttered, this book offers straightforward guidance without overwhelming jargon.

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Best for daily style refresh plans
This AI-created book on refreshing your decorating style is designed specifically for you based on your background, preferences, and goals. By focusing on what matters most to your personal taste and skill level, it offers a clear daily plan to help you transform your space within a month. Unlike generic guides, this tailored approach ensures you spend time on what truly fits your style journey, turning inspiration into manageable, meaningful steps.
2025·50-300 pages·Decorating, Decorating Basics, Style Assessment, Color Selection, Space Planning

This personalized book explores a month-long journey to refresh your decorating style, crafted to match your unique background and goals. It covers daily, achievable steps that guide you through transforming your space with confidence and creativity. The tailored content focuses on blending popular decorating principles with your individual tastes, allowing you to engage deeply with the material that matters most to your personal style evolution. By concentrating on your specific interests and pacing, this book reveals how incremental changes accumulate into a cohesive, refreshed living environment. Its approach encourages active participation and reflection, making the learning experience both practical and inspiring.

Tailored Guide
Style Transformation
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for creative styling insights
Athena Calderone, creator of the lifestyle site EyeSwoon and author of the James Beard award–winning cookbook Cook Beautiful, brings her refined eye and deep design sensibility to Live Beautiful. Rooted in her experience curating stylish, livable spaces, this book explores the creative impulses behind well-designed homes. Athena’s ability to translate inspiration into practical decorating insights makes this a valuable guide for anyone wanting to bring intention and beauty into their living environment.
Live Beautiful book cover

by Athena Calderone··You?

Athena Calderone, celebrated for her lifestyle site EyeSwoon and award-winning culinary writing, channels her design expertise into Live Beautiful, offering a nuanced look at how creatives shape their environments. Rather than merely showcasing pretty rooms, the book unpacks the inspirations and layered textures behind each curated space, offering detailed insights into patterns, collected objects, and personalized vignettes. You’ll gain a clear sense of why design choices work and how to apply these principles to your own home, bridging the gap between aesthetic appeal and lived experience. This book suits anyone eager to understand the artistry and intention behind thoughtful interior decorating without getting lost in jargon or superficial trends.

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Best for stylish home organization
Nikki Boyd is a professional organizer whose passion evolved from a hobby into a flourishing business and popular online presence. She leverages her expertise to help you bring beautiful order into your home through simple, effective steps. Her approachable style and extensive experience make this book a practical companion for anyone looking to create calm, stylish, and welcoming living spaces.

Nikki Boyd brings her professional organizing expertise and personal passion to this guide that unites function and style in home spaces. Drawing from her experience running a successful home organizing business and a popular YouTube channel, she distills five foundational steps that help you declutter and beautify every room. You'll find actionable guidance on creating welcoming atmospheres that promote calm and connection, supported by inspirational photography that sparks design ideas. This book suits anyone eager to transform their living environment into a balanced, inviting retreat without sacrificing aesthetic appeal.

Selected as Best Coffee Table Book by Stylecaster
Featured in New York Times and Real Simple
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Best for personal decorating stories
Erin T. Gates is an interior designer and blogger whose New York Times bestselling book draws on ten years of experience and a popular design blog. Featured in major publications like O, The Oprah Magazine and Elle Décor, Gates offers a personal yet practical approach to decorating that invites you to express yourself through your living space, making this book a trusted companion for anyone embarking on their first serious home decorating journey.

What happens when a seasoned interior designer channels a decade of hands-on experience into a book? Erin Gates presents a richly illustrated guide that merges practical home decorating advice with candid personal stories, from kitchen renovation mishaps to navigating style conflicts with family. You’ll gain insights on selecting materials, arranging furniture, and injecting personality into every room, all organized by space for easy reference. This book suits anyone eager to create a home that reflects their life’s quirks and charm rather than chasing perfection.

New York Times Bestseller
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Popular Decorating Strategies, Personalized

Get proven decorating methods tailored to your unique style and space.

Proven design techniques
Tailored style advice
Efficient decorating plans

Validated by expert recommendations and thousands of readers worldwide

Decorating Mastery Blueprint
30-Day Style System
Foundations of Decorating
The Decorating Success Code

Conclusion

This collection of eight best-selling Decorating books reflects a wide spectrum of approaches, from timeless quality in The Finer Things to personal storytelling in Elements of Style. A common thread is their focus on frameworks that readers have validated through repeated use and shared success.

If you prefer proven methods grounded in design principles, start with The Interior Design Handbook and The Art of Home. For validated approaches blending comfort and creativity, consider Made for Living alongside Live Beautiful. Each offers distinct pathways to a well-styled home.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized Decorating book to combine proven methods with your unique needs. These widely-adopted approaches have helped many readers succeed in crafting spaces that truly feel like home.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which book should I start with?

Start with The Interior Design Handbook for clear, fundamental principles that apply to any style. It lays a solid foundation before exploring more personal or stylistic books like Made for Living or The Finer Things. This sequence helps build confidence step-by-step.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to Decorating?

No, several books like This is Home and The Art of Home are designed for beginners, offering approachable advice without assuming prior experience. They focus on practical steps and personal style discovery.

What's the best order to read these books?

Begin with foundational guides like The Interior Design Handbook, then explore stylistic and personal narratives such as Live Beautiful and Elements of Style. Finally, delve into organizing strategies with Beautifully Organized to tie it all together.

Do I really need to read all of these, or can I just pick one?

You can definitely pick the one that best matches your goals—whether it’s timeless quality, creative styling, or organization. Each book stands on its own, but together they provide a richer, more nuanced understanding.

Which books focus more on theory vs. practical application?

The Interior Design Handbook leans toward design principles and theory, while Made for Living and Beautifully Organized emphasize practical, actionable advice for everyday decorating challenges.

Can I get tailored advice combining these approaches?

Absolutely. While these expert books offer valuable insights, personalized Decorating books can tailor these proven methods to your unique needs and style. See how to create a personalized Decorating book for a focused, custom approach.

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