A Shortlist of Interior Design Books Worth Having on Your Shelf

We don’t rely much on interior designers. Most of us figure things out as we go, adjusting the rug, shifting furniture, trying to make a room look a little more balanced. And honestly, it works. We manage to set up spaces that feel good and look right enough. But you can take it a step further by adding a few professional touches. And no, that doesn’t mean calling in a designer. The right interior design books can teach you how to think about proportion, layout, color, and light in a more intentional way. 

9 Interior Design Books

The interior design books below are worth keeping on your shelf, because they’ll make the spaces you live in easier to understand and better to live in.

Start Here: The Interior Design Handbook by Frida Ramstedt

When it comes to breaking down interior design in a way that feels accessible but still thorough, this book hits the mark. Ramstedt lays out everything from spatial measurements and lighting rules to how to balance visual weight in a room—all in plain language.

It’s not trying to impress anyone with design lingo. Instead, it functions more like a tool—something that helps make better, more confident choices. Whether the goal is to create cohesion between rooms or figure out why a certain layout feels awkward, this book offers practical answers without fluff.

A Design Course in Book Form: New York School of Interior Design: Home

This is the book that feels like a full design course wrapped in linen covers. Dense but rewarding, it pulls from the curriculum of one of the most respected design schools in the U.S. and manages to translate that rigor into something readable and visually rich.

What makes this one standout is its professional structure—starting with client needs and moving through materials, furnishings, finishes, and flow. It’s especially useful for people who want more than visual inspiration. Each chapter feels intentional, offering technical breakdowns of window treatments, scale, lighting, and room composition without veering into textbook dryness.

Made for Living by Amber Lewis 

Amber Lewis’s style, often categorized as organic modern, has become something of a design language on its own. This book reflects that signature look, filled with layered textiles, earthy tones, and lived-in minimalism that doesn’t feel sterile.

What’s refreshing here is how approachable the rooms feel. They’re curated, yes, but not overly polished. The commentary is brief, more like nudges than rules, with a clear sense of how Lewis thinks through materials and palettes.

Homebody by Joanna Gaines

Organized room by room, this one’s easy to navigate if you’re working on one space at a time. From kitchens to bedrooms, each chapter walks through foundational design elements, style references, and visual examples that feel rooted in comfort and utility.

One section that stands out focuses on identifying your design style—not in a rigid or trendy way, but by helping build confidence in your own taste. Whether leaning traditional, farmhouse, or transitional, Gaines helps readers interpret what works for them and why. The book also touches on architectural styles and offers real-life project examples without becoming overwhelming.

Domino: The Book of Decorating

This one’s a classic, and for good reason. It leans colorful, a bit playful, and brims with personality-driven interiors that don’t feel stuck in one aesthetic lane. What keeps it relevant is its ability to balance style and function, offering quick ideas without sacrificing depth.

Room-specific chapters, charts, and quick reference tips make it as useful as it is good-looking. 

Home Therapy by Anita Yokota

Where this book really stands out is in the way it connects emotional well-being to the spaces people inhabit. Designed around four domains—individual, communal, organizational, and renewal—it pushes readers to consider how layout, storage, and function impact mood and mental clarity.

Yokota’s background in therapy lends the book a quiet depth, one that encourages intention without preaching a specific style. This book is especially helpful for those navigating transitions—new homes, new routines, or just a desire for something that feels more aligned with personal rhythm.

A Toolbox Essential: Interior Design Reference + Specification Book

This is not the kind of book that shows up in Instagram photos, but it’s one of the most useful ones out there. Compact and packed with technical details, it’s ideal for quick answers to questions about lighting temperature, floorplan notation, door clearances, and accessibility standards.

Think of it as a field guide—small enough to keep nearby, smart enough to save hours of googling. While it won’t inspire your next color palette, it will help make sure your pendant light isn’t hung too low, or your rug isn’t undersized for the space. Essential in a different but equally important way.

Color Confidence: The Color Scheme Bible by Anna Starmer

Color often trips people up more than furniture placement or style mixing. This book breaks it down clearly, offering over 150 curated color palettes, each with examples of how to use primary, secondary, and accent tones effectively.

It starts with the basics of color theory but moves quickly into application. Flip to a page, find a combination that resonates, and suddenly the process of choosing paint, fabric, and accessories feels less chaotic. 

Create: At Home With Old & New by Ali Heath

This title focuses on balance, specifically the blend of vintage and modern. Heath showcases projects that thoughtfully pair antiques, thrifted finds, and contemporary elements to create spaces that feel layered, textured, and distinctly personal.

The book encourages sourcing slowly, letting a space evolve through meaningful pieces, not just fast design fixes. It’s also visually rich, with an understated style that steers clear of trend-chasing.