I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a design book actually useful versus just pretty to look at. Don’t get me wrong, I love a beautiful coffee table book as much as anyone. But the best interior design books I keep coming back to are the ones that help me think about my house differently. The ones that give me language for what I’m seeing (or not seeing yet), that help me work through a problem I’ve been stuck on, or that make me want to move a lamp across the room just to see what happens.
This list is a mix of the best interior design books, with some grounded in foundational principles and others that are more about individual expression. This kind of expression is something that exists outside of any particular style or even the usual conversations about comfort and function. Some of these are technical enough to teach you the vocabulary of design (which is more useful than you’d think), while others are more about developing your eye and trusting what you notice. I chose them because they’ve each shifted something in how I see and interact with my own home.
I think you’ll like them, too.
Read on for 10 of the best interior design books I’m loving right now.
1. The Essentials: The Art of Interior Design by Caitlin Flemming and Julie Goebel
I love this book because it starts with how to hone in your eye. If you’ve been wanting to learn how rooms come together, this is a great one for you.
2. Sacred Spaces by Carley Summers
Carley is one of the voices in our online space that I truly cherish. She embodies what creating a home means—fusing beauty, meaning, story, and place into something whole. This book feels like traveling with her across the globe in search of kindred spirits, where she asks the questions we so often gloss over when working on our home projects. It reminds us that our stories can be told through the spaces we create, not just the words we write.
3. Every Room Should Sing by Beata Heuman
Heuman’s approach is all about personality and joy. Sounds simple, but it is actually quite radical, given that so much design advice is about creating a “timeless” or “classic” home. This book gave me permission to trust my instincts about color and pattern and reminded me that homes are supposed to be places where you feel yourself fully. Sometimes it doesn’t look like anything you’ve seen before.
4. Golden Light by Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe
Interior design firm Nickey Kehoe creates spaces that transcend style. Their work operates on a different level entirely, where personality takes center stage, and the rooms feel like they revealed themselves rather than being designed. It’s masterful without ever feeling forced. This book is as close as interior design gets to art.
5. Portraits of Home by Krista Schrock and David John Dick
What I appreciate about this book is how it treats homes as living portraits of the people who inhabit them. It’s not about achieving a particular look but about understanding what your choices are revealing and whether those choices still feel true. It’s made me more intentional about what stays and what goes, and why.
6. Start with the Art by Natalie Papier and Stephanie Sisco
This book’s premise is simple: Use art as your starting point and build the room around it. But what makes this book valuable is how it reframes the decorating process entirely. Instead of worrying about getting everything “right,” you’re following something that already speaks to you. It’s a confidence-building reframe that takes some of the pressure off.
7. Elements of Timeless Style by Erin Gates
This book is grounded in a foundational, lasting style and packed with tips on execution. Gates covers the elements that create spaces with longevity. The use of quality materials, proper scale, and classic color combinations matters, but it doesn’t mean you need to strip your house of personality. It’s a good balance of practical and aspirational. I love that personal stories are woven throughout.
8. Uncommon Kitchens by Sophie Donelson
This book celebrates kitchens that break the rules, and honestly, I needed that. I was so stuck in ideas about what a kitchen “should” be that I couldn’t see what mine could be. The examples here aren’t necessarily what I’d want in my own home, but they opened up possibilities I hadn’t considered and reminded me that even the most functional rooms can express something.
9. The New Design Rules by Emily Henderson
This book is really helpful in teaching design terms and technical elements, so you can speak the language of design. Henderson breaks down concepts like visual weight, color theory, and layout in a way that feels accessible and immediately applicable. Once you understand what you’re looking at, you can make better decisions about what to change—and what to leave alone.
10. The Interior Design Handbook by Frida Ramstedt
This is another foundational book that covers everything from furniture arrangement to lighting to spatial planning. What sets it apart is how clearly it’s written—Ramstedt doesn’t assume you know anything going in, and she explains concepts in a straightforward way that makes you feel capable rather than overwhelmed. It’s the book I’d hand someone who’s never thought about design before but wants to start.
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Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.
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