Embracing a certain aesthetic isn’t just about dressing the part – it’s about transforming your entire being and the space it occupies into an artistic dreamscape.
As such, interior design is yet another vehicle through which we can express ourselves while creating a comfortable, cosy, and relaxing home for the whole family to enjoy. However, with the sheer number of styles in the mix, choosing an aesthetic that you feel accurately reflects your personal style and general lifestyle is no simple feat.
From David Hicks and Terence Conran’s breathtakingly eclectic designs throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, to David Bentheim’s vintage-inspired, yet wonderfully modern London flat, the best interior designers breathe creative energy into their spaces, and you can too.
Likewise, contemporary TikTok stars including the likes of Dani KlariÄ and Phoebe O’Neill have imbued the art of interior design with a newfound, inner-child-healing sense of joy.
While KlariÄ in particular is fantastic at using modern trends to inspire her joy-sparking spaces, she does so in a manner that is sustainable, durable, and wholeheartedly unique – a work ethic that could serve to inspire the rest of us when it comes to our own homes.
With so much on offer in the realm of interior design inspiration, it can be difficult to know where to start. Whether you’re teetering into maximalist territory or are simply looking for unique trend-led designs to inspire your next interior makeover, hitting the books is a fantastic way to gain inspiration.
Plus, the collection of architectural and design books your garner on your journey can themselves be used to decorate your space as coffee table books. It’s a win-win situation.
We’ve curated a selection of some of the best books on interior design for when Pinterest just doesn’t cut it.
Keep scrolling to get inspired.
Josef Frank – Against Design
Austria-born architect, artist and designer Josef Frank may have left us in 1967, but his rule-breaking influence within the world of interior design continues to live on to this day. The founder of the Vienna School of Architecture and its infamous conceptualisation of Modern housing and interiors, we can all learn a thing or two from Frank about going against the grain.
Though famous for his bright, bohemian and soulful prints and patterns, Frank was adamant about creating practical, liveable spaces rooted in social experience. Ditching the stiff formality of design Laws, Frank’s ability to transcend the rules while remaining pragmatic about creating liveable spaces makes this book a must-read for all budding designers.
Buy now £42.63, Amazon
The Life Eclectic: Brilliantly Unique Interior Designs from Around the World by Alexander Breeze
A collection of 15 eclectic spaces from across the globe, Alexander Breeze meticulously compiles some of the most inspiring homes from the UK, US, Australia, France, and Denmark to teach us a much-needed lesson about how natural-born creatives and experts within their fields decorate their own homes. Pick up this beautiful collection to learn about mismatching furniture and knick-knacks in all the right ways.
Buy now £33.00, Waterstones
Eames by Gloria Koenig
This 96-page timeline of Ray and Charles Eames’ utterly iconic furniture pieces, as well as the infamous Eames house in the Pacific Palisades, might well be all you need to get inspired for your next home makeover.
The epitome of mid-century modern design, the married couple’s design house was active for more than four decades in the heart of Venice in Los Angeles and continues to inspire contemporary design trends to this day.
Buy now £20.00, Bed Threads
Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People
If all you need to inspire you are the homes of world-famous celebrities, Vogue Living’s star-studded collation of some of the most star-studded homes on the planet has got you covered. Featuring an insider’s look into spaces inhabited by the likes of Madonna, Karl Lagerfeld, and Christian Louboutin –see how the other half live while furiously scribbling down notes on how to replicate such opulent luxury in your own space.
Buy now £68.82, Amazon
Perfect English Style by Ros Byam Shaw
Ros Byam Shaw encapsulates the perennial charm of English countryside décor in this lovely collection of vintage-inspired, yet wonderfully contemporary and relaxed, English homes from up and down the country. From broad-stroke ideas regarding colour schemes and patterns to focus on, to honing in on the specifics associated with antique furnishings – we’d recommend Shaw’s book to anyone looking to replicate countryside kitsch into their home, wherever it may be.
Buy now £17.49, Amazon
Woman Made: Great Women Designers by Jane Hall
A glorious celebration of the work of over 200 famous female visionaries who have each made wonderfully unique and wholly significant waves within the world of interior design over the last few decades, we couldn’t think of a more inspiring addition to your personal design library.
Buy now £32.79, Amazon
Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style (Hardback)
Published for Architectural Digest’s 100th year anniversary, this book is a rich visual portrayal of the magazine’s first century.
It’s a collection of the best from the magazine’s pages, from personal spaces of celebrities like Barak Obama and David Bowie to the work of top designers and architects like David Hicks and India Mahdavi, it’s a feast for the eyes of any fan of architecture, interiors and design.
Buy now £90.00, Waterstones
Phaidon Press Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses
Since the mid-century itself, the aesthetic of the era has never been more popular than it is now. Featuring over 400 homes from 40 countries, it showcases those built between the 40s and 60s, and will provide great inspiration for any stylish space today.
Buy now £72.00, Farfetch
Axel Vervoordt: Portraits of Interiors
Known for his art and antique dealing empire, as well as his impressive interior design, Axel Vervoordt is a Belgian entrepreneur worth knowing about - as proven by this beautiful collection of his eighteen recently designed houses. By incorporating nature, art and timelessness, he encourages self-reflection and positivity.
Buy now £47.35, Amazon
