Books on interior decorating

12 Best Interior Design Books

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These books on décor are beautiful enough to be décor—and are filled with smart ideas to spruce up your space

Pro Picks

‘Japanese Interiors’ offers a peek at minimalist and historic homes. PHOTO: Buy Side from WSJ Photo Illustration/Mihoko Iida/Phaidon

Oct. 23, 2022 8:00 am ET

By Juliet Izon

Looking for design inspiration? With the ubiquitousness of online interior-design sources, it’s easy to comb through, say, thousands of wallpaper options in just a few minutes, but it can also be the equivalent of turning on a firehose to water a single seedling. The best interior design books, on the other hand, grant readers a portal into a tightly edited, beautiful collection of ideas and images. To narrow down the top tomes, we asked a handful of decorating pros—interior designers, architects and more—to share their all-time favorites.

Evocative eye candy

Anne Hepfer

MOOD: Interiors & Inspiration

$55 at Amazon

$60 at Barnes&Noble

What if instead of decorating based on a specific design philosophy, you went by pure feeling? This is the ethos of Hepfer’s book “Mood,” which showcases interiors inspired by seven emotions: happy, relaxed, energized, cozy, sexy, tranquil and nostalgic. It’s a go-to for designer Kevin Francis O’Gara, founder of Kevin Francis Design in Atlanta, who loves that it includes Hepfer’s personal sources of inspiration (specific foods and playlists, for example). San Diego-based designer Rachel Larraine incorporates the book into her design process: “It makes a great ice breaker when trying to discover the look my client wants to create. ” She adds that the way they respond to what they’re seeing and feeling in the photographs helps them articulate what they want in their home.

Anthology of artful interiors

Summer Thornton

Wonderland: Adventures in Decorating

$45 at Amazon

$50 Save $5

$45 at Barnes&Noble

The projects in this book range from a tropical vacation home inspired by citrus to her own “fearless romantic”-style city home. Francis O’Gara has been following the author, Chicago-based designer Summer Thornton, on Instagram for years, admiring her work’s “bold, yet inviting nature” he says, “and the way things don’t quite match, which is a nuanced design skill that most don’t dare to master.” And the photos don’t just speak for themselves—throughout the book, Thornton walks readers through her thought process, explaining a surprisingly dark paint color choice (to bring some intimacy to a room with many openings), for example, and an unusual wallpaper pick (pink with giant birds, to inject levity into the bathroom of an otherwise polished-looking apartment).

Fresh take on abodes abroad

Danielle Demetriou

Mihoko Iida, with contributions

$65 at Amazon

$80 at Barnes&Noble

There’s something relaxing about looking at Japanese interiors, says artist and philosopher Shantell Martin, who lived in Japan for five years and is “slightly obsessed” with Japanese architecture, Edo Period art and minimal interiors in general. “They can feel refreshing, and at times, also like they are out of a sci-fi movie,” she says. This is the book she frequently pages through for visual inspiration. Featuring 28 Japanese abodes, from urban apartments to seaside estates—many designed by the country’s leading architects—it gives readers a peek at breathtaking spaces that bring the outdoors in, play up natural light in creative ways and more.

Deep dive on furniture’s First Couple

Gloria Koenig

Eames

$15 at Amazon

$20 at Barnes&Noble

While the Eames chair is one of the more recognizable pieces of mid-century modern design, the story of the duo who designed it, Charles Eames and Ray Kaiser Eames, is less known but also inspiring, according to Matthew Miller, principal and founder of StudioLAB, a design firm in New York City. “They’re an amazing couple who shaped the design and furniture industry into what mid-century modern is today,” he says. This book explores not only their furniture but also their photography, film and textile design, says Miller, who frequently includes Eames pieces in his interiors and considers the book a valuable reference that can spark decorating ideas for anyone.

Lessons in contemporary design

Nicole Hollis

Curated Interiors

$49 at Amazon

$60 Save $11

$60 at Barnes&Noble

Anyone who loves decorating with natural or found objects and raw materials will appreciate this compilation of designer Nicole Hollis’s spaces, says event designer Jung Lee, owner of an eponymous home-goods boutique in New York City. The book features many of the Hollis’s “timeless interiors that blend with the environment,” from an open-plan property perched on a Kona lava field to a black and white pied-a-terre in San Francisco, says Lee, and offers ideas for enhancing neutral spaces with a strategic use of black and an array of textures.

Spotlight on over-the-top rooms

Gestalten Editors

House of Glam

$43 at Amazon

$69 at Barnes&Noble

Maximalist pattern mixing and an abundance of color are the focus of “The House of Glam,” the book that Jessica McCarthy, director of interior design at Blueground, a furnished-apartment company based in New York City, relies on most. It’s packed with playfully sophisticated details like saturated paint shades on walls, wildly geometric designs on floors and whimsical objets on display. “Whenever I start a new project, I look to this book to get creative, and then I tone it down a bit in the execution,” she says.

Guide to global spaces

Phaidon Editors and William Norwich

Interiors: The Greatest Rooms of the Century

$70 at Amazon

This coffee table-size tome features hundreds of living spaces from all over the world, so it naturally appeals to Joanne Behrens, who, as a vice president of design and project services for Rosewood Hotels, has learned to be fluent in many different design philosophies. The rooms come from renowned designers like Anouska Hempel and Kelly Hoppen as well as fashion designers, filmmakers and musical notables. (One standout: Cole Porter’s swanky Manhattan place, designed by famed designer Billy Baldwin.) And because the book cover comes in four different colors, Behrens points out, “you can get a copy that doubles as decor for nearly any space.”

Maximalist compendium

Ken Fulk

Ken Fulk: The Movie in My Mind

$93 at Amazon

$95 at Assouline

Mariam Naficy, San Francisco-based founder of Minted, knows and appreciates a fellow creative when she sees one. So it’s little surprise that one of her favorite décor books is a collection of New York City-based designer Ken Fulk’s dramatically layered spaces, with descriptions of his unique process of “seeing a story and an experience in his head before he starts designing,” Naficy says. Inside are full-bleed photos of a restaurant, private plane and homes he has designed, including a refined-rustic Napa Valley farmhouse.

Primer on “Mod-Baroque” interiors

Kelly Wearstler

Kelly Wearstler: Evocative Style

$31 at Amazon

$55 at Banres&Noble

Known for her refined-eclectic style, Los Angeles-based designer Kelly Wearstler has sustained a big following for decades, and this book featuring her residential and hotel properties around the country has longevity too. Wearstler’s ability to combine a “museum-like lavishness” with comfort and functionality is an aspect Lina Benedetti, interior designer and creative director of Benedetta swimwear, admires most. “Her craft is making luxury effortless,” Benedetti says, and because the book includes all kinds of examples—Wearstler’s use of bold colors, striking prints, the interplay of geometric shapes—it’s one of her most valued references.

Love letter to coastal style

Tricia Foley

A Summer Place: Living by the Sea

$41 at Amazon

$50 at Barnes&Noble

The charming seaside area of Bellport-Brookhaven, N.Y., is the setting for “A Summer Place,” which showcases the beauty of this special inlet through its homes, from modern builds to centuries-old shingle-style cottages. It’s a top pick of Maneesh K. Goyal, partner and co-founder of Sona and Sona Home in New York City, not only because he’s a fan of the destination but also for the book’s airy aesthetic and expert tips on hosting, flower arranging and more.

Closeup of elegant, pet-friendly spaces

Nicole England

Resident Dog (Volume Two): Incredible Homes and the Dogs Who Live There

$41 at Amazon

$50 at Barnes&Noble

Dog lovers will be drawn to this thoughtful collection of canine-centric homes, promises Martin, who lives and works in Los Angeles and New York City. “I often wonder about the different lives that dogs may lead and the different types of homes they may inhabit,” she says. Inside are striking photos of two dozen homes with disparate design styles—from a minimalist, hot pink-accented estate in Mexico City to a charming London townhouse with floating storage solutions—each with an appearance by the home owner’s pooch, bringing the spaces to life.

Pattern-mixing made easy

Nathalie Farman-Farma

Decors Barbares: The Enchanting Interiors of Nathalie Farman-Farma

$56 at Amazon

$60 at Barnes&Noble

When it comes to exuberant aesthetics, this book is the gold standard for Abigail Cook Stone, cofounder of Otherland candles in New York City. It takes readers through designer Nathalie Farman-Farma’s elaborately decorated homes in Connecticut, Lake Tahoe and London, many of which feature her own Décors Barbares fabric along with antique textiles. Farman-Farma’s penchant for fantastic prints and pattern-layering is so inspiring, Cook Stone says, that it gave her ideas for both her personal home décor and her Homestead collection of candles.

The advice, recommendations or rankings expressed in this article are those of the Buy Side from WSJ editorial team, and have not been reviewed or endorsed by our commercial partners.

12 Design Books Every Design-Lover Should Own

Design*Sponge at Home, by Grace Bonney (Artisan, 2011)
Billing itself the ‘home decor bible,’ this comprehensive book from the much-beloved blog Design*Sponge features tours of real homes, DIY projects, and before-and-afters that will leave its readers ready to drop what they’re doing and head to Home Depot.

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, by Robert Caro (Vintage, 1975)
“Not so much a design book at all, really, but the first book that made me fall in love with the shape of cities, New York’s in particular, and urban design in general,” says AD digital editor David Foxley of this mammoth classic (it clocks in at 1344 pages in length).

Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People (Knopf, 2007) and Vogue Living: Country, City, Coast (Knopf, 2017) by Hamish Bowles
“These Vogue Living books are the best,” says Kathryn Given, AD’s associate market editor. “The old one that came out in 2007 is an endless source of inspiration and every page is eye candy. The latest title just came out last month, and I can’t wait to dive in. For someone just starting out these books are so visually stimulating, and it’s so interesting to see how these famous tastemakers decorate.”

Holiday House: Ten Years of Decorating for a Cure, by Iris Dankner (Pointed Leaf Press, 2017)
“As the name implies, it’s a compilation of the past decade’s most memorable rooms at the annual designer showcase, which raises funds for breast cancer awareness and research,” says designer Patrick McGrath. “The book is a fun gift because readers can see how different designers manipulate the same space to different effects.”

Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating, by Lauren Liess (Abrams, 2015)
This book from Lauren Liess, creator of the popular blog Pure Style Home, delves into her signature aesthetic: mixing vintage with new, quirky with sophisticated, and bringing the outdoors in. It contains valuable lessons on interior design basics from lighting to furniture layouts—to what Liess deems the equally important “intangibles” that ultimately create the mood you want.

The Death and Life of Great American Cities, by Jane Jacobs (Random House, 1961)
“Any budding design-lover would be lucky to receive this classic—which is actually as captivating a read as it’s chalked up to be—at the start of their career,” says AD digital design editor Amanda Sims. “Written by none other than the mother of modern urban planning herself, Jane Jacobs, it’s the book that made me realize design could truly make a difference (and that there’s always a difference needing to be made).”

Keith Haring, by Jeffrey Deitch and Julia Gruen (Rizzoli, 2014)
“It is the perfect book of art, design, function, decor, etc.,” says Xandro Aventajado of Current Interiors. “It’s just absolutely perfect in every way down to its size . . . The book is about Haring’s concepts and research and contains a lot of his unpublished photos, written materials, drawings, and journal entries. This was the last book published before his untimely death.”

Read online "Do-it-yourself interior decoration" - LitRes

Introduction

Everyone can now make the interior of an apartment or house beautiful - if there is a desire. Moreover, the days when people were content with a meager set of traditional building materials and finishing methods have passed.

The latest technologies and materials are gradually replacing the boring features of the interior of the Soviet era. For example, at present, the walls are no longer whitewashed, even pasting them with classic paper wallpaper has become out of fashion. Decorative plaster, paintable wallpaper and liquid wallpaper - these are the materials that allow you to keep up with the times. nine0005

As for the repair of ceilings and floors, a wide variety of materials are now used for this type of work, which is sometimes difficult to understand even for a specialist. After all, now it’s rare for anyone to whiten or paint ceilings - modern materials are most often chosen for their repair. In some cases, a team of professionals is invited to repair ceilings.

In addition, each type of building materials requires certain tools and fixtures, adhesives and additional fittings, without which it is impossible to make quality repairs. nine0005

With the help of this book, you will be able to carry out most of the repair work yourself, easily understand the variety of the latest finishing materials and building tools, and, without resorting to the help of a designer, make the interior of your apartment truly stylish.

Modern interior design

Starting redevelopment and interior decoration of an apartment or house, think over the style of the future interior in advance. After all, how comfortable you will feel at home depends on the right design, furnishings, elements and other things. nine0005

Even some mixing of styles is acceptable in modern apartments. For example, in a classic interior there may be elements of avant-garde design.

Purchase finishing materials only after you decide on a particular style and think over and plan all the finishing elements yourself or with the help of a qualified designer.

Your main task is not to make mistakes in the design of the room. Otherwise, the layout of the apartment will turn out to be inconvenient, and its details that you liked separately, assembled together, will contradict each other. nine0005

Therefore, first choose a common line that will be traced in the design of the house, and be sure to select the individual elements of the interior that harmonize with each other.

Avant-garde

If you are an independent person with unconventional thinking and original taste, feel free to choose an avant-garde interior style.

The main role in such an interior is played by color - you can combine any colors, but on the condition that they form an organic ensemble and will not look vulgar. nine0005

If you have chosen an avant-garde style, you don't have to spend money on wallpaper - the walls in such rooms are painted in different colors, since the avant-garde style is created on contrasts.

As far as furniture is concerned, a classic set will not suit this style - every detail of the furnishings must be original.

Empire style

If you prefer loneliness to noisy companies, are often thoughtful and love luxury, you will feel very comfortable in an Empire style apartment (Fig. 1). nine0005

To complement your decor, choose massive floor lamps with shades made of fabric that harmonize with the material with which the walls are pasted over and the drapery is made.

Design in this style is distinguished by clear forms, intricate finishes, as well as some heaviness and at the same time suggests luxury: heavy draperies, ancient engravings, paintings in expensive frames, embossing, metal decorations, huge chandeliers, etc.

From wallpaper better refuse - the walls in apartments in the Empire style, as a rule, are pasted over with a cloth. When choosing furniture, give preference to low cabinets and mahogany chests of drawers and soft leather armchairs and sofas. nine0005

Fig. 1. Empire style living room

English style

If you are a supporter of the English style, remember that it is based on mahogany, walnut or oak furniture, in harmony with walls pasted over with wallpaper in warm colors, carpets on the floor, velvet or tapestry drapery, as well as a fireplace lined with marble or finished with carved wood decor. This interior is distinguished by elegance and comfort.

Walls

For walls, choose heavy textured wallpaper in combination with wood paneling, cornices, moldings and pilasters. You can paint the walls if you wish. In this case, you should break the paint into three levels, as was done in the days of Queen Victoria, using any color - from calm to the most daring. In addition, wall coverings with heraldic designs, flowers or classic stripes are suitable for wall decoration. nine0005

If you want to finish your walls like they did during the reign of Queen Victoria, go for terracotta wallpaper. For painted walls, use three colors, the borders of which are decorated with wood trim. You can paste over the lower part of the wall with embossed wallpaper.

A favorite design technique when creating an interior in the English style is a frieze under stucco molding. As a material for it, you can use polyurethane or foamed vinyl. nine0005

Flooring

Striped parquet flooring is best suited for this style and should be laid so that the wood grain pattern is clearly visible. You can also use a neutral-colored carpet with a calm pattern for the floor. And, as already noted, the English-style room must have carpets.

As for the floors in the hallway, kitchen, bathroom and toilet, you can use ceramic tiles for their facing - best of all black and white, laid in a checkerboard pattern, or terracotta shades with a geometric pattern. nine0005

Textiles and accessories

Fabrics and accessories for interiors in the English style should create an atmosphere of luxury and stability, but at the same time create comfort in the apartment.

The English style is characterized by drapery with tails, tasseled cords and pelmets on the windows.

When choosing a fabric, pay attention to its pattern. It should be a traditional English stripe, polka dots, “cucumbers”, acanthus leaf, etc. In addition, look at the texture of the fabric, which should be noble: damask, velvet, chintz. nine0005

Accessorize with crystal and gilt to match rich picture frames, beautiful lamps and carved furnishings.

Antique

If you're into antique style, you're in for a disappointment, as designers don't recommend using it to decorate your entire apartment. You can create antique style only in a separate room of the house - best of all in the living room. Decorate its walls with paintings or cladding, floors with mosaics and carpets, and paint and complement the ceiling with relief images. Be sure to include huge vases with drawings, small chests and small terracotta figurines in the living room furnishings. nine0005

When choosing a color scheme, stop at shades of gold, yellow, blue, green, red, black, as well as ivory.

Art Deco

If you want the interior of your apartment to harmoniously combine oriental motifs, elements of antiquity and masterpieces of art from the first half of the 20th century, choose the Art Deco style (Fig. 2), since only it involves mixing a variety of styles , decorative elements and color combinations.

Fabrics, glass, bronze, ceramics, marble, cube-patterned carpets, fans, wrought-iron gratings can be used as finishing and decoration materials. When choosing furniture, give preference to sets made of light wood and leather. nine0005

Fig. 2. Art Deco room

African style

If you are energetic and temperamental, choose the African style, which ranks first among exotic trends in modern interiors.

By choosing this style, you can accurately reproduce an African hut in the interior, or you can simply add just a few touches typical of this direction to the design. It depends both on your desire and on the purpose of the room. As a rule, only public institutions (cafes, restaurants, bars) are fully decorated in African style. As for the apartments, it is better to solve their interior with a moderate accent of decor, since African items go well with even the most modern design. For example, on a strict sofa, you can throw a bright blanket with an intricate pattern and put soft multi-colored pillows, and put unusual figurines next to it. nine0005

African-inspired interiors can be complemented with household items and simple utensils: wooden fruit dishes, stylized lanterns, ritual masks, exotic sculptures and paintings in the style of naive art.

You can decorate the room with curtains with embroidered animal figures, and complement the interior with wooden vases decorated with bamboo sticks, colorful trays, Moroccan floor lamps, ritual masks, Spanish-Moorish chests made of ebony, covered with camel skin and inlaid with brass and copper. nine0005

If you have chosen an African style, try to decorate the interior in yellow, red, orange and other warm colors.

Baroque

If you are the owner of a country house, the architectural elements of which are made in the Baroque style, you may well decorate the interior of the premises in this style (Fig. 3).

Furniture

Baroque furniture decor elements are impressive in terms of volume, they use carvings, metal plates and mosaics from various wood species. Indispensable details of the interior are chaise lounges, canapés (couches with six or eight legs), bureaus and bookcases. nine0005

Baroque houses are characterized by convex and concave facades, decorated with twisted columns, pilasters and stucco.

In the bedroom, be sure to include a bed decorated with a canopy and feather plumes, a chest of drawers, as well as sculptures and antique vases.

Fig. 3. Living room in the Baroque style

Textiles

Particular attention is paid to materials in the interior of the Baroque style. To decorate rooms, choose tapestries, brocade, velvet and satin. Also, when creating an interior, use fabrics with a bright pattern (colorful birds, flowers, leaves, oriental landscapes, etc.). nine0005

Lighting

In addition to luxurious chandeliers, which are indispensable parts of the interior in the Baroque style, you can use candelabra, girandoles, chandeliers and candlesticks as light sources. Moreover, fix the candelabra and girandoles on the floor or walls.

Gothic style

When designing an interior in the Gothic style, focus on the walls: line them with wood or decorate them with paintings and carpets. Paintings depicting landscapes and still lifes are not used in such an interior, so it is better to give preference to woodcuts and portraiture. nine0005

A beautifully designed fireplace or tiled stove should be at the center of a Gothic interior.

To furnish the room, use tall double-leaf cabinets with four, six or nine panels, sideboards on high legs, chests covered with leather, upholstered furniture decorated with wood carvings or metal fittings and upholstered in fabric with intricate patterns.

Characteristic architectural elements of the interior in the Gothic style are slender columns, complex vaults and rose-shaped windows. nine0005

As for the colors that dominate this interior, your best bet is to opt for red, yellow, brown, purple, ruby, black, pink and green.

Indian style

The main elements of the interior in the Indian style are pieces of furniture: a low wicker bed-frame on four legs with supports passed through them, stools with a wicker seat and carved lacquered legs, lacquered tables, wicker screens. nine0005

For an Indian-inspired interior, choose low-cut, hand-sawn, solid wood furniture.

It is worth noting that all Indian-style furnishings must be lacquered. At the same time, for its processing, you can use both ordinary and colored varnish. The latter is best used for varnishing turned furniture elements. In addition, choose furniture decorated with ebony, mother-of-pearl, ivory, and ivory carvings. nine0005

Turquoise, crimson and orange colors are typical for modern Indian style. When using fabric for draperies and curtains, give preference to Indian silk.

Country

When choosing a country style, remember that it is characterized by an abundance of textiles: on windows, screens, upholstered furniture, as decorations on walls and tables. No less important details of the country-style interior are a fireplace and natural wood furniture.

This style is best suited for small, low-ceilinged rooms without elaborate architectural details. Kitchens and wicker, unpainted country-style furniture are currently popular. nine0005

Greek Country

This style is simple: whitewashed walls, brightly painted doors and window frames, minimal furniture (wooden), colorful vases and fruit trays.

German Country

Rooms in this style should be finished with natural wood and painted in soft colors. To decorate the interior, use antique-styled lamps, metal figurines and antique dishes.

Slavic country

Having chosen Slavic country, use national decor elements - paintings, tiles, stained-glass windows and carvings. For interior decoration, use only natural materials: stone, wood, cork. nine0005

The main features of American country are simplicity, minimalism of decoration, clarity of form and functionality.

Kitsch

Kitsch-style interiors come into fashion when the old good manners get boring. Historically, this usually coincides with social or economic crises, when the situation becomes unstable, and society is waiting for change. And so the fashion for such an interior is relatively short-lived. However, there are people in whose character a certain nihilism is present by nature: they like to refute authorities and surprise others. Such people always dress unusually and furnish their apartment in an original way. If you are one of them, remember: the main idea of a kitsch interior is nihilism in architecture, which denies artistic traditions and classical trends in interior design. nine0005

Kitsch is an eye-catching incompatibility of colors and interior items. For example, gold-plated or silver-plated stucco on the eaves, a bright blue ceiling with large yellow stars, pink walls, floors lined with ceramic tiles with oriental motifs and tubs with exotic indoor plants.

Classic style

If you are a conservative, reserved, serious, pedantic, demanding person, you will feel comfortable in an apartment finished in a classic style (Fig. 4). nine0005

This style is characterized by elements of ancient architecture, solidity and even some heaviness. You can combine it with other styles, so that the design of your apartment will turn out to be original.

Since blinds can disrupt the stylistic harmony of a classic interior, it is better to drape the windows with light curtains (tulle), and hang thick curtains, such as velvet, on top.

Symmetry and precision are hallmarks of this style, so, for example, to decorate a room, select small prints or paintings of the same size and hang them symmetrically on the walls. nine0005

Fig. 4. Living room in a classic style

Choose colors for a room in a classic style carefully, avoiding harsh, flashy colors and bold combinations of tones. For this style, calm, neutral, but at the same time warm tones are perfect: shades of brown, sand, olive.

Wallcoverings and carpets choose plain colors or discreet patterns, and furniture - elegant and simple without frivolous embellishments.

Daria Nesterova - Interior decoration. Modern materials and technologies read online

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DV Nesterova

Interior decoration. Modern materials and technologies

Introduction

In addition, each type of building materials requires certain tools and fixtures, adhesives and additional fittings, without which it is impossible to make quality repairs. nine0005

Modern interior design

Starting re-planning and interior decoration of an apartment or house, think over the style of the future interior in advance. After all, how comfortable you will feel at home depends on the right design, furnishings, elements and other things. nine0005

Even some mixing of styles is acceptable in modern apartments. For example, in a classic interior there may be elements of avant-garde design.

Purchase finishing materials only after you decide on a particular style and think over and plan all the finishing elements yourself or with the help of a qualified designer.

Therefore, first choose a common line that will be traced in the design of the house, and be sure to select the individual elements of the interior that harmonize with each other.

Vanguard

If you are an independent person with unconventional thinking and original taste, feel free to choose an avant-garde interior style.

The main role in such an interior is played by color - you can combine any colors, but on the condition that they form an organic ensemble and will not look vulgar. nine0005

If you have chosen an avant-garde style, you don't have to spend money on wallpaper - the walls in such rooms are painted in different colors, since the avant-garde style is created on contrasts.

As far as furniture is concerned, a classic set will not suit this style - every detail of the furnishings must be original.

Empire style

If you prefer loneliness to noisy companies, are often thoughtful and love luxury, you will feel very comfortable in an Empire style apartment (Fig. 1). nine0005

To complement your decor, choose massive floor lamps with shades made of fabric that matches the material with which the walls are pasted over and the drapery is made.

Fig. 1. Empire style living room

English style

If you are a supporter of the English style, remember that it is based on furniture made of mahogany, walnut or oak, in harmony with walls pasted over with wallpaper in warm colors, carpets on the floor, velvet or tapestry drapery, as well as a fireplace lined with marble or finished with carved wood decor. This interior is distinguished by elegance and comfort.

Walls

If you want to finish the walls in the way they did during the reign of Queen Victoria, give preference to wallpaper in terracotta color. For painted walls, use three colors, the borders of which are decorated with wood trim. You can paste over the lower part of the wall with embossed wallpaper.

A favorite design technique for creating an interior in the English style is a stucco frieze. As a material for it, you can use polyurethane or foamed vinyl.

Floors

Striped parquet floors are best suited for this style, which should be laid in such a way that the wood grain pattern is clearly visible. You can also use a neutral-colored carpet with a calm pattern for the floor.

Books on interior decorating

12 Best Interior Design Books

Evocative eye candy

Anne Hepfer

MOOD: Interiors & Inspiration

Anthology of artful interiors

Summer Thornton

Wonderland: Adventures in Decorating

Fresh take on abodes abroad

Danielle Demetriou

Mihoko Iida, with contributions

Deep dive on furniture’s First Couple

Gloria Koenig

Eames

Lessons in contemporary design

Nicole Hollis

Curated Interiors

Spotlight on over-the-top rooms

Gestalten Editors

House of Glam

Guide to global spaces

Phaidon Editors and William Norwich

Interiors: The Greatest Rooms of the Century

Maximalist compendium

Ken Fulk

Ken Fulk: The Movie in My Mind

Primer on “Mod-Baroque” interiors

Kelly Wearstler

Kelly Wearstler: Evocative Style

Love letter to coastal style

Tricia Foley

A Summer Place: Living by the Sea

Closeup of elegant, pet-friendly spaces

Nicole England

Resident Dog (Volume Two): Incredible Homes and the Dogs Who Live There

Pattern-mixing made easy

Nathalie Farman-Farma

Decors Barbares: The Enchanting Interiors of Nathalie Farman-Farma

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12 Design Books Every Design-Lover Should Own

Read online "Do-it-yourself interior decoration" - LitRes

Introduction

Modern interior design

Avant-garde

Empire style

English style

Walls

Flooring

Textiles and accessories

Antique

Art Deco

African style

Baroque

Furniture

Textiles

Lighting

Gothic style

Indian style

Country

Greek Country

German Country

Slavic country

Kitsch

Classic style

Daria Nesterova - Interior decoration. Modern materials and technologies read online

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