Recently, a friend was visiting for the weekend, and as we were sipping cocktails, I suddenly stood up and said, “I’ll get all my favorite home decor books for you!”
I kept adding (and adding!) to the pile until I realized this is something I have to share on A Beautiful Mess.
I love to collect beautiful home decor books that serve as both inspiration and beautiful decor for my home. In this post, I will share my 10 most loved decor books. I made sure to include a variety of styles.
I will share a photo of the inside of each book and explain why it’s inspiring to me.
Anna Spiro: A Life in Pattern by Anna Spiro
This book is very different from any other book I own. If you love traditional inspiration mixed with bold pops of color and lots of pattern mixing, this book is for you.
The past decade has brought more neutral trends to the home decor world and this is a nice departure from that. In the words of David Bowie, “I promise it won’t be boring.”
British Designers at Home by Jenny Rose-Innes
This book delivers everything you love about British style and more. You will see rooms full of antiques, abundance of mixed wood tones, beautiful gardens, and a lot of wallpaper. 10/10 cozy vibes book.
de Gournay: Hand-Painted Interiors by Claud Gurney
If you are inspired by hand-painted murals, I highly recommend this book. It’s a very substantial, beautiful book with the most incredible hand-painted murals (most you would mistake for wallpaper). It’s amazing.
Rattan by Lulu Lytle and Mitchell Owens
In the photo above, I show the cover under the dust jacket, which is rattan print and so stunning. I will admit, I bought this book mainly as a coffee table book and then I fell completely in love with the content inside.
I have been collecting vintage (and new) rattan pieces for years. This book shows hundreds of incredible rattan pieces in both new rooms and vintage photographs.
My favorite is a photo of an early aircraft furnished with all rattan seating. I would definitely take a time machine to ride on that airplane. Love this book!
A Tale of Interiors by Louisa Pierce and Emily Ward
This book inspires me to hit the flea markets and estate sales. Pierce & Ward are designers based in Nashville.
They have designed some of the most iconic celebrity homes (you’ll recognize many in this book). Their signature style is layered and moody with an abundance of vintage.
Island Hopping by Amanda Lindroth
This book features island homes, mainly in the Bahamas. I love Amanda Lindroth’s iconic home goods. This book inspired me in a big way.
I found it during a season when I felt that most design trends were looking the same to me, and this style is very different and refreshing. It’s a coastal grandma must-have!
Jungalow: Decorate Wild by Justina Blakeney
The photo above shows the book cover underneath the dust jacket since it is such a gorgeous coffee table book print. I think Justina is the most talented and unique voice to emerge from our blog circles.
Her designs are one of a kind, and for anyone who loves color. It really doesn’t get any better than Justina’s super saturated, tone-on-tone rooms. This book includes many photos from her home as well as travels around the world.
Design Commune: A Love Letter to California by Roman Alonso and Steven Johanknecht
I included this book for anyone who loves a less minimalist version of modern design. It’s interesting, layered, and very coastal.
100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life by Jonathan Adler
There is no one in the home space more influential to me than Jonathan Adler. His books were the first interior design books that really spoke to me around 10 years ago.
His “love what you love” permission-giving, anti-snob attitude is joyful and fun. His books are packed with photos of his own spaces and many feature his handmade pottery which he is famous for.
Note: I got to interview Jonathan Adler on episode 49 of our podcast and he really is pure sarcastic sunshine!
And a few more honorable mentions. My past few homes have been featured in three decor books!
Links: 100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life / Design Commune: A Love Letter to California / Anna Spiro: A Life in Pattern / A Tale of Interiors / Island Hopping / British Designers at Home / Jungalow: Decorate Wild / Rattan / de Gournay: Hand-Painted Interiors
What did I miss? I’d love to hear your favorite decor books in the comments! xx, Elsie
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