A Peak Inside My Favorite Design Books

There is no better gift I could receive than a gorgeous coffee table book. If it happens to be a book on design, then I’m dead to the world for the next few hours.

Hand me a bag of M&M’s, and I might as well be in heaven. 

Today I’ve rounded up my favorite design books and am giving you the rundown on why I love them. You’ll also see a few lovely pages from each.

If you are about to embark on decorating journey, there are some great resources to help you below. Better yet, if you find yourself in a season when you should not decorate, one of the books below might be the perfect solution to fulfill the decor craving.

DECORATE
What’s Inside…
-Space planning guides for the rooms features and tips how to tackle your own space.
-Bright, modern, and eclectic rooms for days.
-Holly Becker of Decor8 pulled over 500 gorgeous images of rooms designed by some of the most talented designers on the planet.

Fav Quote:
“When you intentionally decorate the look and feel of your space, you become more genuinely yourself, more at home in your skin and in your space.” -Carrie McCarthy

Bonus: This is a big book & gorgeous on a coffee table.

DOMINO
This is for me and many, many others the decorating “Bible”. (Notice its placement on the top of the stack…anywhere lower would be sacrilegious.)

Simply said, if you want to buy just one design book this one is it.

It is the standard.

What’s Inside…
-Insanely gorgeous rooms “decoded” to understand why they work.
-Guides on furniture styles and tips on finding what’s right for your space.
-Tips on working with large or small rooms.

Fav Quote:
“Think about your lifestyle and decorate accordingly. Being honest about where you live is essential to creating great spaces.”

ELEMENTS OF STYLE
This is a runner up to Domino. I’ve been a fan of designer and blogger Erin Gates for a while, and this book did not disappoint.

What’s Inside…
-Stunning photography of sophisticated and soulful rooms.
-Really practical tips and thoughts behind the designs.
-Fun extras like Erin’s top paint pics and family recipes with an accompanying story.

Fav Quote: 
“My version of the whole white picket fence with 2.5 kids and a station wagon was instead a townhouse in the city with 2.5 dogs and parking spot.” -Erin Gates

THE NESTING PLACE
Written by the original decor blogger, “the Nester“. Both her blog and this book will make you breath a sigh of relief about your home and perhaps see it in a new way.

What’s Inside…
-Loads of encouragement to use what you have and start loving your home, no matter what state it (or your finances) are in.
-Bright and rustic vignettes using every day objects that come together beautifully.
-Myquillyn’s raw and real account of her journey living in 13 homes and her resulting mindset on making home where you are now.

Fav Quote: 
“I’ve finally figured out that almost no one is living in their dream house. And I don’t know anyone whose life has gone exactly like they would have planned. You make the best choices you can at the time with the information you have, and then you deal with the consequences, and that’s the part where your life happens.”  -Myquillyn Smith

UNDECORATE
Written by the oh-so-talented creator of Dwell Studio, Christiane Lemieux.

What’s Inside…
-Whimsical and wonderful rooms and a “break the rules” approach to decorating.
-Pictures and stories of real families and how their homes came to be.

Fav Quote:
“The most stylish people these days understand a fundamental aspect of good living: it’s always evolving.” -C. Lemieux

DESIGN MOM: How to Live with Kids
Written by blogger Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom.

What’s Inside…
-Practical tips for making your home function for your family in stylish ways.
-Great DIY’s to try.
-Stories of Gabrielle’s own family of 8  (yes, she has 6 kids!) and tid bits from their two years living in France.

Fav Quote: 
“I’ve never subscribed to the ‘someday’ school of decorating…Design your home so it works for your family right now. And then make adjustments as you go along.” -G. Blair

Design*Sponge at Home
Design*Sponge was one of the very first blogs I ever started reading, and creator Grace Bonny was blogging about interiors and DIY before I even knew what DIY stood for. (Yep, back in 2004.)

What’s Inside…
-Like the blog, you’ll find lots of eye candy involving hip spaces with handmade touches.
-Room tours of some pretty neat lofts, apartments, and homes in the NYC area
-Unique DIY projects and crafts for the home

Fav Quote: 
“Inspiration and knowledge is only half the battle when it comes to designing the home of your dreams…(the second part) is rolling up your sleeves and getting to work.”-G. Bonney

Nate Berkus: The Things That Matter
Oh Nate…I could never leave him off the list. How many of us had an instant decor crush on Nate when we first saw him on Oprah? This book is as educational and beautiful as it was emotionally engaging.

What’s Inside
-In a totally honest and detailed form, Nate shares about his background, family, relationships, and tragic loss. Each of the artifacts in his apartment have a story, and he tells them so eloquently.
-Peaks inside some of the most fashionable homes in the country.
-A focus on the significance of objects and how they connect us to our story.

Fav Quote:
“My job as a decorator is being able to distill the essence of people from their words, and tell their stories through objects and color and fabric and furniture.” 

*Affiliate links used in this post.

What to remember these? Pin the image above to your “To Read” board on Pinterest:)

PS: Do you have a favorite that didn’t make the list? I’d love to hear about it!

SHOP THE BOOKS: