I really like Lauren Leiss' Habitat. She subtitles it a "field guide" and I think that is an apt description. I also like Gracious Rooms by Barbara Westbrook because I just really like her asthetic. Those are just a couple of favorites but there are many others that I love.

These both sound like lovely books to discover, rubyclaire. Thank you very much!

With any luck, beckysharp and aprilneverends will see this thread and respond. They have an encyclopedic knowledge of decorating books.

While Alexa Hampton is not entirely my style, I love two of her books, The Language of Interior Design and Decorating in Detail.

Her style is classic and she writes well, explaining her decisions and considerations well.

Happy Mother's Day tartanmeup!

Well, I donated most of my decorating books, but kept all books by Charles Foudree. I never get tired of those images.

Thank you for this new-to-me name, Mrs. S. Lovely style, indeed. I'll see if Abe has anything by him. Alexa Hampton's books sound wonderful, Rita. Recently picked up her father's On Decorating and am enjoying it.

Yes, I also hope becky and april can contribute. Becky's mentioned fabulous titles a few times and I've no clue where I jotted them down.

oh that's a long list..I'll try to pick my favorites that stayed favorites..or became recently favorites

-personal styles:

-Sera Hersham-Loftus "seductive Interiors"

-Lorraine Kirke "Would You like to See the House?"

-"One Man's Folly:The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood" by Julia Reed

-Kit Kemp "A Living space"

-"Darryl Carter..I like his "The New Traditional" a bit more

-"Vintage Remix" by Kishani Perera

"Summers in France" Kathryn Ireland

(all wildly different)

Books dedicated to regional design and architecture,;

-"Scandinavian Design" by Lars Bolander

-"Red Tile Style: American Spanish Revival Architecture"

-"House Proud-Unique Home Design Louisiana" by Valorie Hart

"English Eccentric" Ros Byam Shaw

"Cabana Anthology" (interiors of the world)

Books showcasing range of interiors..sometimes including interviews with homeowners

-"to each His Home" Belyana Dimitrova

-Susanna Salk..my favorites are "Be your own decorator" and "Decorate Fearlessly"

-Justina Blakeney's "The New Bohemians"

-"Novel Interiors: Living in Enchanted Rooms Inspired by Literature" by Lisa Borgnes Giramonti..very intersting concept there..she compares houses to genres, so to say. And illustrates it of course

More general, overall guide books, some favoring certain styles or preferences, but not as a rule:

-Abigail Ahern. Her second book is my favorite..she has three as far as I know

-Celerie Kemble. Both books are on my personal top of the list. I think she's one of the best authors out there.

-Lauren Liess's "Habitat"

-"Remodelista"-very nice sources to products etc

" The Perfectly Imperfect Home" by Debora Needleman (of "Domino" when "Domino" was actually "Domino", in my understanding) and Meagan Morton's "Home Love", and also "Making a House Your Home" by Clare Nolan-all well written and light hearted and mood elevating

Books not strickly on design but too awesome not to include;

Bill Bryson "At Home"

Janice Lindsay "All About Colour"

I'm sure I forgot several..

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, aprilneverends!!

I am so happy you saw this thread.

Thank you, april! I'm saving this list. Quite a few titles intrigue me immensely. I have Celerie Kemble's To Your Taste and it's one of my favourites. Forgot she had another one. Shipping via Abe books was more expensive than some of the books themselves so I'm exploring Canadian sites. (Shame books are so heavy. :P)

Happy Mother's Day!

Although it is rather pedestrian, the book "Use What You Have Decorating" by Lauri Ward was the best "how to" book for me on decorating, with regards to how to aesthetically arrange a room.

Yes, I had that book! Must have donated it during one of my big office purges. Lots of practical and effective solutions. Remind me, did she advocate for keeping room elements at the same height or did she say it was a good idea to vary them? I seem to recall her saying that it wasn't a good thing for the eye to go up and down looking at a room's "horizon" but I'm hearing and reading the opposite from designers.

She's a strict lady, Lauri Ward:) I remember her well

what she meant-is too keep seating that's not too dissimilar in height, and to balance the room allover

https://listproducer.com/2011/10/10-most-common-decorating-mistakes/