10 Exciting New Interior Design Books

Most of us have a lot more time on our hands right now due to the Corona pandemic. And we think one of the best ways to spend that time is reading. From novels to biographies or travel books we love to read! But this is an interior design blog so here you’ll find the best interior design books that have been published recently.

Plant Tribe by Igor Josifovic and Judith de Graaff

This new book by the authors of the bestselling Urban Jungle addresses the life-changing magic of living with and caring for plants. Aimed at a wider audience than typical houseplant books, each chapter combines easily digestible plant knowledge, style guidance via real home interiors, and inspiring advice for using plants to increase energy, creativity, and well-being and to attract love and prosperity. Also included: real-world @urbanjungleblog followers’ FAQs; a section on plants and pets; and plant care for the different stages of a houseplant’s life. The focus is on using plants to raise the positive energy of every room in the house and to live happily ever after with plants.

Wild Interiors by Hilton Carter

Bestselling author Hilton Carter brings his unique eye and love of plants to show you how to create luscious interiors that not only look amazing but are good for your well-being, too. Hilton first guides you through his own plant journey, his inspirations, and his top ten favorite house plants. He then takes you on a Journey in Greenery where he showcases the homes of 12 inspiring plant parents that demonstrate the versatility of decorating with plants.

From a tiny house in Venice, California and a light-filled loft in New York City, to a Berlin apartment decorated with vintage finds, and the Barcelona home of a ceramic artist, there are ideas for all types of spaces and budgets. Hilton then sets you off on your very own plant journey, taking you room by room, profiling the plants that are most suited to each: those that thrive in the tropical humidity of bathrooms, the erratic heat changes of kitchens, and plants that can live happily in the indirect light of an entryway or bedroom.

Packed full of interior design advice such as using “statement plants” like Fiddle-leaf figs to create a focal point, how to layer your greenery by using hanging baskets, and how to assemble the perfect plant shelf, Hilton shows you how bringing houseplants into your home creates instant impact. Be inspired to create your own Wild Interiors with Hilton’s expert styling advice, plus his hints and tips on plant care that take the mystery out of looking after your green friends.

Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone

Beautiful design isn’t just pleasant to look at; it improves the quality of our lives. In Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone, the EyeSwoon creator taps into her international network of interior decorators, fashion designers, and tastemakers to reveal how carefully crafted interiors come together. She also opens the doors to two of her own residences. (you can see those two residences also here on the blog: click here for her Brooklyn townhouse and click here for her Hampton’s beach home)

Architectural Digest at 100

Architectural Digest at 100 celebrates the best from the pages of the international design authority. The editors have delved into the archives and culled years of rich material covering a range of subjects.

Ranging freely between present and past, the book features the personal spaces of dozens of private celebrities like Barack and Michelle Obama, David Bowie, Truman Capote, David Hockney, Michael Kors, and Diana Vreeland, and includes the work of top designers and architects like Frank Gehry, David Hicks, India Mahdavi, Peter Marino, John Fowler, Renzo Mongiardino, Oscar Niemeyer, Axel Vervoordt, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Elsie de Wolfe.

Also included are stunning images from the magazine’s history by photographers such as Bill Cunningham, Horst P. Horst, Simon Upton, Francois Dischinger, Francois Halard, Julius Shulman, and Oberto Gili. 

Alex Vervoordt: Portraits of Interiors

For a half century, Axel Vervoordt’s vision has been defined by a continual quest for harmony, beauty, and the creation of interior atmospheres that are rooted in the past, connected to the future, and imbued with today’s comforts.

These eighteen residences–from an urban New York penthouse or Moscow apartment to a waterfront estate in New England, and from a Tokyo dwelling to a Bordeaux wine château or a Wabi-Sabi farmhouse–reveal how art complements architecture and the elements of nature in an alchemy of Vervoordt expression.

Portraits of each residence–including the Vervoordts’ own homes in Venice and Belgium–feature sweeping vistas of the surrounding landscape and a tour through the interiors. Each detail–from the materials used to the graceful placement of a well-chosen object–offers deep insight into the Vervoordt design approach and abiding principles for living and working well.

Mad About the House by Kate Watson-Smyth

The book begins with the most important questions of all: Who? What? Where? Why? How? And When? The aim is to answer these before you start any decorating scheme to avoid the most common mistakes, save money, and, most importantly, create a home that works for you and the people who live there. Mad About the House: The Practical Stuff is the super-practical guide that allows you to dip in and out so you can solve all your decorating dilemmas.

The chapters focus on Walls, Floors, Ceilings, Windows, Doors and Skirtings, Furniture Layout, and Lighting, before finally a roundup of Fixtures and Fittings. In addition to the no-nonsense practical answers, there are checklists and step-by-step guides to key decorating challenges–everything from How to Hang Wallpaper, to Arranging a Gallery Wall and Removing Stains from Carpets and Soft Furnishings.

Bloom Wild by Bari J. Ackerman

Designer Bari J. Ackerman’s signature Style—modern florals bursting with color—brings energy and joy to interior design. In her new book, Ackerman presents practical advice for adding florals to every room of the house, along with easy DIYs, advice on staying within budget, and detailed source lists. Ackerman shows readers how to achieve a curated maximalist style and to seamlessly create a gorgeous, layered floral look that will spark joy and lift the mood of the whole house.

Gathering by Kristen Caissie

This beautiful volume celebrates entertaining and decorating in a meaningful and personal way, by integrating florals and artisanal handmade objects–whether it’s porcelain, flatware, glassware, vases, or textiles–into tabletop designs.

Gathering showcases creative tabletop ideas and styles for all seasons. These stylish interiors feature local, artisanal floral designs and handmade objects, capturing the current trend of living and decorating more mindfully and with one-of-a-kind objects.

The Home Upgrade by Gestalten and Tessa Pearson

Against a backdrop of growing cities and a changing approach to how we live, there are many reasons to refurbish a home. Our buildings must continue to evolve along with us―and that takes a little imagination. Societal shifts continue to impact our homes. People live longer, and often alone. Homes will need to be updated to accommodate a changing climate. Resourcefulness will also play a role in how we carve out living spaces in our cramped cities.

Today’s population living in cities is 3.9 billion, and it’s anticipated to grow to 6.34 billion over the next 25 years. The vast majority of the planet’s population now lives in an urban environment, which is a first in human history. These numbers are only going to grow, and increasingly this means not bulldozing and building on top of the rubble, but working with what we have.

Generation Next by Wim Pauwels

Introducing the best young-designers-to-be, whether rule-breakers or defenders of tradition, upcoming architects design buildings and infrastructure that will define our cities for years to come. Their creativity, artistic drive, and commitment to innovation shapes the way we interact with the places we call home, whether that be urban center or rural retreat. This book illustrates projects by twenty of the most promising architects and designers under forty.

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