7 Essential Interior Design Books For 2026
By
4 hours ago
Make coffee table envy a thing of the past
A living room just isn’t complete without a couple of glossy tomes stacked on the coffee table. Here’s our pick of the best interior design books to read (and drool over), from classic country to contemporary chic. They make the perfect gift for any interiors fans, or act as the perfect pick-me-up when you want to brighten up your home in an instant. Inspiration awaits: shop the edit below.
The List: Must-Have Interior Design Books
A Mood, A Thought, A Feeling: Interiors by Young Huh
Designer Huh’s debut book is a study in how rooms make us feel – and how to make them feel the way we want. Structured across three parts – ‘a mood’, ‘a thought’ and ‘a feeling’ – the book opens with an exploration of seven essential design moods: conviviality, peacefulness, joyful, cosy, verve, romantic and meaning. The second section, meanwhile, turns to three projects completed by Huh in New York City, including two townhouses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and an impressive Park Avenue apartment. The third and final part of the book is a study on Huh’s recently completed upstate country house: its pattern-filled rooms, gardens, and the seasonal rhythms of life within them.
Rizzoli International Publications, £40
A New English Style by Mary Graham, Nicole Salvesen and David Nicholls
Our love affair with the classic country home goes back centuries. And two contemporary designers who know just how to tap bucolic bliss are Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham. Known for their English country house style and ‘future heritage’ approach, the design duo’s debut book explores how to create beautifully classic interiors that turn down trends for timelessness. And with pages filled to the brim with glossy inspiration photos (as well as top tips from the designers), there’s plenty of inspiration to stoke your next DIY project.
Penguin, £33.25
My Life in Colors by Martin Brudnizki
For Martin Brudnizki, colour is not decoration – it is storytelling. In My Life in Colors, the renowned interior designer explores how colour creates atmosphere, blurs the lines between eras, and marries heritage with modern luxury. Sitting parallel to case studies – including the Rococo interiors of London members’ club Annabel’s and the playful grandeur of Italian hotel Splendido’s Baronessa Suite – Brudnizki highlights how each project is animated by some form of colour. The book itself is organised by hue, dedicating chapters to various colours and the emotional power associated with each one.
Rizzoli International Publications, £50
Kit Kemp: Color, Character, Craft, Comfort, and Curation by Kit Kemp and Giles Kime
London design legend Kit Kemp has long been rewriting the rules of English interiors. And now, we get to step into her vivid world. Led by bold colours, layered patterns and a touch of the unexpected, Kemp’s book shows just how she transforms interiors into spaces that feel warm and personal. Describing her work as ‘a masterful blend of whimsy and sophistication’, this design manual is a case for interiors that reflect genuine personality – and feel anything but ordinary.
Rizzoli International Publications, £45
Tara Bernerd: A Design Journey by Tara Bernerd
Tara Bernerd believes good design transports us without us quite realising — taking us somewhere we’d happily stay forever, if given the chance. In her latest book, the highly sought-after designer takes us on a journey through the destinations that have shaped her practice – from a sun-drenched summer home in Ibiza to a Riviera Maya resort that blends historical architecture and modern luxury. Each one contains the usual Bernerd formula: a generous flair for colour and texture, as well as a keen eye for detail.
Rizzoli International Publications, £47.50
The Layered Home: Inspiration for Creating Cozy, Collected Rooms by Benjamin Reynaert
More is more when it comes to the home, says magazine editor and stylist Benjamin Reynaert. A committed maximalist, his design style is built around the principle that layers plus personalisation create the best interiors – and now, he’s got the book to prove it. Touring beautifully decorated homes across the UK, France and the US, his book explores how patterns, colours, textures and collected objects confidently coexist in all kinds of spaces. And along the way, Reynaert interviews the tastemakers behind these spaces, drawing out their tips on collecting, arranging and evolving a room over time.
Octopus Publishing Group, £30
Sims Hilditch: Beautifully British Interiors by Emma Sims-Hilditch and Giles Kine
Emma Sims-Hilditch’s guiding principle is quite simple: a house must work before it can be beautiful. In her latest book, the British designer revisits the studio’s most recent projects — Victorian townhouses, Jacobean manors, seaside villas and even a London apartment in the Old War Office — each one organised for efficiency and practicality before being filled with floral textiles, beautiful furnishings and bold colours. Part design monograph, part love letter to the British country house, this is a masterclass on breathing new life into old buildings.
Rizzoli International Publications, £45
