24 Interior Design Books Every Designer Should Read (2025)

The world of design publishing is entering an exciting new chapter in 2025. From visionary decorators to fresh creative voices, this year’s releases promise to redefine how we think about homes, beauty, and storytelling. The best interior design books of 2025 capture more than aesthetics, they explore emotion, craftsmanship, and the art of living well.

Across publishers like Rizzoli and Phaidon, new interior design books editions are blending timeless design with modern ideas. Readers will find a mix of coffee table books interior design lovers can proudly display and decorating books 2025 that offer real guidance for creating spaces that feel personal and authentic.

What makes 2025 special is the diversity of perspective. Many of the upcoming interior design books 2025 highlight:

• Sustainable design and creative reuse of materials

• Personal storytelling that reveals the designer behind the space

• Strong female voices and new cultural influences in the design world

From elegant European interiors to bold American spaces, these latest interior design books 2025 edition releases invite us to slow down, look closer, and be inspired. Whether you’re a designer, collector, or simply someone who loves beautiful homes, this curated list of new interior design books to buy 2025 offers the most inspiring and collectible titles of the year.

Essential Interior Design Books Every Architect Should Own

1. The Decoration of Houses

• Authors: Edith Wharton & Ogden Codman Jr.

• Publisher: Rizzoli (reprint of 1897 edition)

• Publication Year: 2007 (facsimile edition)

• ISBN: 9780847829163

What it’s about: Originally published in 1897, this was one of the first books to define interior decoration as a discipline rooted in architecture rather than fashion. Wharton and Codman rejected Victorian excess, advocating for classical order, proportion, and clarity in domestic design.

Why it’s essential: This timeless manifesto established many principles that still guide interior architecture today, harmony, balance, and proportion. For modern architects, it’s a reminder that good design begins with structure and logic, not ornament. Reading it trains your eye to see space, symmetry, and function as parts of the same whole.

2. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction

• Authors: Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa & Murray Silverstein

• Publisher: Oxford University Press

• Publication Year: 1977

• ISBN: 9780195019193

What it’s about: A monumental study presenting 253 “patterns” recurring design problems and solutions found in everything from cities to furniture. It’s an encyclopedia of human-centered design.

Why it’s essential: Alexander’s concept of a “language” for design changed how architects think about space. The book teaches you to recognize timeless spatial relationships and how to design buildings that genuinely support human life. It’s as practical for urban planners as it is for interior designers shaping daily experiences.

3. The Poetics of Space

• Author: Gaston Bachelard

• Publisher: Beacon Press

• Publication Year: 1969 (English translation)

• ISBN: 9780807064733

What it’s about: Bachelard, a French philosopher, explores how the spaces we inhabit — attics, corners, homes, shape our dreams and emotions. It’s poetic, introspective, and phenomenological.

Why it’s essential: No book better captures the emotional and psychological dimensions of space. It helps architects understand that design is not just geometry but memory and feeling. Every page challenges readers to think about how space feels rather than just how it looks.

4. The Architecture of Happiness

• Author: Alain de Botton

• Publisher: Pantheon / Vintage

• Publication Year: 2006

• ISBN: 9780375424434

What it’s about: De Botton connects aesthetics with the human quest for meaning. Through vivid examples and philosophy, he argues that buildings influence our moods, behaviors, and self-perception.

Why it’s essential: It redefines architecture as a form of emotional storytelling. Architects often focus on form and efficiency, this book restores empathy and ethics to the conversation. It teaches you to see architecture as psychology made visible.

5. Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan

• Author: Rem Koolhaas

• Publisher: The Monacelli Press

• Publication Year: 1978

• ISBN: 9781885254009

What it’s about: A thrilling history and critique of New York City’s skyline and modern urban life. Koolhaas calls Manhattan a “theatre of progress,” analyzing its skyscrapers, chaos, and optimism.

Why it’s essential: This book is both theory and provocation. It teaches architects how to think conceptually about cities, how density, fantasy, and ambition shape the built environment. It’s also a masterclass in using narrative to analyze architecture.

6. Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture

• Author: Robert Venturi

• Publisher: The Museum of Modern Art

• Publication Year: 1966

• ISBN: 9780870702822

What it’s about: Venturi’s “gentle manifesto” challenges the rigidity of modernism, calling for richness, ambiguity, and complexity in design.

Why it’s essential: Every architect who reads this begins to see buildings as cultural texts, full of references and contradictions. Venturi’s ideas opened the door to postmodernism and pluralism in design. For interior designers, it’s an invitation to embrace personality, context, and imperfection.

7. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses

• Author: Juhani Pallasmaa

• Publisher: Wiley

• Publication Year: 1996

• ISBN: 9780470015780

What it’s about: A sensory manifesto arguing that architecture has become too visual. Pallasmaa explores touch, smell, and sound as vital elements of design perception.

Why it’s essential: It revolutionizes how architects and interior designers perceive experience. By reminding us that design engages all five senses, Pallasmaa reconnects architecture to the body. It’s an antidote to digital design’s detachment and a lesson in atmosphere.

8. The Interior Design Reference & Specification Book

• Authors: Chris Grimley & Mimi Love

• Publisher: Rockport Publishers

• Publication Year: 2013 (latest edition 2021)

• ISBN: 9781631593802

What it’s about: A compact guidebook that compiles essential standards, from lighting and materials to accessibility and codes.

Why it’s essential: This is the book that lives on every designer’s desk. It’s pragmatic, precise, and up-to-date. While the classics inspire creativity, this one ensures your designs actually work. It bridges theory and application perfectly.

9. The Elements of Style: A Practical Encyclopedia of Interior Architectural Details

• Author: Stephen Calloway

• Publisher: Mitchell Beazley

• Publication Year: 1996

• ISBN: 9781840000080

What it’s about: An illustrated encyclopedia documenting decorative details from centuries of design, columns, moldings, fireplaces, and staircases.

Why it’s essential: It’s a visual education in architectural history. For anyone working on restoration or historically informed interiors, it’s indispensable. Studying its details helps designers learn the grammar of ornament and the logic of style.

10. The Shape of Green: Aesthetics, Ecology, and Design

• Author: Lance Hosey

• Publisher: Island Press

• Publication Year: 2012

• ISBN: 9781610910323

What it’s about: Hosey examines the relationship between sustainability and beauty, arguing that green design must be both ethical and aesthetically inspiring.

Why it’s essential: This book connects ecological responsibility to the creative process. For architects and interior designers, it’s a roadmap for uniting sustainability with sensual appeal proving that good design can look as good as it performs.

Top New Interior Design Books 2025

2025 is an exciting year for interior design lovers, with a range of new releases offering inspiration, creative ideas, and stunning visuals. Whether you are a design professional, a home decorator, or simply looking to enhance your collection, these new interior design books 2025 titles are essential reads.

1. Alfredo Paredes: At Home

• Author: Alfredo Paredes with Brad Goldfarb

• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 272 pages

• ISBN: 9780847845323

What it’s about: In At Home, Alfredo Paredes, the former Ralph Lauren design director, opens the doors to his personal world of interiors. The book showcases a collection of spaces that reflect American craftsmanship blended with contemporary restraint — interiors that feel lived in yet impeccably composed. Each chapter explores the balance between rustic warmth and urban sophistication.

Why it’s essential: At Home captures the essence of authenticity in modern design. It reminds readers that interior design is storytelling through materials and light. For architects and decorators, this book offers:

• Inspiration for blending tradition with modern sensibility

• A deep dive into how atmosphere defines lifestyle

• A photographic study of soulful yet minimalist interiors

2. Peter Dunham: The World of Peter Dunham – Global Style from Paris to Hollywood

• Author: Peter Dunham

• Editor: Stephen Drucker

• Publisher: Vendome Press

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 320 pages

• ISBN: 9780865654440

What it’s about: Peter Dunham’s The World of Peter Dunham celebrates cultural diversity in design. The book travels from Paris to Marrakech to Los Angeles, illustrating how craftsmanship, color, and heritage merge to create elegant, worldly spaces. Each project tells a story about texture, pattern, and personality.

Why it’s essential: This book teaches how global influences can coexist harmoniously within a single design language. It’s a masterclass in curated eclecticism. Key takeaways include:

• How to integrate global motifs without losing cohesion

• Lessons on craftsmanship and authenticity

• Insight into creating interiors with emotional and cultural depth

3. Retrouvius: Contemporary Salvage – Designing Homes from a Philosophy of Re-Use

• Authors: Maria Speake & Adam Hills

• Publisher: Thames & Hudson

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 256 pages

• ISBN: 9780847875672

What it’s about: Contemporary Salvage documents the sustainable design philosophy of Retrouvius, a London-based studio known for transforming reclaimed materials into luxurious interiors. The book showcases homes that prove sustainability and beauty can coexist, combining raw character with refined craftsmanship.

Why it’s essential: It’s both a manifesto and a manual for sustainable design. Architects and designers will find inspiration in:

• Reimagining waste materials as creative resources

• Achieving aesthetic harmony through re-use

• Learning how ethical design can feel luxurious and aspirational

4. Tom Scheerer: Still Decorating

• Author: Tom Scheerer

• Publisher: Vendome Press

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 288 pages

• ISBN: 9780865654679

What it’s about: A follow-up to his earlier works, Still Decorating presents Tom Scheerer’s latest interiors, rooms that blend simplicity with timeless sophistication. His design philosophy centers on quiet confidence, balance, and the power of subtle detail.

Why it’s essential: This book is a guide to enduring taste. Scheerer’s spaces offer valuable lessons for architects and stylists seeking effortless elegance. Readers will discover:

• Strategies for layering color, texture, and form

• Insights into proportion and restraint in interior composition

• Inspiration for cultivating calm, characterful spaces

5. Defining Style – The Book of Interior Design

• Publisher: Phaidon Press

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 400 pages

• ISBN: 9781838667818

What it’s about: Defining Style is a sweeping global anthology that examines the evolution of interior design in the 21st century. Through essays, imagery, and interviews, it profiles the most influential designers shaping contemporary aesthetics from minimalism to modern maximalism.

Why it’s essential: This book functions as both a reference and a cultural document. It’s ideal for anyone who wants to understand where interior design is heading and how global trends shape local practice. It offers:

• A visual overview of current design movements

• Thoughtful commentary on cultural and stylistic diversity

• Inspiration for architects seeking to balance innovation with identity

Rizzoli’s Must-Have Coffee Table Books Interior Design (2025 Edition)

Rizzoli continues to set the standard for beautifully produced coffee table books, offering titles that inspire, educate, and captivate. The 2025 edition includes stunning volumes showcasing iconic interiors, design expertise, and historical elegance.

1. Amy Astley: AD at Home

• Author: Amy Astley

• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 304 pages

• ISBN: 0847875733

What it’s about: AD at Home is a celebration of the world’s most captivating residences, as featured in Architectural Digest. Edited by Amy Astley, the book curates spaces that embody personal style and creative individuality. From celebrity homes to architectural icons, each page tells a story of taste, ambition, and comfort through striking photography and editorial insight.

Why it’s essential: This volume is not just a coffee table book, it’s a visual archive of the modern home at its most expressive. Designers, architects, and enthusiasts will find:

• An exceptional source of inspiration for elegant and welcoming interiors

• High-resolution imagery showcasing lighting, furniture, and layout ideas

• A masterclass in the art of editorial storytelling through design

2. Carl Dellatore: Interior Design Master Class – 100 Rooms

• Author: Carl Dellatore

• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 320 pages

• ISBN: 9780847874453

What it’s about: In Interior Design Master Class – 100 Rooms, Carl Dellatore curates a hundred of the most remarkable interiors created by today’s leading designers. Each chapter focuses on a specific design philosophy, from balance and color to proportion and light, revealing the thought process behind timeless interiors.

Why it’s essential: This book functions as both an inspiration guide and a professional reference. It’s particularly valuable for those studying design methodologies or curating project portfolios. Readers will gain:

• Deep insight into diverse creative processes and stylistic decisions

• Practical design wisdom applicable to real-world projects

• Access to a compendium of ideas from the industry’s most respected voices

3. Torrey: Private Spaces – Great American Design

• Author: Paul Barbera (photography) with introduction by Torrey

• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 288 pages

• ISBN: 9780847847730

What it’s about: Private Spaces – Great American Design explores interiors that define the essence of American living. The book shifts away from overly staged compositions to focus on authenticity and atmosphere. Each project reveals the intimate relationship between people and the spaces they inhabit.

Why it’s essential: This volume humanizes interior design, portraying real homes filled with life, imperfection, and charm. Architects and decorators will appreciate:

• A rare view of lived-in interiors that balance comfort and design integrity

• The emotional narratives behind spatial choices

• Photography that captures the true character of domestic architecture

4. Xavier F. Salomon & Miguel Flores-Vianna: The Frick Collection – The Historic Interiors

• Authors: Xavier F. Salomon & Miguel Flores-Vianna

• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 280 pages

• ISBN: 9780847874361

What it’s about: This exceptional volume unveils the historic interiors of The Frick Collection in New York, one of the world’s most elegant museums of art and architecture. Art historian Xavier F. Salomon provides scholarly commentary while photographer Miguel Flores-Vianna documents each space with poetic precision.

Why it’s essential: The Historic Interiors is both a visual masterpiece and an academic treasure. It’s ideal for professionals who appreciate the intersection of design, art, and cultural heritage. Key insights include:

• The integration of architectural form with decorative arts

• Lessons in composition, lighting, and material storytelling

• A timeless example of how historic preservation can inform contemporary design

Voices Shaping the Future of Design: Latest Interior Design Books 2025 Edition

2025 introduces a new wave of interior design books highlighting visionary designers, innovative concepts, and cultural perspectives. These titles redefine how we experience and understand interiors.

1. Emma Sims-Hilditch: Beautifully British Interiors

• Author: Emma Sims-Hilditch

• Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 208 pages

• ISBN: 9780847874330

What it’s about: Beautifully British Interiors captures the essence of contemporary English living. Emma Sims-Hilditch blends heritage, craftsmanship, and modern comfort to create homes that are both timeless and welcoming. Each featured project reflects her signature mix of muted palettes, natural materials, and thoughtful detailing.

Why it’s essential: This book serves as a guide to creating interiors that feel personal yet rooted in tradition. Readers will learn:

• How to balance English country style with modern design sensibilities

• The use of color, texture, and lighting to evoke warmth and familiarity

• Techniques for translating classical elegance into everyday living spaces

2. Corey Damen Jenkins: Design Reimagined

• Author: Corey Damen Jenkins

• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 256 pages

• ISBN: 9780847874460

What it’s about: In Design Reimagined, Corey Damen Jenkins explores bold color, layered textures, and fearless creativity. The book celebrates individuality and encourages readers to embrace personality-driven interiors that defy convention. Each chapter combines striking photography with Jenkins’ insights on the power of self-expression through design.

Why it’s essential: This is a manifesto for confident, modern decorating. It empowers architects and designers to move beyond minimalism and rediscover vibrancy. Key takeaways include:

• How to use color as a storytelling tool

• Approaches for achieving harmony in complex compositions

• Inspiration for cultivating originality and confidence in every project

3. Making Space – Interior Design by Women

• Editors: Jane Hall & Amber Creswell Bell (Curated Anthology)

• Publisher: Thames & Hudson

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 320 pages

• ISBN: 9781837290086

What it’s about: Making Space celebrates the creative voices of female interior designers redefining the industry today. Featuring more than 25 contributors from around the world, the book highlights how women are shaping interiors that balance strength, empathy, and innovation.

Why it’s essential: This anthology is both a tribute and a turning point. It recognizes diversity and leadership in contemporary design. Readers will discover:

• Inspiring profiles of leading women in architecture and interiors

• Varied approaches to sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics

• How emotional intelligence shapes spatial storytelling in design practice

4. Nate Berkus: Foundations – Timeless Design That Feels Personal

• Author: Nate Berkus

• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, 288 pages

• ISBN: 9781668026137

What it’s about: In Foundations, Nate Berkus distills decades of design experience into a guide on crafting meaningful, authentic spaces. Drawing from personal stories and professional wisdom, he explores how homes can reflect identity, history, and emotion.

Why it’s essential: This book redefines timeless design as deeply human. Architects and interior designers will find inspiration in:

• Approaching design as autobiography where every object tells a story

• Techniques for merging function with sentiment

• Practical insights for creating spaces that feel both beautiful and lived-in

5. Martin Brudnizki: Title TBD (Rizzoli, 2025)

• Author: Martin Brudnizki

• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

• Publication Year: 2025

• Format: Hardcover, details forthcoming

• ISBN: To be confirmed

What it’s about: Celebrated for his glamorous hospitality and residential interiors, Martin Brudnizki’s debut with Rizzoli promises a richly textured collection of his most iconic work. Expect opulent color schemes, artisanal detailing, and the distinctive play of light and surface that defines his aesthetic.

Why it’s essential: Brudnizki’s upcoming monograph is poised to be a must-have for collectors and professionals alike. It illustrates how luxury can coexist with warmth and personality. The book offers:

• A behind-the-scenes look at high-end design projects

• Insight into craftsmanship and the art of visual layering

• Inspiration for blending sophistication with theatrical flair

Trends Reflected in 2025 Interior Design Books

The latest interior design books 2025 edition reveal key trends shaping how we approach interiors today. From sustainable practices to global influences, these emerging themes appear across multiple standout releases, offering inspiration for both professionals and design enthusiasts.

Sustainability and Re-Use

Sustainability is at the forefront of interior design in 2025. Books like Contemporary Salvage by Retrouvius and Design Reimagined by Corey Damen Jenkins emphasize eco-conscious design, adaptive reuse, and creative ways to transform spaces without sacrificing style.

Highlights

• Shows how designers incorporate reclaimed materials into luxurious interiors

• Inspires readers to make environmentally responsible choices in decorating books 2025

Global Aesthetic and Cultural Fusion

Design in 2025 is increasingly inspired by cross-cultural influences. The World of Peter Dunham and Defining Style by Phaidon showcase interiors that blend international styles, materials, and craftsmanship.

Highlights

• Provides insight into creating globally inspired, sophisticated interiors

• Encourages a fusion of traditional and contemporary design elements

Personal Storytelling in Design

Modern interiors are becoming more narrative-driven. At Home by Alfredo Paredes and Foundations by Nate Berkus demonstrate how personal history, memories, and emotional connections can shape interior design.

Highlights

• Helps readers create meaningful spaces that reflect individuality

• Balances visual appeal with authentic, lived-in design

Women Leading Design

The influence of female designers continues to grow, as celebrated in Making Space: Interior Design by Women. This anthology highlights creativity, leadership, and innovation while spotlighting projects that push boundaries and inspire future generations.

Highlights

• Recognizes the contributions of women shaping contemporary interiors

• Serves as a key reference for those exploring new interior design books to buy 2025

Historic Meets Contemporary

Many 2025 interior design books explore the dialogue between history and modernity. The Frick Collection: The Historic Interiors and Beautifully British Interiors by Emma Sims-Hilditch show how heritage and modern design can coexist harmoniously.

Highlights

• Encourages thoughtful integration of historic elements into modern interiors

• Highlights the timeless appeal of mixing classic and current design approaches

  
  

Why These Books Belong on Your Coffee Table?

The coffee table interior design books 2025 featured in this guide are more than decorative objects. Each book serves as a reference, a source of inspiration, and a statement about the evolving world of interior design.

Highlights

• Combines stunning photography with expert insights for both inspiration and practical use

• Captures global styles, sustainable design, and innovation found in the latest interior design books 2025 edition

• Emphasizes personal storytelling, craftsmanship, and diverse voices shaping modern interiors

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do 2025 interior design books differ from previous years’ editions?

The 2025 editions emphasize sustainability, personal storytelling, and cultural fusion. Unlike earlier releases that focused mainly on aesthetics, this year’s books highlight design philosophy, emotional connection, and environmental responsibility.

2. Are these interior design books suitable for beginners or only for professionals?

Most 2025 interior design books are designed for all audiences. Whether you’re a homeowner seeking inspiration or a professional decorator, titles like Defining Style and Design Reimagined balance practical insights with stunning visual storytelling.

3. Which interior design book is best for learning about sustainable design?

Contemporary Salvage by Retrouvius is among the best for readers interested in eco-friendly interiors. It teaches how to reuse materials creatively while maintaining luxury and visual harmony, a core theme across 2025 design publications.

4. What type of interior design books make the best coffee table additions?

Books that combine strong visuals with narrative depth make the best coffee table companions. Editions such as AD at Home or The Art of Atmosphere offer both aesthetic appeal and engaging content, making them perfect conversation pieces.

5. How can I use these books to improve my own home décor?

Use them as visual references and creative guides. Study how designers layer textures, balance color, and mix vintage with modern elements. Many 2025 releases include practical tips and real-life examples you can easily adapt to your own space.