Erin T. Gates is a New York Times bestselling interior designer, blogger, and author of Elements of Style: Designing a Home and a Life. O, The Oprah Magazine, Redbook, Better Homes & Gardens, Elle Décor, Canadian House & Home, the Boston Globe, and The Wall Street Journal have all highlighted her. She lives in the suburbs of Boston with her husband and son.

Elements of Style is a very personal and practical decorating book that demonstrates how designing a house can be a creative release and a journey of self-discovery. Erin blends honest design advice and exquisite professional photography and illustrations with personal writings about the lessons she has learned while creating her own house and her own life, the first of which is that none of our homes or lives are flawless. She discusses the problems she encountered during her own kitchen makeover, her struggles with anorexia, her epic dispute with her husband over a Lucite table, and her strategies for launching a successful blog, much like a witty best friend.

Elements of Style, which is organized by room in the house, takes readers into Erin's personal home as well as residences she has created for others. It is packed with luxury and style as well as practical guidance on everything from choosing kitchen counter materials to dressing a bed with pillows, selecting a sofa, and decorating a nursery sans cartoon characters. There's also a beautiful preface by Erin's husband, Andrew, and a comprehensive Resource and Shopping Guide that's a must-have for anyone embarking on their first significant home design expedition. You may finally make your house your home with Erin's assistance.

Author: Erin Gates

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Designing-Home-Life/dp/1476744874/

Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars (from 8313 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #812 in Books

#1 in Interior Design

#1 in Interior & Home Design

#3 in Home Decorating (Books)

In 2016, Amy Astley was named editor-in-chief of Architectural Digest. She had worked at House & Garden and Vogue before becoming Teen Vogue's founding editor, a job she held for 13 years. She currently resides in New York City. Architectural Digest by Architectural Digest and Amy Astley released to commemorate Architectural Digest's 100th anniversary, offers a rich visual history of the magazine.

Architectural Digest at 100 honors the greatest of the international design authority's pages. The editors dug deep into the archives and collected years of valuable material on a variety of topics. The book includes the personal spaces of dozens of private celebrities such as Barack and Michelle Obama, David Bowie, Truman Capote, David Hockney, Michael Kors, and Diana Vreeland, as well as the work of top designers and architects such as Frank Gehry, David Hicks, India Mahdavi, Peter Marino, John Fowler, Renzo Mongiardino, Oscar Niemeyer, Axel Vervoordt, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Elsie de Beautiful photos 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 are also included.

Author: Amy Astley

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Architectural-Digest-100-Century-Style/dp/1419733338/

Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars (from 1545 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #917 in Books

#1 in Architectural Photography (Books)

#2 in Interior Design

#2 in Interior & Home Design

Amber Lewis is the principal and founder of Amber Interiors, a full-service design firm that works on everything from large-scale mansions to huge commercial projects. Amber and her team collaborate with architects and constructors to bring the distinct visions shown in her work, blog, and retail shop to life.

It all comes down to how you layer your décor when designing a room with all the moods. The more you can blend your room's elements—your pillows, furniture, patterns, and lighting—the more finished it will feel: not too new, not too old, but just perfect.

Amber Lewis trains your eye in Made for Living, known for her eclectic approach that originates from her California cool, offering pleasant advise on anything from nailing that ideal shade of paint to mismatching patterns with wild abandon to picking a stone finish for new worktops. These sections will assist you in designing a home that is meant to be lived in. The book is among the best books on architecture.

Author: Amber Lewis

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Made-Living-Collected-Interiors-Styles/dp/1984823914/

Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 stars (from 2488 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #1,383 in Books

#1 in Interior Painting & Wallpapering

#2 in Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement (Books)

#3 in Feng Shui (Books)

Paola Merrill is a Puerto Rican American who lives in rural northeastern Washington. She is an English literature student who has previously worked as a magazine editor and writer. Her popular YouTube channel, The Cottage Fairy, was founded with the idea of bringing people from all walks of life together to raise awareness of environmental preservation and sustainable living.

The Cottage Fairy Companion assists readers in seeing the ordinary wonder that surrounds them. It provides a fresh perspective by highlighting the lessons nature teaches about finding beauty in both good and difficult times. This novel will appeal to everyone, from city inhabitants to country bobkins. It demonstrates that you don't need a rustic countryside cottage to obtain a cottagecore look or to incorporate parts of slow living into your daily life.

Mindfulness can be used for healing and fulfillment. Paola Merrill, author and founder of the renowned YouTube series The Cottage Fairy, relocated from the city to the countryside in pursuit of a deeper connection to herself and the world. Nature, she discovered, is the greatest teacher of all—if we open our eyes to its knowledge. Mindful living may be applied to almost any situation, and Merrill's work inspires you to find healing and fulfillment wherever you are.

The Cottage Fairy Companion on mindful living contains:

• Insight into building a welcoming and inspirational environment, living in harmony with natural cycles and seasons, gardening, and preparing tea
• Original artwork and gorgeous photographs of the author's cottage, crafts, and surroundings are included.
• Calming, meditative text that inspire calm and peace in an otherwise frantic world.

Author: Paola Merrill

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Cottage-Fairy-Companion-Cottagecore-Connecting/dp/1642509795/

Best Sellers Rank: #1,634 in Books

#1 in Seasonal Crafts (Books)

#1 in Fiber Arts & Textiles

#1 in Architectural Decoration & Ornament

Joanna Gaines cofounded Magnolia, a home and lifestyle brand based in Waco, Texas, in 2003 with her husband, Chip Gaines. Chip and Joanna Gaines, authors of the New York Times bestseller The Magnolia Story, have been refurbishing homes for nearly two decades. Joanna is also the author of the New York Times best-selling cookbook Magnolia Table and the editor-in-chief of Magnolia Journal, a lifestyle publication that offers ideas for your life and home.

Joanna Gaines explains how to design a house that reflects the personalities and stories of the people who live there in Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave. This comprehensive book will help you examine your priorities and instincts, as well as your likes and dislikes, with practical strategies for navigating and embracing your own design style, using examples from her own farmhouse and a variety of other homes. Room by room, Homebody delves into how these styles are implemented, as well as how to merge the aesthetics you're drawn to to create places that feel uniquely yours. A removable design template at the back of the book provides a step-by-step guidance to creating your own design plans. The knowledge offered in Homebody will give you the confidence to mindfully design spaces you'll never want to leave.

Author: Joanna Gaines

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Homebody-Guide-Creating-Spaces-Never/dp/006280197X/

Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars (from 10651 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #1,981 in Books

#4 in Interior Design

#5 in Interior & Home Design

#9 in Home Decorating (Books)

Frida Ramstedt is the founder of Trendenser.se, one of Scandinavia's premier design websites, which features interior design and style know-how, trend forecasting, home tours, DIY projects, product news, and reports from Northern European design events. Trendenser was created in September 2005, and Frida Ramstedt's first book, "The Interior Design Book," was released in March 2019 in Sweden.

Frida Ramstedt feels that we should think about how we decorate rather than what we adorn with. We know more about design trends, furnishings, and trinkets than ever before, and now Frida introduces readers to the fundamental concepts of interior and styling—what looks nice and, most importantly, why it looks good.

Among the best books on architecture, The Interior Design Handbook teaches you general rules of thumb, such as what the golden ratio and the golden spiral are, how to size a coffee table in proportion to your sofa, how to place lighting fixtures at the appropriate height, and how to create a mood board, all with helpful pictures. No matter where you live or what your style is, The Interior Design Handbook can help you establish a balanced, attractive house.

Author: Frida Ramstedt

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Interior-Design-Handbook-Furnish-Decorate/dp/0593139313/

Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 stars (from 2207 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #2,011 in Books

#3 in Home Design & Construction (Books)

#5 in Interior Design

#6 in Interior & Home Design

Virginia Savage McAlester attended Radcliffe College and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She is a founder member and past president of Preservation Dallas, as well as Friends of Fair Park, a National Historic Landmark support group. She is an emeritus advisor with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She is the author of The Making of a Historic District: Swiss Avenue, Dallas, Texas, a 40-page "how-to" booklet issued by the National Trust in 1975 and utilized as a reference by historic groups across the country in constructing their historic districts. She is the coauthor of Dallas: Great American Suburbs and The Homes of the Park Cities.

A Field Guide to American Houses is the totally extended, revised, and newly designed second edition of the most comprehensive and widely praised handbook to domestic architecture: in print since its original publication in 1984, and widely recognized as the unrivaled, indispensable guide to American houses.

This revised edition includes a section on neighborhoods, new and extended categories of house styles with photos and descriptions, an appendix on "Approaches to Construction in the 20th and 21st Centuries," an expanded bibliography, and 600 additional photographs and line drawings.

Author: Virginia Savage McAlester

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-American-Houses-Revised/dp/0375710825/

Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars (from 954 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #2,390 in Books

#1 in Architectural History

#1 in Residential Architecture

#1 in Regional Architecture

William B. Irvine is Professor of Philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He is the author of On Desire: Why We Want What We Want.

One of the greatest worries that many of us have is that, despite our best efforts, we would learn at the end that we have squandered our lives. William B. Irvine delves into the wisdom of Stoic philosophy, one of the most popular and effective schools of thought in ancient Rome, and demonstrates how its insight and advice are still amazingly applicable to our life in A Guide to the Good Life.

Irvine presents Stoicism in a new light in A Guide to the Good Life, demonstrating how this ancient philosophy can now guide us to a better life. Irvine provides a road map for anyone trying to escape the feelings of chronic unhappiness that beset so many of us, using the psychological insights and practical strategies of the Stoics. Irvine examines several Stoic ways for achieving tranquillity and demonstrates how to apply these techniques in our daily lives. As he does so, he explains his own Stoic experiences and provides excellent first-hand counsel for anyone looking to live a better life by following in the footsteps of these ancient thinkers. Readers will learn how to deal with insults, sadness, old age, and the distracting temptations of fame and money, as well as how to let go of the past and focus our energies on the things we can control. Marcus Aurelius teaches us the significance of valuing only what is truly valuable, while Epictetus teaches us how to be more content with what we have.

Finally, A Guide to the Good Life teaches readers how to be critical observers of their own lives. We can better recognize sources of suffering and eventually prevent that pain in our lives if we observe ourselves as we go about our everyday routine and subsequently reflect on what we see. The Stoics believed that by doing so, we could achieve a truly blissful life. The book is regarded as one of the best books on architecture you should read.

Author: William B. Irvine

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/0195374614/

Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 2565 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #3,373 in Books

#1 in Ethics

#1 in History of Philosophy

#2 in Religious Studies (Books)

Myquillyn Smith, popularly known as "The Nester," has been pushing women to accept their houses, flaws and all, for the past ten years. Better Homes & Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal, and Cottages & Bungalows have all featured her lived-in, loved-on home. Myquillyn is the author of The Nesting Place and Cozy Minimalist Home, and she was named one of the top twenty creatives in 2016 by Christianity Today.

Despite popular belief, honoring the seasons does not necessitate endless bins of factory-made decor or a lot of effort. In truth, with no work and a modest money, your home may be festive, elegant, and cozy.

Welcome House will help you create a home that is new, meaningful, attractive, and (plus!) always ready for guests, with interesting how-tos and inspiring photographs. Myquillyn walks you through deliberate design selections to create a location where loved ones can meet, meaningful relationships can be celebrated, and lasting memories can be built.

Myquillyn's practical and down-to-earth design advice will show you how to:

• Seasonalize your living environments with easy-to-implement methods.
• Pay attention to your life's rhythm in order to create areas that function for you and your family.
• Incorporate the natural world's beauty by paying attention to the five senses.
• Feel free to offer your home for gatherings, parties, and unplanned get-togethers.
• As a relaxed and confident hostess, you should know what to focus on and what not to worry about.
• Take pleasure in your house.

Among the best books on architecture, Welcome Home will assist you in rising above trends, discovering your distinct style, and ushering in each season with more flair and less things.

Author: Myquillyn Smith

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0310351936/

Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars (from 2038 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #33,172 in Books

#7 in Architectural Decoration & Ornament

#11 in Interior Decoration & Ornament

#23 in Seasonal Crafts (Books)

Christiane Lemieux, founder of the lifestyle brand LEMIEUX et CIE, was named one of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs. Lemieux created DwellStudio in 1999, which was purchased by Wayfair, the world's largest online home goods company, in 2013. Lemieux is the author of the critically acclaimed Undecorate and a judge on Ellen's Design Challenge.

Quality is important. Just as a house's foundation should be built to last, so should our rooms' furniture, items, and features convey an enduring sense of beauty and comfort. They should outlive fashion and our loving daily use. But how does one identify quality and determine whether something is well-made?

In The Finer Things, Christiane Lemieux set out to find a solution by interviewing the world's top specialists. Lemieux has crafted an unrivaled education in recognizing the signs of timeless, heirloom-quality objects by weaving together the insights and guidance of dozens of wallpaper and paint specialists, textile fabricators, accessories craftspeople, and interior designers. Hundreds of magnificent house interiors—both historic and contemporary examples—represent the spectrum of luxury and personalised spaces that may be produced with fine décor.

Author: Christiane Lemieux

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Finer-Things-Timeless-Furniture-Textiles/dp/0770434290/

Ratings: 4.8 out of 5 stars (from 1545 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #4,315 in Books

#1 in Home Furniture

#2 in Interior Painting & Wallpapering

#3 in Architectural Decoration & Ornament