My Favorite Interior Design Books

This week I thought that I would share with you my Top 11, all-time favorite, Interior Design books from my own personal library.  I am a huge fan of the printed word, and when I say printed, I mean actually printed out on paper. Cyberspace is indeed incredible for communicating the written word and gorgeous photos, but I just adore books in book form, especially ones I can curl up with. 
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So, here are the interior design books that I reference all the time, from inspirational design to fabrication methods to architectural classification.  I’ll review each book, clockwise, starting in the lower left corner.  These are presented in no particular order in terms of how much I adore the books…it’s just too hard to choose anyway.  It was hard enough for me to pare it down to only 11!

1 and 2) The Design Directory of Bedding (2009) and The Design Directory of Window Treatments (2007) by Jackie Von Tobel
Jackie Von Tobel’s pair of books on window treatment and soft furnishing styles provides beautiful drawings that delight and inspire a designer’s imagination. I have taken several classes from Jackie, and she is a top designer in the soft furnishings field with her own line of fabrics, drapery hardware, and other décor items.  I can’t wait to see her new line of fabrics…so fun. You can find Jackie online at:
                        https://www.jackievontobel.com/

3) The Curtain Maker’s Handbook, a reprint of F.A, Morelands’s Practical Decorative Upholstery, originally published in 1889, introduction by Martha Gandy Fales
This book is quite a mathematical and historical gem from Boston’s own F.A. Moreland who was one of the few upholsterers at the time who documented their drapery formulas and patterns. Apparently, there were lots of well-guarded trade secrets in this field.  I have done many window treatments for public historical buildings in the Boston area, and this book was such a pleasure to use to make the proportions and patterns historically accurate.  

4) A Field Guide to American Architecture by Carole Rifkind (1980)
Carol Rifkind presents an invaluable compendium of photos and architectural drawings to enable classification of America’s residential, commercial, and church architectural styles.   If you are into historical architecture (yes!) this is a great reference book.

5) The Finishing Touch, Details that Make a Room Beautiful by Carol Spier, 2009
Carol Spier has written and edited several books through House Beautiful, Hearst Book, and Sterling Publishing.  This book presents beautiful photos of residential interiors that are timeless, refined, and well-appointed. I really resonate with the style of interiors in this book. And the bed on the cover?  Well, I am continually looking for such a headboard at an antique shop so I can upholster the face with nailheads just like this.  Actually, I already have this exact fabric in two different colors…go figure!

6) Interior Design and Decoration, Fourth Edition (1974) by Sherrill Whiton
This is one of my favorite textbooks from my studies at Interior Design School (at the University of California at Santa Cruz).  I refer back to it time and time again. The photos of “current” furniture presented does look pretty retro -- midcentury modern, to be exact, which is ironically in style again!  But the historical review of all furniture and decorating periods is second to none.  Sherrill Whiton also gives terrific advice on scale and proportion and color theory.

7) Elements of Style, Designing a Home and a Life by Erin Gates (2014)
I am a super fan of designer Erin Gates and have mentioned her before in my blog posts. She is a fellow Boston designer (her new offices are in Newton, MA), and I am in total synch with her style.  This book is a delight, and if you are looking for a gift for someone in the Boston area (well, anywhere), this is great idea.  I regularly read Erin’s blog at:
                   http://www.elementsofstyleblog.com/

8 and 9) Sarah Style (2014)  and At Home Sarah Style (2015) by Sarah Richardson
My all-time favorite designer, Sarah Richardson, has written two books that I recommend to anyone redecorating a residence.  She’s Canadian, and you have undoubtedly seen her on HGTV.   I love the fabrics she has designed and her overall sense of vitality, freshness, and use of textural materials in her residential interiors.  The looks she favors are particularly relevant in New England with our millwork, architecture and size and layout of rooms. 

​I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah a few years ago at a conference.  She looks great (of course!  a TV personality).  Her keynote address was so lovely and inspirational to us fabric-hounds.  I really resonated with the part in her book where she discusses how hard she has to work on a day-to-day basis as an interior designer, even one with national acclaim.  Just love her spirit, style, and solution-oriented approach.  The books are wonderful for timeless casual interiors…lots of lake-house homes.  You will smile when you read these books (and want to redecorate…)

10) An Analysis of Drapery (1819) by James Arrowsmith and The Upholsterer’s Accelerator (1833) by Thomas King, reprint of two 19th century drapery manuals from the Winterthur Library (published 1993)
Another historical book on drapery fabrication instructions from 1819 and 1833, a book that was super hard to find!  But to a purist like me who specializes in historical draperies, this book is a real treasure.  I’m not suggesting everyone would want it on their shelf, but I’m glad it’s on my shelf.   The drawings (plates) are really well-done, and the geometry involved in creating some of the drapery and valance styles sends me back to my college architectural drafting days!

11) The Essential Guide to Upholstery by Dorothy Gates (2000)
I do some light upholstery (benches and stools mostly) in my job, and have taken several classes from master upholsterer Kevin Kennedy who owns Upholstery on Broadway in Arlington, MA.

  http://www.upholsteryonbroadway.com/meettheteam/

When one of my clients needs to reupholster a chair, sofa, or other more involved project, I always send them to Kevin.

But I have found this book on upholstery fabrication by Dorothy Gates useful in my own upholstery pursuits, and I recommend it to anyone at a beginning or intermediate level. Of course taking several classes from Kevin was immeasurably invaluable, and he offers classes to the general public.  Call him!  You will be delighted by his superb instruction and helpful knowledge of furniture pieces from the historic to the modern.   

So, that’s it for my Top 11 Interior Design books.  If you are in the Sudbury MA area, you are more than welcome to borrow any of these books…just call.

​Happy reading to you, whatever the format!