When and why design emerged, how much room a person has in a space, how to choose contrasting colors, choose a style and decorate the room.
This is a selection for a comprehensive dive into the subject, from design history to room styling. Some books are more fundamental, discussing design theory, design standards, coloristic, and interior design basics.
The remaining are for inspiration and introduction to decorating and styling.
These books will be helpful for both interior design students who want to improve their professional skills while a paper writer is working on their essay and those who simply want to redesign their home, making it more cozy and trendy.
“The Story of Design” by Charlotte Fiell, Peter Fiell
About
This book is an excursion into the history of design: from the prehistoric tools of the ancient world through the Middle Ages and modern times to 3D printing and biomimicry.
The authors explore the relationship between design and society, showing how design affects living conditions and its role.
They describe how human perceptions of beauty and comfort have changed over the centuries. And how designers, looking for new solutions to everyday problems, materials, and forms for familiar objects, developing and creating the design, eventually improve the quality of life.
The Book Has Several Advantages at Once:
- simple and clear language;
- all essential personalities and events are indicated;
- each style and trend is matched with appropriate design examples.
Everything from ancient tools to samples of furniture and interiors is illustrated. You can find out what chairs looked like in the Middle Ages or Rococo furniture, as well as when the hourglass appeared and which two materials gave rise to the Industrial Revolution. And finally, what biomimicry is all about.
How it’s Useful
- It will give a basic understanding of the history and theory of design.
- It tells why design is integral to human existence and how it has transformed society and influenced history.
The book is well-published and could make an excellent gift for those interested in design. Or you could ask for it as a gift for yourself.
The researchers from the best essay writing service especially recommend this book for first-year interior design students and those who want to start a business in this area.
“The Color Scheme Bible: Inspirational Palettes for Designing Home Interiors” by Anna Starmer
About
A guide to choosing colors and color combinations for any room in an apartment. There are many thorough works on colorism and color, but the emphasis is on practice and application in interiors.
First comes a little theory that only gets exciting in time. The meaning of color in the home, the rules of working with it, the influence of color on mood and emotions, and artificial and natural light.
And there are exciting tips on how to make your color database! The book describes and illustrates more than 200 color combinations.
The essential thing in the book is the instructions on how to use colors. They are broken down into groups, from lighter and more neutral to bright, saturated colors.
The author selects four shades for each primary color: two that match the main color and two that contrast. And tells how they can be used in the interior, what mood they will create, and what room will suit best.
You can immediately imagine how everything will look.
The book is small, so you can take it to the hardware store to find the right paint, fabrics, or wallpaper color.
How is it Useful
- Teaches you how to work with color, how to choose the right shades and combinations.
- it will help in self-designing and later when working with clients when you need to show how the colors will look like.
- Flexible – you can use it to select colors for interiors and clothing or other types of design, such as graphic design.
“The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well” by Deborah Needleman
About
A collection of short, helpful essays on how to create an interior that’s right for you. The author conveys the idea that creating the perfect, stylish and comfortable place to relax or work is not such a difficult task.
It is necessary to rely on the fact that the interior is the people who live in it, their habits, lifestyle, and hobbies. And it is okay to spend a small amount of money on home improvement.
Deborah Needleman weaves a personal story into the narrative, talking about her home, and you get a lively and exciting story, not dry advice.
The book is well structured, and theoretical chapters about types of furniture and decorations are supplemented by historical references (from them, you can learn, for example, how the berger – the first comfortable chair – appeared).
Lots of concrete practical tips and tricks on decoration, design, choice of furniture, and accessories. For example, how to use ceramic cups to make a cozy home with history.
How to arrange cushions in the living room or hang random pictures on the wall.
The main highlight and beauty of the book, what makes it cozy and lively, are the watercolor drawings by artist Virginia Johnson that illustrate the text.
At the end of the book is an explanation of where these interiors are from (they are real!) and who the designers are.
There’s a slight downside – some of the advice doesn’t apply to our realities when it comes to larger homes. It’s unlikely that many people will be able to put a chair in the bathroom (but it’s a great idea!). But something can be upgraded to suit you – replace the chair with a small stool or bench (if they fit, too).
How is it Useful?
- It will help make your home cozier and pick up interior items.
- It becomes a handbook for beginner designers – it has techniques that become apparent only with experience.
“Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves” by Emily Henderson
About
Interior styling and decorating; how to find your style and create a beautiful space with decor and accessories.
The book is full of ideas for interior design and styling. It is not about how to create an interior from scratch but how to rethink, transform and improve an existing interior, slightly changing it.
How to arrange furniture and various small things, make accents, what is the focal point, why you need a mood board, and what to look for at flea markets (and most importantly, why).
The house can be changed, and you don’t need new furniture to do it (and you don’t have to throw out all your old furniture).
We were particularly fascinated by the theme of vignettes, as the author calls a group of favorite objects or furniture that reflect a person’s personality.
Putting together such a vignette will attract guests’ attention and tell a story about you. Just a sofa won’t tell your story, but a corner with a vintage guitar and records will give away your love for a rock band. When the vignette gets boring, you can change it.
At the beginning of the book, a test helps to determine which style you like and what to pay attention to when choosing items for your home.
And if you want several styles – no problem, you can not choose just one, but combine them and make friends with each other. Emily Henderson talks about this too.
Bonus – tips on photographing interiors and preparing the space for shooting. The recommendations will come in handy if you decide to do your own blog or Instagram blog with interiors.
How it’s Useful
- It will help you decide on your own style and learn the ins and outs of styling a space.
- Like the previous book, this book can inspire and enthuse you and set you up for experimentation in your home.
We liked the style of presentation in the book: brief and concise, with explanations. But mainly – a lot of illustrations with real interiors.
You can no longer search for appropriate pictures on Pinterest but just open the book. Convenient!
To summarize
Books can give a good base, a foundation for further development, expand knowledge and introduce design. But the main thing to remember – just assimilating information from books is not enough.
To develop and become a great specialist, you must learn, gain practical experience, and create tangible projects.
An excellent way to build your skills and put your first projects in your portfolio is to take an online course. If you need more time for this, check paper writing service reddit reviews to find your best one, and you won’t have to worry about any college writing assignments while taking a course.
