The Ten Best Interior Design Books

2. Timeless Living Handbook - £47.50
Belgium has a disproportionate number of world-class architects and interior designers. It’s no coincidence that Belgian publisher Beta-Plus produces excellent design books.
Wim Pauwels (Beta-Plus)

3. Perfect English - £25
The 20 houses featured encapsulate a particular look of our times: informal, individual, slightly arty, more country than urban – and often a bit scuffed. This lack of perfection is the appeal.
RosByamShaw (Ryland Peters & Small)

4. The Elements of Style - £45
This is an invaluable guide for anyone restoring an old house and wanting to get it right. Informative text and 4,500 illustrations cover the past 500 years.
Ed. Stephen Calloway, updated by Alan Powers (Mitchell Beazley)

5. Interior Design - £19.95
Jenny Gibbs is the Principal of the highly respected KLC School of Design and is ideally placed to write a book on the principles of interior design. A reliable manual for home-owners.
Jenny Gibbs (Laurence King Publishing)

6. Timeless Interiors - £45
Axel Vervoort is a successful Belgian antiques dealer and decorator who works all over the world on projects that range from palaces to farmhouses.
Axel Vervoort and Armelle Baron (Flammarion)

7. Dream Houses - £17.95
Deservedly a bestseller and now available in paperback, this image-rich, book is a guided tour of 100 homes, many belonging to interior decorators.
Andreas von Einsiedel and Johanna Thornycroft (Merrell)

8. Prince of Decorators - £35
John Fowler has not been well served by some of his imitators who attempt to recreate his English country house look but lack his genius. This book explains why his work is still such an inspiration.
Martin Wood (Frances Lincoln)

9. Recycled Home - £19.99
The couple behind Baileys – which sells redundant objects that have been reclaimed and adapted for a new purpose – showreaders how to “keep it simple, repair and reuse”.
Mark, Sally Bailey (Ryland Peters & Small)

10. Contemporary World Interiors - £45
Current interior trends are analysed andwork by leading designers is displayed in this weighty global survey. Projects include houses, hotels, offices, civic and religious buildings.
Susan Yelavich (Phaidon)