Are you tired of looking at the same four walls every day and night? You might be dying to re-decorate, but pump your breaks. You've got books to read before you re-style your apartment, and I've picked out 13 of the best and most recent for you below.
Once you reach the age when HGTV and Food Network programming become wildly entertaining, you'll soon feel the absolute need to buy a new rug and learn a new recipe. But don't run to Bed, Bath & Beyond just yet. Acquiring a large, expensive, and eye-catching piece of furniture or home decor shouldn't be something you do on a whim. Decorating your home takes a lot of time and careful planning, no matter how eager you are to get started, and the look you choose could be with you for a very long time. You want to choose as wisely as you possibly can.
Thankfully, there are oodles of how-to books on interior design out there, just waiting to be read. I've picked out 13 of them for you below — they might just inspire you to give your apartment the dramatic makeover you've been wanting to give it forever:
'Your Home, Your Style: How to Find Your Look & Create Rooms You Love' by Donna Garlough
Joss & Main style director Donna Garlough is the woman behind this perfect guide for the burgeoning interior designer. Your Home, Your Style will help you identify your signature look and compensate for your own design flaws.
'Small Space Style: Because You Don't Need to Live Large to Live Beautifully' by Whitney Leigh Morris
Written by an interior designer who lives in a home with less than 400 square feet, Small Space Style contains more than 200 tips for anyone occupying a tiny home, studio apartment, or other small space.
'Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave' by Joanna Gaines
Fixer-Upper star Joanna Gaines' step-by-step guide to designing your perfect home hit No. 1 on The New York Times Best Sellers List. Not only does Homebody include examples of different design styles and tips on how to emulate them in your own space, but the book also comes with a template to help you sketch your own plans for room layouts.
'Colors for Your Home: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint' by House Beautiful
If picking the color of your walls and trim gives you all the anxiety, you need to read House Beautiful's Colors for Your Home. Featuring more than 450 of the hottest colors for 2019, this brand-new edition of the pocket guide to picking out paint is the novice home styler's new best friend.
'Dream Design Live' by Paloma Contreras
If other interior design guides haven't worked for you, consider reading Paloma Contreras' Dream Design Live. This handy guide will help you design the home of your dreams, and Contreras' sage advice will be there for you every step of the way.
'Affordable Interior Design: High-End Tips for Any Budget' by Betsy Helmuth
Making over your apartment doesn't have to cost you a fortune! Betsy Helmuth's Affordable Interior Design will show you how to get a luxe look, all by yourself, for a fraction of the cost.
'Wild at Home: How to Style and Care for Beautiful Plants' by Hilton Carter
If you love the "jungalow" look, this book's for you. Out Apr. 9, Hilton Carter's Wild at Home has everything you need to know in order to keep your houseplants Instagram-worthy at all times.
'Living Decor: Plants, Potting and DIY Projects' by Maria Colletti
Another book on plants, Maria Coletti's Living Decor focuses on how to use your houseplants as eye-catching decor options. This one comes out on March 19, and you can pre-order it today!
'Paint Box: 45 Palettes for Choosing Color, Texture and Pattern' by Tricia Guild
If you don't want to go through the hassle of picking out individual colors for every wall, lamp, and chair in your home, consider using one of the premade palettes in Tricia Guild's Paint Box. Even if you don't copy one of Guild's ideas exactly, this book will teach you how to translate the places and things you love into workable color palettes.
'Remodelista: The Organized Home: Simple, Stylish Storage Ideas for All Over the House' by Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick
I know how frustrating it is to want to throw everything out and start over, rather than fixing the mess you have. But before you go and commit the interior-design equivalent of getting bangs, you should check out Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick's Remodelista: The Organized Home, to see how you can fix your organization and storage problems.
'Remix: Decorating with Culture, Objects, and Soul' by Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason
From AphroChic founders Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason comes this masterclass on incorporating global and cultural items, from souvenirs to family heirlooms, into your design style. If you aren't sure how to bring your heritage into your home decor, this is the book you need.
'Hello Color: 25 Bright Ideas for DIY Decor' by Rachel Mae Smith
Scared of color, but hate all-neutral looks? Rachel Mae Smith's Hello Color has a ton of nifty, cost-effective methods for spicing up your living space with bright DIY projects. In addition to showing you how to revamp your space with a fresh coat of paint, this book also has tear-out posters you can use to start your first gallery wall.
'My Bedroom is an Office: & Other Interior Design Dilemmas' by Joanna Thornhill
For people with small spaces and tight budgets, finding a home decor style that works can be a real pain. Hitting store shelves on March 19, Joanna Thornhill's My Bedroom Is an Office & Other Interior Design Dilemmas will help you navigate your next home-decorating crisis.
