Defining style: the book of interior design

One might say this book is the interior designer’s equivalent of a well-stocked cocktail trolley: elegant, abundant, and guaranteed to impress even the most exacting guests. Formidably, Defining Style: The Book of Interior Design presents 25 of the most recognisable design styles through 150 interiors so handsome they practically straighten their own curtains.

From breezy Coastal to polished Contemporary, riotous Maximal to sun-drenched Mediterranean, each chapter introduces a style with brisk authority, then ushers you into real homes by the likes of Studio Shamshiri, Laura Gonzalez, and Vincenzo De Cotiis — designers who make even a humble reading nook look ready for its close-up.

Whether perched in a Manhattan tower, basking by the Italian seaside, or cooling off in Balinese shade, these rooms form a globetrotting masterclass in interior know-how. An introduction by Asad Syrkett provides the intellectual garnish, while a clever visual directory ties the styles together like an impeccably arranged bouquet.

The author, Joan Barzilay Freund  has written of multiple books on furniture and interior design, most recently contributing texts to Inside: At Home with Great Designers (Phaidon, 2022). She has written for such publications as the Chicago Tribune, Elle Decor, and 1stDibs’s Introspective magazine, among many others.

• Author: Joan Barzilay Freund
  
• Size: 29 x 25 cm and 296 pages
• Language: English
• Cover: Hardcover
• Published: 2025