Defining Style: The Book of Interior Design

Discover 25 of the most recognizable design styles through 150 residential interiors from the world’s leading designers

From Coastal to Contemporary, Maximal to Mediterranean, Tailored to Textured, this inspirational lookbook guides beginners and enthusiasts alike through the most timeless interior design styles of the last century.

Learn to identify and understand each style like an expert through introductory texts describing key tenets and featured real-world examples by today’s best contemporary designers, such as Studio Shamshiri, Laura Gonzalez, and Vincenzo De Cotiis. Whether in a Manhattan skyscraper, along the coasts of Italy, or in the tropics of Bali, the rooms in this curated global collection offer a masterclass in how to navigate interior decor today.

An insightful introduction by design editor Asad Syrkett explores the meaning and recent history of interior style, and a visual directory in the back of the book allows readers to see and make connections between different styles.

Joan Barzilay Freund is the author 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.

Asad Syrkett is a Brooklyn-based design editor and brand strategist. From 2020 to 2024, he served as Editor in Chief of Elle Decor. Previously, he managed special projects as deputy editor at Curbed. Asad began his career at Architectural Digest and Architectural Record.