Top 5 Books on DIY Interior Decorating

There are thousands of books on the market about interior decorating, and if you are only really starting to get into this, it can be a little tricky knowing which books to look at. Here, we present a list of well-established and respected books on the topic.

1) The Complete Guide to Painting and Decorating: Using Paint, Stain and Wallpaper in Home Décor by Jan Ferris

This is one of the standard references books on all matters relating to interior DIY. It covers a wide range of techniques and theories - on painting, wallpapering, staining, and more. It also goes into the theory of colour co-ordination and design for home décor. Also included are a number of projects which readers can try out, which put into practice the ideas outlined in the book.

2) Painting and Decorating by Roy Hughes

This is a book which comes highly recommended for people with little to no experience in home decorating. It goes from the absolute beginning stages -detailing the tools and basic skills needed to make a start and become competent in the technical ability required to become a competent decorator. The book actually covers the syllabus for people who want to take steps to decorating as a career, so you can be sure that it will be carefully planned and well thought out.

3) Reader's Digest Home Decorating Manual by Reader's Digest

Reader's Digest are well known for well-written and informative books, and this one carries on in the tradition, It contains simple but useful advice on various DIY techniques, including painting, wallpapering, grouting, laying floors, and many more. It will tell you which tool to use for which job and will then take you through the job in simple, easy-to-follow steps.

4) Dream Homes : 100 inspirational interiors by Johanna Thornycroft

Sometimes it is as useful to see how the experts do it. This book contains a hundred examples of decorated homes, done both professionally and by regular homeowners, in various styles and fashions. It does also give hints about how to create the style you want to create, but its main purpose is to inspire.

5) Home decorating for dummies by Katharine Kay McMillan and Patricia Hart McMillan

The "Dummies" series are a great idea, and the concept applies equally well to the home decorating field. It covers, in the typical Dummies manner, choosing a style, how to use lighting, accessorizing, and many other useful and important points of interior design. An ideal book for people who want to design but are not yet sure how to start going about it.