Home: How to Love It, Live in It, and Find Joy in It

by India Knight

In this joyous and practical book, inspired by her phenomenally popular Substack newsletter, India Knight explores and celebrates the essence of what makes a home.

Whether grand or modest, urban or rural, shared or solo, her mission is to make you sigh with contentment the moment you’re through your front door. Going from the hallway to the bedroom, via the bathroom, the kitchen, the sitting room and all the spaces in between, India shares everything she knows about how to create and find joy in every room. Along the way she imparts wisdom, life lessons, tips and stories gathered from the things and people that have shaped her. So, step over the threshold and come on in.

‘A must-buy for anyone looking to bring more joy into their homes’ Rukmini Iyer

‘I would follow India Knight anywhere, both in and out of the home and anywhere else for that matter’ Lucinda Chambers

‘Quite honestly the happiest thing I’ve read in a long time’ Laetitia Maklouf

India Knight 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Audible Audio

Published October 16, 2025

About the author

India Knight is a British journalist. Her novels have been translated into 28 languages.

Knight, a native French speaker, lived in Brussels until about the time she turned nine. After migrating to the United Kingdom, she was educated in London. She was awarded an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read Modern Languages from 1984-1987, before starting her career in journalism.

In addition to writing for and contributing to major British magazines and newspapers, India Knight writes a prominent weekly column for The Sunday Times. She is also a regular guest on British radio and television.

After writing an article in The Sunday Times about her daughter's special needs - her youngest child has DiGeorge syndrome.

Knight lives in London with her three children.

Reviews

[Kayla Hunnisett]

If you like the sound of India Knight waxing poetic about warm lighting, exalting sentimental decorating and ruthlessly criticizing the color grey, you'll adore this book. Not one for the beige queens.

[Katy Chessum-Rice]

To say that Home has changed my life might be a teeny bit dramatic, however her wise advice and guidance on how to decorate and really enjoy *living* in your home has given me such a boost! We moved house a year ago and I've put off tackling the decorating because I had no idea where to start (renting for over 15 years and only just becoming a home-owner meant it had never come up before!). India's book gives practical advice on the foundations of decorating, like textures and colours, but also how to arrange your furniture to bring out the best in your house (and to enjoy living in your home, rather than a show home). I loved reading this and it made me realise that I have been buying lovely things over the years (like paintings, glassware, rugs and vases), I just need to pull it all together.

[Ruby Cumming]

A relaxing guide to all sorts of things, and a bit of an antidote to seeing a barrage of picture perfect interiors on Instagram and what-have-you. Visitors don't want to see a space that's perfect, they want to see the special bits that make it YOURS.

I finished up the book feeling all at once: affirmed in my home's imperfect nature, slightly encouraged to give gardening another crack, and lazily inspired to add some extra homey touches when having guests over.

Filled with recommendations of places to buy useful gorgeous and useful things, alas the links are mostly just for UK readers.

[Elli Flitton]

I thought I’d read a bit of this here and there but I couldn’t put it down!! Really good advice, and really funny which I wasn’t expecting! Made me appreciate my home and all my bits and bobs even more 💖 the explanation of which lightbulbs to get to avoid horrid white light was especially appreciated 🫶🏼 I’ve already bought another copy to gift to a friend 😻

[Sara Green]

It would be wrong to pick up a book titled Home: how to love it, live in it and enjoy it written by a woman who is so very confident in her own taste only to complain that sometimes it comes across as just a tiny bit bossy - so that is absolutely not the review I am leaving, and I will just say that India Knight’s home sounds like a perfectly lovely place to be.

[Elspeth]

Taught me some useful things and some good ideas.
I think particularly good as written by a maximalist and good at encouraging relaxing into 'stuff'.
Did wind me up at times though.

- Interesting on scales eg for lightbulb brightness, sheet thread count etc.
- Think about having mix of straight and rounded edges - our lounge is too angular and needs more softness....

[Julie]

The home design book I didn’t know I’d been needing for 20 years. I couldn’t wait to pick it up every day and absorb more. Brilliant is an understatement. Also: finally someone who understands my need to change all the lightbulbs!!

[Helen Downton]

Loved it!

[Florence ✨]

“Surrounding yourself with things you love matters. It is a really sane and anchoring move in a lunatic world.”