Made for Living: Collected Interiors for All Sorts of Styles

by Amber Lewis, Cat Chen

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The trendsetting designer known for her effortless style shares the secrets of the art of layering, with more than 250 gorgeous photographs of her signature interiors.  

“Livability is my true north. The materials I use time and again all change with age and wear. Not only is that okay, it’s how you achieve more than a re-creation of what you’ve already seen, or what somebody else has done. You can do this, too—I promise.”—from the introduction

Designing a room with all the vibes comes down to how you layer your décor. The more you can mix the elements of your room—your pillows, objects, patterns, and lighting—the more finished it’ll not too new, not too old, but just right.

Known for her eclectic approach that stems from her California cool, Amber Lewis trains your eye in  Made for Living,  offering friendly advice on everything from nailing that perfect shade of paint to mismatching patterns with wild abandon to choosing a stone finish for new countertops.  These pages will help you design a home that's made to be lived in.

Genres: Design, Interior Design, Nonfiction, Coffee Table Books, Architecture, Adult, Art

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 27, 2020

Reviews

[Alessandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a lot to love about where interiors are headed this decade; the photographs in these pages are proof. Though I should qualify that and say, it is proof if you primarily believe rooms should be made to look good on a page, or 2x2" instagram screen, and not actually made for living. Whoops.

The first thing that I noticed on a quick flip through is that there are zero signs of life--except for one lonely dog on pg. 246. I understand that it is normative to erase people out of their homes in design books, because you want to see the furniture and pillows, dammit! But I was hoping at least to see this Amber Lewis of social media fame in the introduction, preferably ensconced by lots of pillows. But no. On pg. 8 there is one photo with a blonde in it, and I think it is Lewis, but not sure because her back is to the camera as she styles one of her "signature" shelves. If you want to see her real face you have to go to the bio at the end of the book. For someone who is so focused on establishing her brand (A constant sentence-starter in MFL is "people are ALWAYS asking me...") I would expect her face to be slathered over this thing, Joanna Gaines style. Come on, Amber! Show up!

Instead this author prefers to show her personality in her writing voice, which is very colloquial and weirdly off-putting at times. ("For Realz the Nicest People on the Planet.") Conversational is fine for an IG caption, but for print? I don't know if I should be too hard on the writing. The person I really want to be hard on is the editor. Editor, where WERE you when this passage came into being? "My serious obsession with textiles includes pillows. I truly think they can make or break a room. One wrong pillow and it all goes downhill. I am kind of sort of kidding, but mostly one hundred percent serious" (214). She's not just sort of kidding, she's KIND OF sorta kidding. But also 100% serious, mostly. Come on Amber! If you are serious, go all the way! There is no mostly 100%. Pick a percent and stop bouncing between the neutral walls.

Ok, Alessandra. Calm down, no one actually reads coffee table books anyway, you say. Alright then, I will stop picking on the poor California lady and her editor. But could they have at least gotten the photo editing right then? Yes, the photos are beautiful. BUT, in the section on picking a shade of white, which is mostly 100% helpful, I feel like it would have been all the way 100% helpful if all the photos weren't edited to such a high exposure. Amber is kindly trying to explain how "Milk Glass" by Dunn-Edwards can read green in certain lights, but I can't see what she is talking about because "Milk Glass" is edited to look like "Chantilly Lace" to look like "Foggy Day." The intent was nuance, but the effect is uniformity. But this is because BRIGHT WHITE is what looks good in a book. I'm sure if I visited these people's homes, I would detect the care and particularity that went into selecting their whites, their rugs, their pillows. But from here, It looks all the same. Beautiful same, for 289 pages.

Also, what happened to books on bookshelves? How many taper candlesticks does a person need?

Ok, here is some praise. One: I absolutely love every chair in this book. Her eye for leather, wood, and joinery is stunning. Really topnotch. I would buy a book, just of her chairs. I would want to know the history and make though! Two: I love her taste in wood. The light wood trend is truly refreshing, and I appreciate her selection of wide plank oak floors, and toffee colored wood in furniture. Three: the flower arrangements were a surprising source of delight for me. I would love labels on which cutting flowers and plants are on the pages. They really help to make the space too.

[Mindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took this book out of my library 100% due to the title. The title is misleading. Everything seemed one style. Solid white walls, wood floors, and lots of uncomfortable looking furniture. None of the homes looked anywhere near made for living. There was no sign of life in any of the photos (except for a dog, one room with what looked like artwork of an actual human, and one room that had a bowl of fruit).

The photos of the houses the author decorated were done in such a fashion that could not get the larger feel of the space. As I went through the book different furniture pieces would clue me in this was another angle of a room already shown in an earlier photograph. The break out of the contents is no help to organize the houses in one's mind.

The author does seem to be a very caring decorator for her clients. The detail with which she finds just the right white paint shade was rather specific. I would not purchase this book as it did not have anything I felt I could use to decorate my own home.

[Aubree · Rating 3 out of 5]

This interior design book is such a mixed bag. It’s filled with gorgeous photos of gorgeous rooms. Amber Lewis obviously has talent. But I got a little bored of just seeing neutral room from a gigantic house after neutral room in a gigantic house. Admittedly the rooms and photos were more more interesting towards the ending but I almost didn’t pick it back up to read that ending.

The advice in the book is also a mix. Lewis admits that she is an interior design school dropout and it shows- no, not her designs which I already said were gorgeous, but in her lack of ability to teach design principles. There were some good sections such as how to choose white paint, styling shelves, going shopping for vintage and working with rugs. But all of the following was in the book too: dig through a million kinds of tile until you find what works; drown yourself in mood boards then ask yourself if it all vibes; furniture placement is like a giant Tetris game with trial and error until you get there and you’ll just know it; lay the fabrics on top of each other and see if they clash.

Duh.

While I’m guessing that the author’s flippant and overly dramatic voice in the book resonates with her Instagram followers (which does include me but I only started following a couple of weeks ago when I saw someone else recommend this book and I feel like I haven’t seen/interacted with her account much), it didn’t “vibe” for me, to use the author’s words.

So if you are just looking for some inspiration and some pretty photos to drool over then this is the book for you and I heartily recommend it for that. But if you are looking for some serious learning for your own DIY project, look somewhere else.

I will admit that I was thoroughly interested in the section on incorporating vintage items and do feel inspired to make that the next thing I add into my own home. Especially since one of the rooms featured the exact wicker chest that my parents owned while I was growing up that I now wish I had and OH MY GOSH what if it is actually the same exact one? Ha!

[Sarah Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty pictures but a bit too heavy on the "me, me, me."

Here are the steps I learned that will ensure I design a beautiful interior:

1. Have a ginormous house. 6,000 square feet should be sufficient, as demonstrated by "Bu Round Two." If you can only fit two couches, a coffee table, and a big chair in your living room (as demonstrated in the "small space" that's 3x larger than my living room), you can still make it "comfy."

2. Layer things. Layer layer layer. How do you know what to layer? Just put things on top of each other and if it looks right, that's what you should layer.

3. Put vintage rugs everywhere, including bathrooms and mudrooms. But never have only the front feet of your bedside tables on the vintage rug. That's just tacky. Or basic. Or something.

4. When in doubt, some piece of furniture from Shoppe Amber Interiors will pull it all together.

It's still worth browsing through the pictures á la Pinterest. But for a gal that gets "asked a million times a day" about her style, her answers seem pretty much to be, "I try things and pick the ones that look best." Fair enough, but doesn't merit the level of navel-gazing that follows.

(Also: I'm very sad there wasn't a single bookshelf with a reasonable number of books on it. It's clear that "books" are a decorative touch only, to be put in small impractical stacks to "make a statement" for a "#shelfie". I didn't dock stars for this because maybe her clients genuinely don't read, but it still makes me sad.)

[Agnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instagram influencer and no-formal-design-school-training interior designer Amber Lewis attempts to explain her “I don’t even know what the common elements are in my laid back CA style” style. The homes featured are beautiful, but they are in no way made for living, and they all look the same. Don’t get me wrong, they are beautiful, but they all feature the same elements over and over - white walls (but in so many shades!!), brass or black finish metals, leather, wood, and fabrics in neutral shades. The photos are pretty, but some are too closely cropped to give and overall sense of space and they are all from the same approximately 8 houses. Not a book’s worth of materials, particularly given the Instagram caption quality text. I had not heard of Lewis before, but saw this book listed as a new acquisition in my library’s newsletter. Nice to leaf through, but that’s about it.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was good for lots of photos of that "effortless expensive California casual" style, but I didn't find the text all that helpful because it seemed to just keep referencing design choices made intuitively, through playing with lots of options from an extensive vintage collection, or doing custom work with expensive materials. A little too aspirational-looking still, without the energy I'd associate with "normal" people really living and using a space (many of these projects seemed to be houses in the vicinity of 5000sqft).

[Brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book to help make some design choices for our reno, and though it’s helpful and informative and I love Lewis’s aesthetic, the chapter on all the ways you can go wrong choosing a white paint kept me up at night and continues to haunt me. The three stars is more due to her writing style, though—strangely cutesy or chummy for such an otherwise formal book.

[Stephanie Pronovost · Rating 4 out of 5]

En attendant de pouvoir s’offrir notre maison à nous (allô le marché immobilier de fou pour les premiers acheteurs 🙋🏻‍♀️c’est impossible...), et bien je rêvasse avec ce magnifique livre de Amber Lewis. Si vous aimez les décos sobres, les lignes nettes, les explications sur les choix de blancs, de céramiques et autres, c’est un super ouvrage à avoir!

[Alli White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful style on every page. Coastal/traditional/classic, lots of inspiration here and great rooms. Loved pouring over every page slowly.

[Kristen Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book! So inspiring as I begin my home restoration journey. Loads of advice from a true master of the art of home design.

[Shereen Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is full of beautiful photos. I don't follow Amber Lewis on social media so I found it inspiring for ideas on how to put together a neutral palette without being boring. However, this book is not an instructional or helpful to non-designers as it claims to be.
Furthermore, she is a terrible writer and her self-congratulatory tone is very cringeworthy. Nonetheless, I don't regret buying the book. I will look at the pretty photos but definitely won't read it again.

[Carolyn Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amber Lewis has a huge following on Instagram (currently 1.7 million), which is where I encountered her. Like many successful designers who have catapulted to fame on social media, she has her own online and brick and mortar "shoppe" where you can order her goods, as well as her own line of furniture, accessories, and rugs. This book, like the majority - but not all - of design books these days, is about the photographs, not the text. I find her style appealing in a West Coast way, though it is not my personal taste. (I'm more Anglophile traditional; using the movie The Holiday as a reference, her style is more like Cameron Diaz's character's house, while mine would be Kate Winslet's character's cottage.) It mostly consists of white and off-white walls (except for one charcoal gray room), subtle colors with lots of texture, matte and honed finishes, rustic unpolished wood, pale to medium tone floors, and mostly contemporary furnishings with vintage accent pieces and vintage rugs. Since the photography style is to expose for light and brightness, the subtleties of the different whites are undetectable. However, she helpfully gives the names of her favorite white and off-white paint colors, as well as in-between and dark paints. Though I know it is hard to get the colors right in print, it would have been helpful to show these as brush strokes or swatches of color for comparison, so you could see what she meant in her description. She loves to shop for unique vintage pieces for her clients, but the look is not vintage or collected. Except for a little girl's room, there's very little floral pattern - only occasionally seen in Indian textiles and stylized traditional rugs. When she speaks of lots of pattern, she's not talking about mixing florals. It's all subtle textural, woven pattern. Same thing with color. She talks about color but doesn't really use much, again with the exception of the little girl's room. Most color is shown in the vintage rugs, some throw pillows (she loves layering pillows), and throws. As with most decor books, the bookshelves are styled with hardly any books, and they're used mostly as props. She tells vaguely how to do this - basically, don't overstuff it, let your eye flow from one thing to the next, echo a color, and vary heights. I get it, it's all about the look. While I live with overflowing (with books) bookshelves in every room in my little house, and no room for styling with accessories, this always drives a bookish person like me a little crazy. What are bookshelves for, anyway? Of course if you have the space, you could put them in a library, though none are shown here. The majority of houses illustrated are obviously large and expensive. When she talks about totally redoing a house on the beach at Malibu on an acre and a half lot, you know you're not dealing with those merely well-to-do.

Some of the most appealing rooms are her kitchens, baths, and mudrooms. These hard-working areas are beautiful as well. Yes, some of the large expanses of marble seem designed to impress, as are the reclaimed French limestone floors, but they are beautiful.

Amber Lewis was not professionally trained, but she has a well-developed eye and her approach is intuitive - basically, what just looks and feels right. Alas, this is hard to explain to readers in a book. The text is very conversational and colloquial, too much so in my opinion. Perhaps she's trying to write in the voice her Instagram followers know from her posts, but it is too casual and slang for a book. An editor should have intervened. Amber definitely has a fun personality, which no doubt contributes to her following, but the book comes off as sounding, well, goofy. To understand how she styles, the best guideline is to study the photos. I have no doubt she works hard for her clients, and stays at it until she is happy with every detail, and her design projects reflect that.

All in all, this is a lovely book of interiors in a West Coast contemporary style, but reading it will not tell you much.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

In her last Note:
"If you learn anything at all from this book I feel like I succeeded in what I set out to do . . . which is to be a source of inspiration for you and your home."
I learned again what I already knew: I can't stand acres of white walls or everything white. She calls it neutral; I call it cold and uninspiring, uninviting.
I learned that decorators have no fondness for books. This one (and others) use them to put things on "to gain height." Fine, sometimes. But not a potted plant or vase with flowers. A book is to be read not to be a prop, and especially not to risk getting wet because of a decorator's staging. And why do decorators have to remove dust jackets?
This one has no fondness for color even though she mentions it often. Mostly she means WHITE and pale neutrals. Very occasionally indigo or black. And most of the rugs, which she doesn't mention at all, are faded, worn-out-looking, colorless rugs that contribute little or nothing to the ambiance.
Nothing cozy.
She seems to be showcasing a few specific houses that she decorated, but they all look alike. The pictures could come from any one of them.
She looks for the perfect vintage object for the space; she does lots and lots of shopping. Do the clients bring nothing to the project but the space itself and the funds for her to decorate it? She seldom mentions working with the client. Apparently she does it all.
Several of the barstool-height seating stools or chairs at the obligatory kitchen island don't have foot rungs that people could reach while sitting there. It looks awkward and uncomfortable.
One section is on the different kinds of white: warm or cool, and different finishes that give different aspects. I couldn't tell the difference in the photos in the book. Maybe in person with somebody to tell me the difference I could see it. The book didn't convey it in pictures, though she gives some description that might help.
Her chapters are: The Power of Color (white); It's All in the Details; Space and Flow; The Art of Styling.
I learned that even if I had the money, I wouldn't hire her. I like a lot of the decorative objects and furniture she finds, but the overall impression is of blandness. and all those empty white walls, and ceilings. I don't think this is what she wants people to get out of her style. Her subtitle mentions "all sorts of styles" but they come across as the same style: hers.
I did learn about a specific kind of Moroccan tile: zellige. They're handmade, expensive, and difficult to work with. Because they're handmade, they're not at all uniform in color or thickness. I'm glad to know about them, but I could never afford to actually use them. And of course, she only seems to have noticed that they have white, in spite of the other lovely colors that are available.
Both the title and subtitle promise more than the contents of the book can fulfill, given her limited vision.
Not recommended, unless you really like white.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far, the title isn't working for me ... none of these spaces look made for living to me. They are stark and impersonal, and I am hard-pressed to believe anyone lives in these homes. I was never a fan of Amber Lewis's work on Instagram because it was too trendy and California Casual (east-coaster here so I just don't get it), looks like every other Instagram (Shea McGee, looking at you ...) and I'm just so bored by it. Then, when these social media designers get shops and lines, they just use all of their products in their designs (which I get) and it just looks so boring.

Why do I want to like it? Going to read the whole book and keep trying ...

OK .. more ... nothing vintage (OK, apparently some vintage because there's a small section of the book on this), nothing quirky, just so sleek and styled and unappealing to me. She says she adds vintage, but everything feels devoid of character. I'm so disappointed by this book that came highly recommended. And please put books on bookshelves. Put personal art on walls. Show that some people live in these homes.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing like reading interior design books when you don't have a house, or even an apartment, to decorate / paint / style, right? But even so, I've read quite a few this year, and this one stands out. It's full of super practical, approachable advice for how to style rooms (from the paint color -- yes, there's a whole chapter just on whites -- to the pillows). The photos of the homes that she has styled are gorgeous and even with so many white-walled rooms, they all seem to have their own unique feel, a sort of warmth to them that's unique to each house. It's all that unattainable, too-rich-for-me style that is found in basically all of these books, but I suppose that's part of the fun of flipping through them, right? Still, there are tips and tricks in this that can be applied to any space: buy vintage, add pillows, update the hardware, put in an area rug! Along with Amber's super-relatable writing style, this book is worth more than just a quick flip through.

[Maria Alvarez Olmos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read as well as easy on the eyes with all its beautiful imagery. This quick book is packed with gorgeous photographs showcasing 8 effortless, but very expensive laid-back style projects from talented designer Amber Lewis.
As stunning as it is, the style seems out of touch with the reality of most readers and a bit repetitive (huge homes, many shades of pale neutrals, reclaimed woods, lots of layers of casual-luxe materials, vintage items and rugs, even in wet zones where proper hygiene and maintenance would be impossible,...). Self-promotion of Amber´s own business can also feel excessive at times.
The author's ​lack of ability to teach design principles limits instructional content, but visual inspiration itself makes the book worth reading if you enjoy balanced and elevated casual interiors.

[Melanie Rippon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Showcases a “luxe” (read: VERY expensive) take on a particular type of laid-back California style. Nice to browse through, but would have been nice to have more photos of entire rooms, not bits of rooms from various angles. Or else floor-plans so you see how the whole house fits together. But that’s just my own pet peeve on almost EVERY interior-design magazine or book I read...

The tone is overly conversational/colloquial, and would have benefited from some tighter editing. Would also have liked to see the spaces as they are actually LIVED in i.e. with people actually in them, not just styled to Instagram-worthy-perfection. Plus hints on how to get elements of this style on a not-so-large budget, or in a smaller space - because based on some of the shots, these homes are CRAZY huge.....

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many other reviewers have some valid points about this book. Amber has a very distinctive decorating style. It’s pretty one note, and even though there are probably about a half dozen homes represented in this book, you’d be forgiven if you thought that every picture was staged in just one featured home. Now, I personally found a lot of things to like in her interior designs so I found this book to be helpful inspiration, but if her style does not vibe with you then there’s not much you will get out of this book. The text is pretty thin on actual helpful interior design instructions. Most of her advice is common sense mixed with personal intuition. She does take a deep dive into color recommendations, particularly different shades of white which, not surprisingly, are her jam.

[Nancy Ziller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made for Living: Collected Interiors for All Sorts of Styles is a must-read for anyone looking to design a home that’s made to be lived in. Amber Lewis’s eclectic approach that stems from her California cool is evident throughout the book. The book is filled with stunning photographs of her signature interiors, which are a testament to her design philosophy. The book is not just a visual treat but also a treasure trove of design tips and tricks. Amber’s friendly advice on everything from layering to mixing patterns is invaluable. The book is a great resource for anyone looking to create a home that’s both beautiful and functional. If you like the clean eclectic "California Look," this is a great book for you! I loved it:)

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made for LIVING is a little deceptive of a “title” but still a great overall inspirational design book and filled with great tips. As a designer I don’t agree with all of her design choices but then again I think most designers would have disagreements on the nuances of design. Like many other readers I was very disappointed with how sterile the images were and the spaces were, no photos, activity of living in the spaces she designed. If your going to title your book, Made for Living, then photograph it successfully Lived In.

BUT that said, I enjoyed the book, and took some refreshing notes and take-aways from reading it.

[Kalisha Grimsman · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite thing about this book are the lovely photographs. The cover and the texture of the book itself is actually quite beautiful. But I didn't take a lot away from the writing. The author talks about her own style, but doesn't evaluate or give comments on any other materials besides the ones she chooses. Also, most of the spaces are so high-end that the title "Made for Living" seems a little of a misnomer. That being said, I do like her aesthetic, and these homes are gorgeous, so they do give a lot of visual inspiration.

[Mandy Crumb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another book where the title is misleading. Interiors for All Sorts of Styles is all one note. If you like all white rooms where books are used mostly as a way to give height to a flower vase, you may enjoy it. Lewis' overly conversational tone is perfectly suited for social media but it is not a tone for interior design books. If you are looking for a book to help you get ideas for decorating your own space, keep looking. This is more of a coffee table book for flipping through while watching Netflix.

[Susan Liston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now this is a perfectly nice book filled with pictures of perfectly nice, tasteful rooms, but zzzzzzz, they are all exactly the same. Stark white walls (now and then she throws in a charcoal wall to show she doesn't ALWAYS use white) and everything in these rooms is white, beige, grey or light wood. Now and then she'll add in a wild pop of color in the form of a grey/blue couch or throw pillow. (in one room there is red and black flowered wall paper on the ceiling. ??? Can't explain that one, tequila shots at lunch that day, perhaps?)

[Sarah Haslem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good 4 stars. I came away inspired at changes I can make in my home which was what the author was going for.

I did feel as if she talked a lot about her furniture line which was just a bit annoying. But also understandable. It's super cute stuff!

And searching for antiques in my travels? I'm not going to Italy any time soon. My antiques come from the local thrift store. Haha! Still the pictures were super pretty and her tips and tricks to making a beautiful, functional space, seem fairly easy to recreate in my own home.

[Kayla Hollatz · Rating 3 out of 5]

While many of the interiors were gorgeous, I don't think "made for living" was the best-fitting title. Most rooms feature white walls, accented woods, and patterns only in the throw pillows and rugs. I don't mind the style but a whole book featuring it felt repetitive at times. I did, however, bookmark three interior photos from it. Also, if you want a guide on choosing the right white paint, this is it!

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely Beautiful Photos!
Beautiful, beautiful rooms. But didn’t really hold my interest.

Author discusses her decorating philosophy. Starting with paint. White paint. Lots of white paint variations. White paint, maybe a discussion of how to watch white paint dry? Um...I’m unsure. This is where I slipped into a temporary coma for reading, and just flipped through the photos.

Really, they’re beautifully decorated spaces, with various white paint backdrops.

[Ashley Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Amber’s “California cool” style, it lent itself to gorgeous photos and a beautiful book. There was a lot of repetition of the homes she had designed (photos of the same things from different angles) and I would’ve loved to see more middle class homes (as opposed to 6,000 sqft monsters with his and her master bathrooms). Overall, this was a very nice collection of style tips with pretty photos.

[Kayla Lyman Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I love Amber Lewis. She is hand down one of my favorite designers but I didn’t really take anything away from this book. Most of her thoughts were saying don’t be afraid to break rules, and to know if it looks good take a step back and see what you think. More of a diary blog than informative but there were some beautiful spaces pictured so it gives what a typical coffee table book could give.

[Ben Jahnke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall design style of the author is a bit chaotic for my preferences, but the book provided some good insights on interior design that I probably need. Most of the interiors in this book are from big California homes — so I’m not too sure how relevant that is to my east coast apartment life. Either way, this book helped me build some intuition on the foundational aspects of high quality interior design that will be nice to have when seeking future inspo

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I genuinely loved Amber’s style but after reading through her book, I’m not so sure. All the spaces in this book are absolutely beautiful yet they all seem to be lacking interest and personality. The styling was the exact same throughout the book which was a bit boring. It’s a beautiful coffee table book for sure, but as for design, I’m not as impressed.