Over the past few months, dozens of new books have been released to inspire designers and design enthusiasts across the country and beyond—and it’s not over yet. This month, six new books are being released, rounding out the spring season.

The newest book from designer Michael S Smith, Building Beauty: The Alchamey of Design (Rizzoli), is an in-depth look at how to create the perfect American house. Smith transformed an ordinary house and its outbuildings into an extraordinary suite of rooms that display the best of this design superstar’s work. As he walks the reader through its myriad rooms and gardens, explaining each decision made, Smith provides a complete, invaluable up-to-date design vocabulary that every homeowner and design aficionado is keen to know, from the initial renovation plans to the finishing details, indoors and out. Interviews with the architect, Oscar Shamamian, the landscape designer, and various craftsmen help Smith guide the reader through the process of creating a house, and in so doing provides a blueprint for anyone building or renovating their dream home. Richly informative, this is a visually stunning, indispensable guide to designing an unforgettable house, one decision at a time.

Through stunning photographs and step-by-step instructions, designer and lifestyle expert Kelly Edwards brings a myriad of looks, tastes, and approaches to chic home design in the Design Cook Book (The Medallion Press). From the kitchen and the bedroom to the home office and the out-of-doors, Kelly illustrates how to achieve the best color, texture, proportion, and overall design aesthetic and passes along decorating tips from amazing designers and tastemakers. Individual chapters contain a wide array of images and inspiration for the respective spaces along with an assortment of do-it-yourself “recipes” to achieve just the right personality.

William Georgis’ Make it Fabulous: The Architecture and Designs of William T. Georgis (The Monacelli Press) is sumptuous and scrupulous in equal measure, the work of Georgis is a glamorous blend of high-style architecture and expressive, innovative applications of the traditions of the decorative arts. In the twenty years since he founded his namesake firm, Georgis has created a dazzling portfolio consisting primarily of houses and apartments; other projects include restaurants, commercial interiors, and galleries. Georgis melds elegant architecture, imaginative furniture and fixtures (often custom-designed), and a layered assembly of art and objects with what he terms "a bit of magic." A thoughtful eclecticism, informed by an extensive knowledge of art, architecture, and the decorative arts, characterizes all his work in this book.

India Mahdavi's indispensable style guide, Home Chic: Decorating with Style (Rizzoli), is bursting with personal tips on how to transform every room in a home with flair, as well as solutions for every home's shortcomings, from low ceilings to noisy neighbors. With pointers that include faux pas to avoid, dos and don'ts, classic versus luxury detail, ingenious storage ideas, time-saving tips, and an annotated address book for sourcing the best design items, this household bible will equip readers with all they need to transform a home room by room.

Furniture Makeovers (Chronicle Books LLC) by Barb Blair starts off with a foreword by Holly Becker, founder of popular design blog Decor8. The book shows how to transform tired furniture into stunning showpieces. You'll never look at a hand-me-down dresser the same way again. The book offers 26 easy-to-follow techniques that can be applied to all different types of pieces, from bookshelves to desks: painting, applying gold leaf, wallpapering, distressing, dip dyeing, and more. In addition to the core techniques, Blair shares 30 beautiful before-and-after makeovers from her studio and outlines how to achieve each look. With helpful step-by-step photographs, a visual glossary explaining all the tools and materials needed, and a lovely contemporary aesthetic, Furniture Makeovers is a treasure trove of ideas and instruction for the home decorator.

The Landscape Designs of Doyle Herman and Associates (Images Publishing Dist Ac) by Kathryn Herman and James Doyle won’t be out until July, but we thought you should know about it now. The book is a beautifully illustrated compendium of show-stopping gardens ranging from highly structured style plantings and impressionistic meadows to more modern gardens and contemporary perspectives. Doyle Herman Design Associates is an award-winning landscape design firm whose work has been featured in a number of respected publications such as VERANDA, Wallpaper*, Gardens Illustrated, Garden Design, ELLE Décor and extérieurs, among many others. Based in Connecticut, the firm’s work can also be found in various locations across the USA and around the world, including Europe and the Middle East.

Take a look back at our March and April book round ups for more design book must haves.