Should my drapes have a pinch pleat or a rod pocket? What rug material will stand up best to my pets and children? How tall should my side tables be? Where should I put the TV?! There are so, so many decisions that go into designing a home-and the choices can be overwhelming. Sometimes, you just want to be told what to do. Designer Annie Elliott is here to do just that: offer simple, direct answers to your every design quandary.

As she says in her introduction: "While there exist dozens-nay, hundreds!-of gorgeous coffee table books, there is no book that gives it to you straight. No book that provides only the most important things you need to know as you feather your nest. (By which I mean, those things that result in the biggest and most costly mistakes if you get them wrong, and the most tasteful interiors if you get them right.)" That is, until now. In her twenty-plus years running an interior design business in Washington, DC, Annie has collected dozens of best practices when it comes to decorating, and now she's compiled them all into the perfect pocket manual. With chapters on everything from window treatments to accessories, plus a "cheat sheet" of helpful dimensions, readers will be armed with all of the expert intel they need to turn their house into a stylish, functional home.