Mark D. Sikes’s New Book Is a Roadmap for Designing a Happier Home

"Personal investment in our homes is more important now than ever." Designer Mark D. Sikes's words resonate strongly as we're spending more time in our homes than ever before. As such, we're depending on the environment within our homes to stimulate—and assuage—a wider range of emotions. While we've always expected our homes to make us feel safe and secure, for example, now they also need to help us feel alert and creative during work or school time, warm and inviting for virtual cocktail hours or dinner parties, and calming always, around the clock.

One thing is certain: We could use a dose of happy design at home as well. Enter Sikes's second book, More Beautiful: All-American Decoration, a 271-page tome filled with gorgeous inspiration for infusing your home with a more joyful vibe.

Divided into five distinct decorating styles from traditional to Mediterranean, Sikes's second book delves into more nuanced decorating ideas like working with different textures, refreshing cherished heirlooms, and choosing a palette that mirrors not just the setting but the mood of a certain place, all reflecting his evolution as a designer. (His first book, Beautiful: All-American Decorating and Timeless Style, was published by Rizzoli in 2016). In perhaps the ultimate personal expression of his own design development, Sikes concludes More Beautiful with a chapter about his West Hollywood home, featuring a new look since it was featured in Veranda in 2014.

And what does he love most about his own West Hollywood home? "It's full of things we love. I think, partially because of that, we truly live in every single room," he says. "Plus, it has the most amazing garden sanctuary. I have always appreciated it, but I am especially grateful for the gardens these days."

Read on to discover 10 secrets for designing a happier home from Sikes's More Beautiful. Happy decorating!

It's almost a given that every room showcased in Sikes's new book is beautiful. But what makes Sikes's beautiful spaces so utterly uplifting is that comfort is never compromised. Here, a pair of back-to-back sofas divides a large living room into two cozy, welcoming zones, ideal for accommodating both large groups and solo loungers.

Leave it to Mark D. Sikes to create an office space that invites romance as much as deep study. Rough-hewn textures, deep red roses, and beautifully tiled floors evokes Mediterranean glamour in case you need assistance imagining you're somewhere else in your next Zoom meeting.

Designed by Mark D. Sikes, this beachside bedroom employs a palette inspired by the coast, complete with statement-making upholstered English roll armchairs.

In this Montecito living room, custom details—from upholstery trimmed in contrasting piping to tasseled passementerie on pillows and other pieces—make the space at once timeless and unmistakenly unique.

Designer Mark D. Sikes has a penchant for blue, and we adore this studded Charles Edwards light fixture he chose to decorate this kitchen in a Santa Barbara home. It brings a welcome pop of color and elegance to this earthy, textured cookspace.

The top-floor guest quarters of this Alabama ranch is covered wall-to-ceiling in a Sister Parish wallcovering. Designer Mark D. Sikes uses Jasper drapery and bench fabric to compliment the blue-and-white patterned walls. The rug is from Merida.

Rizzoli International Publications

amazon.com

$40.50

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Featured on the cover is Sikes' West Hollywood living room, in which neoclassical bookshelves filled with the designer's vast collection of design books and fashion magazines frame his verdant garden view.