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Made for Living: Collected Interiors for All Sorts of Styles Hardcover – October 27, 2020
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“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 feel: 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.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherClarkson Potter
- Publication dateOctober 27, 2020
- Dimensions8.25 x 1.16 x 10.25 inches
- ISBN-101984823914
- ISBN-13978-1984823915
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“You’ll immediately want to buy this new book of [Amber Lewis’s] signature laid-back interiors for yourself and everyone you know.”—The Zoe Report
“Made for Living unpacks Lewis’s process for those longing to make the look their own.”—Magazine C
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
As an interior designer and a lifestyle blogger, I’m asked a lot of questions, and how to translate my style is the one I get asked most. By now, "my look" has become distinct enough that I like to think if you viewed a police lineup of five different homes you’d instantly identify the one I designed. That said, you might not be able to easily sum it up in a few words. Even I struggle with that, because my look isn’t about one thing or the other but rather it’s a specific mix that I’ve spent years developing.
I don’t believe in being monogamous to one design vibe. If you’re looking for a rule book and guide to the "right" way to design a home, Made for Living isn’t it. But if you want to develop a personal approach to interior style that feels as if it grew up out of the ground, rather than bought or prescribed—well, then, you’ve come to the right place. Get ready for spaces that feel both fresh and current but also layered and approachable, homes with finishes that are tactile and rooted in nature, and furniture that effortlessly mixes flea market finds and sleeker shapes in a blend that feels like it will last forever. My kind of elusive, laid-back California cool can be had anywhere—whether you live in a Manhattan apartment or in the middle of suburbia.
You can take the title of this book literally: Everything in these pages is really made for living. In the rooms I design, the sofas are matched with beautiful ottomans upholstered in tactile fabrics that, yes, you can actually put your feet up on (or, in my case, Converse). In my own kitchen, I used one of my favorite materials: beautiful, variegated Moroccan glazed terra-cotta tiles. They’re full of nicks and dings; no two pieces are alike. And that’s why I love them. "Perfect" is not my goal.
Livability is my true north. I don’t want you to worry about constantly fluffing your pillows. I gravitate toward things that look better with time, pieces that feel like they have stories of their own. I hoard vintage finds because I love a true patina that can’t be re-created in a factory. And the materials I use time and again—linens and leathers, brass fixtures, honed marble, white oak flooring—they all change over time. The way your sofa looks on the day it gets delivered is not the way it will look in a few years. Not only is that okay, that’s a good thing. That’s how you achieve more than a re-creation of what you’ve already seen, or what somebody else has. You can do this, too—I promise.
To those who ask me how to get my look, Made for Living is for you. Full of tips and tricks and know-how, the book breaks down the building blocks of my signature style and delves into my design thought process and the "rules" I’ve developed along the way (which is often by breaking tired, old-school conventions). More important, my goal is to inspire you to use my favorite elements to create a look that feels distinctly yours—and to show you how to apply them in your space, making it feel unique to you.
In every interior I design, I see different aspects of my own life coming together to form an aesthetic. This began when I was ten years old, the age when a person begins to become aware of their "happy place" in the world. I found mine when my family moved to Malibu, California. Now, I was no spoiled rich kid. Ours was not the stereotypical Malibu of cheesy TV shows. We didn’t drive fancy cars or live in a crazy mansion. On the contrary, my parents were California hippies before that was anointed "California chic," and our version of Malibu was a wonderfully intimate, low-key seaside community—one you rarely hear about these days.
My mother was a stay-at-home mom, always cooking or crafting, organizing our schedules, and keeping us busy learning and creating, pushing us to draw or play outside instead of plopping us in front of screens. My dad is a contractor who prides himself on "putting on his bags" and getting to work—his "bags" being the battered leather tool belt he wore with trashed skate shoes and shorts, no matter the weather. Even though he owns his business, he loves the feeling of tools in his hands, actually doing the work. Manual labor was never beneath him, and that tireless work ethic—and respect for the integrity of craftsmanship—has been ingrained in me.
My brother, sister, and I grew up walking on the beach collecting shells and white, heart-shaped rocks while our dad surfed the waves. But for me, the beach was less about the sand and the shells than it was about the view—I needed an open end. Our house had unobstructed views of the Pacific; from the balcony, you could see the whole coast, from sand to horizon, and the occasional whale surfacing in the distance. Growing up surrounded by the colors and textures of nature, noticing the way the light danced on the water and changed with the seasons, and how this affected my mood—all of this played a huge role in who I am as a person. I felt happiest when I had horizons, a never-ending blue abyss in front of me. I got attached to nature from that perspective. Today, that sense of unobstructed light and air is my foundation.
In the earthy rugs and textiles I source for every project, I see myself in my teens and twenties, beginning to explore the world. Truth: I hated school. I started working at fifteen, and though I stayed in high school till I graduated at seventeen, I had an itch to see more. So the moment I got my driver’s license, at age sixteen, I did what you do when you grow up in LA: I hit the Pacific Coast Highway (a.k.a. the PCH). In California, I’ve always been transfixed by how you can fly an hour in one direction, or drive five hours in another, and find yourself in completely different worlds. I love that I can jump from snowy mountains to forested lakes and rivers to some of the most beautiful beaches on Earth, yet somehow I always know I’m in California. This notion—consistency without uniformity—is the cornerstone of how I approach putting rooms together.
At seventeen, I lit out, traveling all over Europe, desperate to see what lay outside my small, beloved Malibu bubble. At twenty-two, I met my husband, a musician, and with him I toured the world, hitting almost every country in Europe, as well as Japan, and beyond. Everywhere we went, I was collecting mental images. I was fascinated by the local design—whether it was the ancient materials and craftsmanship in a French antiques market or the minimal, streamlined timelessness of Scandinavian design. It all stuck with me.
As you might be gathering by now, design is not something I was taught or learned in school. I am a grade-A dropout, friends. When I was twenty-three and about a year into a well-known interior design program, the universe offered up a mini miracle: a job as a design assistant at a small firm. I’m rarely one to take the sensible, linear path. By the time this opportunity came knocking, I’d already been on a somewhat bumpy and randomly plotted trajectory, working as a personal assistant, a salesperson, a window-display designer, an event planner, a florist. Hell, I’ve even dabbled in creating murals and painted a few houses.
At the time, my design training had just begun in earnest. Leaving school was risky. But I believed that I had a real eye. And the job seemed like a fast track to actually doing the work I loved. So I decided to wing it. Working in interior design without formal training isn’t easy—in fact, it’s something I rarely recommend to up-and-comers. I had to work extra hard, learning on my feet to make up for the formal skills I lacked. But as an interior design assistant, I was a sponge, devouring design magazines and books and studying fabric samples. Even as I sourced items that aligned with my boss’s aesthetic, I was beginning to curate my own, daydreaming about how I’d have designed each house myself.
It was not exactly smooth sailing to get to where I am now. The seed for what is now Amber Interiors was planted the day I got fired from that assistant job. Around the same time, my daughter, Gwyneth, was born, and my husband’s career as a touring musician was coming to an end. We’d just bought our first house, in LA, and I decided to start a blog documenting our home renovation and DIY projects. Soon I had plunged full steam ahead into my own interior design business.
Starting a business is hard. Starting a business when you are also caring for an eighteen-month-old is really hard. Starting a business when you are caring for an eighteen-month-old, experiencing postpartum depression, and have a husband who is transitioning out of the job that provides your family’s monthly income feels so hard you are convinced you will die of stress-induced injuries.
To say that things were crazy? That would be an understatement.
Only now can I see the luck in this series of events. Hardship fueled my fire. It’s what triggered the course of my life, the kick in the pants I needed to turn what could have been a sob story into a life I’m proud of and feel compelled to share with others daily. If you’d told me ten years ago that what started as a modest blog would mushroom into a multifaceted business that now includes a thriving design firm and retail stores, I’d never have believed you. And if you’d told me that by 2020, I’d be publishing a book about my "signature style," I would literally have laughed out loud. But I couldn’t be more thrilled to share what I’ve learned with you in these pages.
Product details
- Publisher : Clarkson Potter
- Publication date : October 27, 2020
- Language : English
- Print length : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1984823914
- ISBN-13 : 978-1984823915
- Item Weight : 3.15 pounds
- Dimensions : 8.25 x 1.16 x 10.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement (Books)
- #4 in Home Decorating (Books)
- #4 in Interior Design
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Amber Lewis is a seasoned interior designer and multi-hyphenate in the interiors and décor space. Grounded in a signature West Coast aesthetic that she describes as “laid back” and “understated cool,” Amber is first and foremost the founder of a full-service design firm, Amber Interiors, touting clients across the country.
Amber is also founder of Shoppe Amber Interiors, the brick-and-mortar retail shop that brings the effortless and timeless feeling of her interiors to a shoppable setting. Amber’s eclectic design approach and affinity for found objects is now available to everyone at her four California locations in Calabasas, Pacific Palisades, Newport Beach, Marin, as well as an online Shoppe.
In recent years, she has expanded her business into a successful, multi-year furniture and décor collaboration with Anthropologie, multi-year rug and textiles collaboration with Loloi, multi-year lighting line with Visual Comfort, and most recently published a best-selling interior design book, Made for Living.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book inspirational, with lots of great ideas and good tips throughout. The pictures receive positive feedback, with one customer noting the detailed images.
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Customers find the book inspirational, with lots of great ideas and useful information, including good tips throughout.
"...The photography is beautiful, and the stories behind each space make it more than just decor. Stylish, thoughtful, and totally worth it!" Read more
"This design book sits on my entry table, good quality book with some good ideas." Read more
"...So inspired and educated...." Read more
"...Page after page of many great ideas!" Read more
Customers appreciate the pictures in the book, which includes many photos, with one customer noting they are detailed and another mentioning they are fun to look through.
"...The photography is beautiful, and the stories behind each space make it more than just decor. Stylish, thoughtful, and totally worth it!" Read more
"Beautiful book with nice images" Read more
"...Happy with book content and pictures." Read more
"Made a nice gift . Book felt quality made . Had a bunch of nice pictures" Read more
Reviews with images

Great Read & Great looking book
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2025Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseI keep it on my coffee table not just for the looks — it’s one of those design books you actually want to flip through again and again.
5.0 out of 5 starsI keep it on my coffee table not just for the looks — it’s one of those design books you actually want to flip through again and again.Great Read & Great looking book
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2025
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2025Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseThe media could not be loaded.
5.0 out of 5 starsThis book is stunning — the cover alone elevates my dresser, and the interior design inspo inside is next-level. The photography is beautiful, and the stories behind each space make it more than just decor. Stylish, thoughtful, and totally worth it!Minimalist Decorative Book - So cute!
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2025
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2025Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseBeautiful book with nice images
- Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2025Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseNeeded something "adult" for my coffee table that says "look at me, I'm domesticated and responsible" instead of the Car & Driver magazine that used to reside there. My female friends have all convinced me that interior design is important for some reason and a bunch of those useless decorative books that women buy to decorate their tables and bookshelves but never touch is actually a huge green flag if they see them at a man's house. Don't ask me why, I thought putting my money towards investing in the stock market to accrue compound interest and be able to afford for nice things in the future was a bigger green flag but nooooooooo.
4 out of 5 stars because I'm not married yet. Really hoping it would work sooner but it does look good (and admittedly, does have some nice interior design ideas).
- Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2025Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseI was purely looking for a book to use as decor and paired it with the other one in the picture. It’s perfect. And I nice neutral color.
5.0 out of 5 starsI was purely looking for a book to use as decor and paired it with the other one in the picture. It’s perfect. And I nice neutral color.Great decor accent
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2025
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2025Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseIt was a gift for my son, I love it, he loved it. The quality is beautiful.
Top reviews from other countries
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مهاReviewed in Saudi Arabia on June 22, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars حجمه مناسب جداً
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchaseممتاز جداً أضافه رائعه لطاوله
- JulesReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Great idwas
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseLovely coffee table book - full of lovely ideas
- HanisReviewed in Singapore on June 16, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Loads of nice photos
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseGreat book for someone who likes neutral colours. Made a great entryway table book too.
HanisLoads of nice photos
Reviewed in Singapore on June 16, 2021
Images in this review
- Ria SinghReviewed in India on September 8, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Well Done!
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseI had a real hard time deciding if I liked this book or not, not like cause this is simple living more like the likes of Scanadavian style of interiors , of course I would have loved to see more of a WOW factor and a lot more colors because how much of white can you possibly take but in spite of all that I like this book enough to give it five stars all the way because the way Amber does interiors, its a lot harder to do than you can possible imagine because it is an easy thing to go all wild with colors and put stuff every where but her style of doing interiors is through refrain and that grew on me as I gave the book time! So I would say job well done! Buy this if you like pretty interiors with amazing pillows!!
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on March 3, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars loved this book
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseLot of great ideas for designing and personalizing home. The author has very beautiful taste. Enjoyed reading every page. Very nice