Are These the Best Interior Designers in the World?

The new Phaidon book By Design: The World's Best Contemporary Interior Designers profiles an astounding array of design talent (more than 100 designers are included) from Hong Kong to Stockholm, from Sydney to Mexico City. In stunning photos of high-end boutique hotels and exceptional private homes, the assembled talent (including Kelly Wearstler, Faye Toogood, Nate Berkus Associates, Bunny Williams and the Rockwell Group, among others), shows off its design chops.

This living room in a Florence villa demonstrates the opulent style of design partners Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci of Dimorestudio who have collaborated with brands including Lanvin, Fendi and Dior. Rich tones and ultramodern elements combine in this home's sunken living room defined by teal silk wallpaper and Calacatta marble.

Designer Kit Kemp imprinted this Hyde Park Gate private residence with her signature style: a love of color, mixed textiles, patterns and a maximalist approach. In 2019 Kemp told Condé Nast Traveler "I think color makes you happy—it's as simple as that."

In this Stockholm private residence designed by the design collective Note Design Studio the living room gives way to the children's room in a magical unfolding of soft pastel colors. The studio incorporates a range of historical influences including Art Deco, the Swedish Grace design period and a warm take on minimalism.

Designer Brigette Romanek used black-framed glass partitions in this Malibu family home to separate rooms. Romanek, a former handbag designer, is known for working with existing features in the homes she designs whether crown molding or the way the sunshine filters into a room.

Courtney McLeod, who formerly worked in finance, is the founder of Right Meets Left Interior Design. Her style is notable for bold use of bright, assertive color and pattern as seen in this Sands Point, New York, private home.

Known for her "high-octane glamour," according to Phaidon, interior designer Joyce Wang's restaurant and hotel interiors are luxurious, even cinematic. Seen here is a bathroom Wang designed for London's Mandarin Oriental Hotel that typifies her dazzling spaces and use of exquisite materials.

This living room in a private London home was designed by Studio Ashby's Sophie Ashby. Her global design is influenced by her extensive travels and South African and British parents. Combinations of antique and contemporary furniture and the designer's love of incorporating artwork into her spaces define this penthouse in London's upscale Floral Court featuring a burr-elm coffee table.

French hospitality designer Dorothee Meilichzon has designed hotels and restaurants around the world. For the Venice boutique hotel Il Palazzo Experimental, the designer pays clear tribute to the Italian Memphis design movement in this guest suite with a curvilinear sofa, side table and light fixture while honoring the original high ceilings and ornate wooden door that define this historic building.

Self-taught designer Fawn Galli is known for her "subtle playfulness" and her love of 1970s disco. For this room in a Short Hills, New Jersey, home, Fawn created an opulent Chinoiserie lounge with striking ombre curtains. The room features Arts and Crafts wallpaper and an on-trend curvaceous settee.