AROUND HOME : Mark Hampton on Decorating BY MARK HAMPTON (Random House, Inc.; 1989)

A PRIMER FOR NOVICE and professional alike, “Mark Hampton on Decorating” is a leisurely examination of rooms with a sense of history and personal style--and a treatise on how to live well. Hampton, perhaps best known as the White House decorator, shows 40 original watercolors and 60 black-and-white washes to illustrate the “classic” look he made famous, a blend of modern and traditional styles.

Arrayed in seven sections, his essays--taken from his monthly House and Garden column--cover all elements of interior design from laying out an interior to the emotional impact of color. If you’ve ever wondered why small rooms appear larger painted in deep colors, Hampton has the answer: “The reason is that the boundaries of space become lost in shadow, the walls and corners seem to recede.” “The effect,” he suggests, “is most noticeable in small hallways, studies and libraries where their application evokes a hushed, peaceful quality.”

He also counsels on the use of overscale furniture: “Instead of putting a sofa on the obvious long wall, consider using an imposing piece of real furniture. And if your room is really huge, anchor the whole thing down with a center table.”

Hampton traces historical origins (the slipper chair is derived from the 18th-Century French chauffeuse), and advises on diverse interior elements: fireplaces, lamps, mirrors, seating, framing, bed and bedposts. Dressing windows and setting the table are also grist for the mill. Explored are various styles, from Victorian--which has made a comeback in recent years--to classicism, which Hampton feels is “always new.” Delights of chinoiserie are extolled: “There isn’t a house in the world that wouldn’t allow you to indulge in a little Oriental monkey business.” ($24.95)