Looking inside someone else’s home is the ultimate voyeuristic pleasure, particularly for real-estate obsessed New Yorkers. Magazine spreads and books devoted to domestic interiors abound (not to mention house tours), offering peeks into the homes of others who, presumably, have residences that are larger, more lavish, and of course, more expensive, than our own. For those who can’t resist the desire to look, or who are simply looking for inspiration and ideas for decorating their own homes, there are a number of appealing new books on the market this fall. In a genre usually cluttered with photo books of country cottages, Martha’s Vineyard mansions, and cozy beachside houses, it’s a welcome change to find a book devoted to city living. “New York Apartments: Private Views,” by Jamee Gregory (Rizzoli, 208 pages, $50) offers a look inside the apartments of New Yorkers such as Joan Rivers, Georgette Mosbacher, and Carroll Petrie. Surprisingly, this book may actually be something of a comfort to New Yorkers living in relatively simple apartments. Although the spaces featured in the book have been decorated by design celebrities such as Albert Hadley, Mario Buatta, and Thiery Despont, many of them seem positively suffocated by the antique objects, layers of chintz, and ornate gilt surfaces that adorn them. Inaccessible as these apartments and their owners may seem, however, it’s still great fun to look inside.

Farther upstate are the “Historic Houses of the Hudson River Valley,” captured in a new book by Gregory Long with a forward by film maker and resident James Ivory (Rizzoli, 256 pages, $55). Mr. Long details the history of the region’s architecture from the late 17th to early 20th centuries, looking at 37 houses between the Bronx and Saratoga county as examples of styles such as Dutch Vernacular, American Georgian, and Greek Revival. This beautifully photographed and thoroughly researched book is a valuable guide to one of the state’s loveliest areas; it includes a timeline of New York history and a map and directory of the featured houses that are open to the public.

Meanwhile, across the country are the lavish and sparkling palaces featured in “Hollywood Style,” by Diane Dorrans Saeks (Rizzoli, 224 pages, $50). The book is divided into three sections: “Classic Hollywood,” with homes such as “Dawnridge,” the fantastically opulent mansion owned by designer Tony Duquette; “Private Hollywood,” which displays the current homes of affluent Hollywood residents; and “Hotels in Holly wood,” with views of Chateau Marmont, the Bel-Air, and the Viceroy. Photographer Tim Street-Porter captures the glamorous character of the colorful and sprawling abodes.

Particularly ingenious is the concept behind “American Designers’ Houses” by Dominic Bradbury (Harry N. Abrams, 192 pages, $50), which shows us how those with the best eyes for style live. Karim Rashid’s living room is accented with hot pinks and oranges; David Easton has a vast and classically designed Connecticut home; and Holly Hunt has decorated her Paris apartment in a combination of French and American styles. The book includes interviews with the 20 featured designers, who discuss their favorite aspects of their homes and offer decorating tips.

Those looking to expand their concept of the home should read “A Home in the World: Houses and Cultures,” by Martine and Caroline Laffon (Harry N. Abrams, 216 pages, $40). The book examines homes around the globe, with 150 images of tree houses, tents, boathouses, and huts.

The ultimate fantasy estate, however, is explored in the magnificent new “Jardin de la Malmaison: Empress Josephine’s Garden,” by H. Walter Lack (Prestel, 328 pages, $180). Malmaison, an estate on the western fringes of Paris, was established in 1244 but blossomed between the years of 1799 and 1814 under the ownership of Josephine Bonaparte, who set out to design a palace garden unlike any other in the world.

Under Josephine, the estate was significantly enlarged, redesigned, and renovated at great expense; fountains, parks, greenhouses, pools, and even a temple were added to the property.

Most spectacular were Josephine’s gardens and great hothouse, which were home to a vast number of exotic plants and animals – emus and black swans from Australia, lemurs from Madagascar, and golden pheasants from China wandered the grounds. The garden and hothouse included more than 250 species of plants, many imported from the West Indies and Australia. Mr. Lack vividly details the history of the estate and gardens, as well as the dramatic relationship of Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte.

The majority of the book consists of a spectacular reproduction of the original 1803 catalog of the plants in the garden painted by Pierre-Joseph Redoute. This botanical masterpiece contained 120 plant illustrations by Redoute and 120 descriptions by Etienne-Pierre Ventenat, librarian of the Pantheon in Paris at the time. The illustrations have been reproduced from a copy of the catalog owned by Franz I, Emperor of Austria (Josephine had 200 copies produced and gave many as gifts). Today, the grounds of Malmaison can still be visited, but the garden’s glory is much diminished from the botanical wonder of Josephine’s day. This new book, however, gives a sense of the estate’s original splendor.