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Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave
In her design book, Homebody: A Guide To Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave, Joanna Gaines walks you through how to create a home that reflects the personalities and stories of the people who live there. This comprehensive guide will help you assess your priorities and your instincts, as well as your likes and dislikes, with practical steps for navigating and embracing your authentic design style.
Room by room, Homebody gives you an in-depth look at how these styles are iterated as well as how to blend the genres you’re drawn to in order to create spaces that look and feel distinctly yours.
In each chapter are practical takeaways to help problem solve potential pain points in your home. A fold out design guidebook at the back of the book offers a place for you to take notes and sketch out your own design plans as you make your way through the rooms.
The insight shared in Homebody will instill in you the confidence to thoughtfully create spaces that you never want to leave.
Room by room, Homebody gives you an in-depth look at how these styles are iterated as well as how to blend the genres you’re drawn to in order to create spaces that look and feel distinctly yours.
In each chapter are practical takeaways to help problem solve potential pain points in your home. A fold out design guidebook at the back of the book offers a place for you to take notes and sketch out your own design plans as you make your way through the rooms.
The insight shared in Homebody will instill in you the confidence to thoughtfully create spaces that you never want to leave.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2018
1,297 people are currently reading
7,851 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Gaines
28books1,350followersJoanna Gaines is co-owner, co-founder and lead designer of Magnolia Homes, and co-stars in HGTV’s Fixer Upper with her husband Chip Gaines. She is the mother of five and lives in Waco, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 670 reviews
December 16, 2018
This is a lovely book about home design from Joanna Gaines. Thanks to HGTV and Hulu, I've recently become obsessed with the show Fixer Upper, and I was excited to flip through this big book and hear more from Joanna.
I found the book to be more inspirational than informative � there are descriptions of different styles, lots of photographs and drawings, and some general advice about the design of different rooms (such as Entryways, Kitchens, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, etc.). Mostly Joanna wants to inspire her readers to create a cozy home in their own style, and there are some short and sweet introductory words to each type of room. Recommended for fellow Jojo fans.
Meaningful Passage
"I'm a homebody. There's really no other way to say it. The world can feel overwhelming with its pace and noise, its chaos and expectations. Home for me is like the eye of a hurricane. There's a certain calm I experience there no matter what is swirling about on the outside. Home is where I feel safe, it's the place where I am most known and most loved. If you were to ask my family, I'm pretty sure they would tell you the same thing about themselves: there is nowhere they would rather be than home. I think it's because our story is all around us there. When you walk in, you begin to see and experience the journey of us. Our home is layered with family photos, artwork, and objects that weren't chosen simply to make a design statement, but rather to tell the story of who lives there. I believe that what we surround ourselves with � the colors, the materials, the things, can be random and meaningless or they can convey some of the most important truths if we let them."
I found the book to be more inspirational than informative � there are descriptions of different styles, lots of photographs and drawings, and some general advice about the design of different rooms (such as Entryways, Kitchens, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, etc.). Mostly Joanna wants to inspire her readers to create a cozy home in their own style, and there are some short and sweet introductory words to each type of room. Recommended for fellow Jojo fans.
Meaningful Passage
"I'm a homebody. There's really no other way to say it. The world can feel overwhelming with its pace and noise, its chaos and expectations. Home for me is like the eye of a hurricane. There's a certain calm I experience there no matter what is swirling about on the outside. Home is where I feel safe, it's the place where I am most known and most loved. If you were to ask my family, I'm pretty sure they would tell you the same thing about themselves: there is nowhere they would rather be than home. I think it's because our story is all around us there. When you walk in, you begin to see and experience the journey of us. Our home is layered with family photos, artwork, and objects that weren't chosen simply to make a design statement, but rather to tell the story of who lives there. I believe that what we surround ourselves with � the colors, the materials, the things, can be random and meaningless or they can convey some of the most important truths if we let them."
November 4, 2018
I wish there had been more how and not just pretty pictures.
August 24, 2022
3.5 rounded up - While this is a picture book by the "Queen of HGTV", Joanna Gaines, it does have some practical advice that I appreciated. I liked the chapter that was basically about creating a "room of one's own" and also the one about thoughtfully designing utility spaces, such as laundry & pantry rooms. Also appreciated the practical info in the appendix about how to draw out floor plans. There's a lot of info about how the Gaines family lives that I could have done without, but her big fans probably appreciate. So glad it came from Overdrive, LOL
October 7, 2020
I hold Joanna Gaines personally responsible for the noxious trend of putting insipid signage all over the home (e.g., LIVE LAUGH LOVE, or idiotically obvious signs like LAUNDRY hanging over a washing machine, or EAT! in the kitchen).
That aside, this is a nice book if you are a millionaire in a sprawling Texas suburb with a literal mansion and enjoy play-acting at “simple farmhouse living.� Otherwise, there is not much here for sane people who live in modest homes.
That aside, this is a nice book if you are a millionaire in a sprawling Texas suburb with a literal mansion and enjoy play-acting at “simple farmhouse living.� Otherwise, there is not much here for sane people who live in modest homes.
December 3, 2018
I love the home designs on "Fixer Upper," however, in this book there is a lack of personality. There was very little variety displayed in this book. The photos were too neutral; The style was consistently classic. Everywhere there was black and white and wood…including the cover. You might sometimes think that the photos are actually in black and white. An occasional green plant added some much needed color. I was hoping for different pops of color on the kitchen backsplash, on the walls, in all sorts of places in various rooms. Instead it was the same thing, the same thing, the same thing. I do like what she had to say about design and making your home tell your story and be practical for you. I liked at the beginning of the book where you can realize what your specific home style is.
December 8, 2018
Meh. I enjoyed watching the Gaines' television show because I like their interactions and because I do believe that Joanna is a master of space planning. However, all of the houses there - and in this book - are decorated alike although she seems completely unaware of it. For example, at the beginning of this book, she takes the trouble to explain different types of decorating styles and states there will be example of each type on the following pages, but all the following pictures are of white walls, shiplap, tan or gray fabrics, black wrought iron, and rustic/reclaimed wood. And that's fine if that's what you like. It can be quite lovely occasionally, but it gets very boring after awhile.
January 21, 2020
An absolute favorite among my shelves of home deco books. JoJo’s Texan style doesn’t always completely translate to my situation, which is snowy Northern Ut and a renovated period historic home, but I still love to peruse her great ideas. 5 stars
February 22, 2020
коли мені до рук цілком випадково потрапила ця книга - я дуже зацікавилась і мала великі сподівання щодо неї. після прочитання першого розділу я трішки розчарувалась, бо незважаючи на постійні переконання автором, що книга спрямована на вирішення дизайнерських рішень для людей з невеликими статками, використовуючи зовсім недорогі матеріали (адже суть не в вишуканості - а в справжній прив‘язаност� до елементів декору і спорідненості, за кожним предметом має бути історія) - незважаючи на це все на сторінках книги ми бачимо фотографії будинків, шикарних будинків, у яких по 6-7 кімнат, меблі вінтажні або дизайнерські...що по суті мені у реальному житті - ні до чого і не по кишені.
але незважаючи на цей нюанс, я настільки сильно надихнулась, що вже маю довжелезний список речей, які хочу придбати/викинути/замінити/перемістити. ніякий пінтерест мене ще так сильно не надихав, тому мушу погодитись - що книжка корисна. читаючи її, я інколи ловила себе, що думками я вже давно на кухні знімаю полиці соти і замінюю іх більш практичними, у ванні вішаю полицю для рушників і монтую прозору перегородку, а в кімнаті перевертаю полицю для книжок і нарешті наповнюю її книжками, купую омріяне жовте крісло і маю свій особистий куточок у нашій однокімнатній квартирці, де за вітальню/спальню/кабінет/столову служить одне і теж приміщення.
тому однозначно раджу читати цю книгу і надихатись!
але незважаючи на цей нюанс, я настільки сильно надихнулась, що вже маю довжелезний список речей, які хочу придбати/викинути/замінити/перемістити. ніякий пінтерест мене ще так сильно не надихав, тому мушу погодитись - що книжка корисна. читаючи її, я інколи ловила себе, що думками я вже давно на кухні знімаю полиці соти і замінюю іх більш практичними, у ванні вішаю полицю для рушників і монтую прозору перегородку, а в кімнаті перевертаю полицю для книжок і нарешті наповнюю її книжками, купую омріяне жовте крісло і маю свій особистий куточок у нашій однокімнатній квартирці, де за вітальню/спальню/кабінет/столову служить одне і теж приміщення.
тому однозначно раджу читати цю книгу і надихатись!
March 6, 2019
Home design books are my adult picture books, and I love to indulge. I'm usually all about the photos, and will skim the text and read the captions of the pictures I love. But to review a book, I feel I should read it, and I did read most of this - there's not a lot of text, and the text doesn't seem to be the point. There are some pretty generic pointers and "troubleshooting," but it's mostly Joanna Gaines relating about developing her approach from her own experiences. There's no question that Joanna Gaines is talented. Through her talent and hard work, coupled with her husband Chip's construction expertise, they've built an empire stemming from their HGTV show Fixer Upper. I'm one of those people who mostly enjoyed their show (like design books, shelter magazines, Pinterest, Houzz, decorating blogs and Instagram - I'm a design junkie), though I didn't always agree with her design choices or wholesale gutting of properties. Still, her ability to take an ugly house and turn it into their clients' dream house was impressive. This book is a cohesive collection of home designs that reflect her brand. The photography is beautiful and it's a pleasure to leaf through it. (Credit goes to Lisa Petrole and Cody Ulrich, photographers.) The photography was so well done that I didn't at first recognize the houses I'd seen on the show. They look even better here.
Joanna defines six core design styles: farmhouse, modern, rustic, industrial, traditional, and boho. She illustrates these with houses reflecting the styles (and not all are her own design) in some form of combination of the six. With a primer on the houses (shown in architectural renderings of the front elevation) and the 'style formula,' and a reference by page number of the houses featured at the beginning of every chapter, as well as an index at the back, the reader can reference which houses illustrate which styles. The organization of the book chapters is by room or area or function, not by house. So, for instance, if you see a photo of a room you like, you can look up the page number at the top of the opening page of the chapter and then refer back to the house near the beginning of the book for its 'style formula.' At the end of the book is a list of the houses with rooms featured and the page numbers so you can find out what other rooms in the house further illustrate this particular mix of styles. I did a lot of flipping back and forth, but other readers may not be as inquisitive as I am as to which house is depicted in each photo.
One thing that is notable is that even though these are different styles, the aesthetic is very similar. It gives the book a cohesive look - on brand - but doesn't expand the design choices. You may have traditional or modern, but the looks are not that far apart. They are all Joanna Gaines' style, and, yes, she can do different 'styles,' but there are a lot of commonalities. I suppose this is true of many designers' work and why they're appealing - you know what you'll get. Here there is a preponderance of neutral and white, with some dark contrast, and very little color - only muted, grayed tones or a deep blue, for instance, closer to charcoal. It is a de-saturated look that is so popular on Instagram. No, it's not all white farmhouse and shiplap with vintage pieces added here or there - the look she's known for, but it's also true that her traditional style is very pared down with no color or florals or Chippendale or Louis XV. It's more of a bland Restoration Hardware look. Boho style usually has lots of vibrant colors and ethnic mixes, but not here. Joanna is more at home with a farmhouse or rustic vibe and she can do modern in more of a minimalist neutral mid-century look. Her style is approachable and has wide appeal, obviously.
What also struck me is how she writes of making your home reflect you and "telling your story" by surrounding yourself with items that mean something personally. For instance, speaking of her master bedroom she writes, I began to place things in our room that were meaningful only to us. Old letters and small mementos became the invaluable pieces that I hung as art and arranged on shelves. . . Details I wouldn't display in other rooms of the house were perfect in our bedroom because they helped to tell our story as a couple. However, in the photos of their bedroom, none of this is in evidence. It was very empty with no family photos, no mementos, and only one piece of artwork, a reproducti0n botanical print in muted shades of gray-brown. In the photo caption she notes the minimal decor, but it contradicts what she wrote about personalizing the bedroom space. It is obvious that all the rooms are highly styled and edited for photography and where 'real life' has not been allowed to intrude. Also, not a TV in sight. It makes for a pretty book with a common aesthetic , but unlike what Joanna espouses, it doesn't feel authentic. This is your house for show, not to live in. If you like the muted neutral spare look with some rustic wood elements and vintage or modern accents, you will no doubt love this book. It's uncluttered and appealing. I admit to liking much of it, though it's not really 'my style.' But for those who do not know what their style is and who admire Joanna Gaines and prefer a safe design guide, this will have much to offer in inspiration.
Joanna defines six core design styles: farmhouse, modern, rustic, industrial, traditional, and boho. She illustrates these with houses reflecting the styles (and not all are her own design) in some form of combination of the six. With a primer on the houses (shown in architectural renderings of the front elevation) and the 'style formula,' and a reference by page number of the houses featured at the beginning of every chapter, as well as an index at the back, the reader can reference which houses illustrate which styles. The organization of the book chapters is by room or area or function, not by house. So, for instance, if you see a photo of a room you like, you can look up the page number at the top of the opening page of the chapter and then refer back to the house near the beginning of the book for its 'style formula.' At the end of the book is a list of the houses with rooms featured and the page numbers so you can find out what other rooms in the house further illustrate this particular mix of styles. I did a lot of flipping back and forth, but other readers may not be as inquisitive as I am as to which house is depicted in each photo.
One thing that is notable is that even though these are different styles, the aesthetic is very similar. It gives the book a cohesive look - on brand - but doesn't expand the design choices. You may have traditional or modern, but the looks are not that far apart. They are all Joanna Gaines' style, and, yes, she can do different 'styles,' but there are a lot of commonalities. I suppose this is true of many designers' work and why they're appealing - you know what you'll get. Here there is a preponderance of neutral and white, with some dark contrast, and very little color - only muted, grayed tones or a deep blue, for instance, closer to charcoal. It is a de-saturated look that is so popular on Instagram. No, it's not all white farmhouse and shiplap with vintage pieces added here or there - the look she's known for, but it's also true that her traditional style is very pared down with no color or florals or Chippendale or Louis XV. It's more of a bland Restoration Hardware look. Boho style usually has lots of vibrant colors and ethnic mixes, but not here. Joanna is more at home with a farmhouse or rustic vibe and she can do modern in more of a minimalist neutral mid-century look. Her style is approachable and has wide appeal, obviously.
What also struck me is how she writes of making your home reflect you and "telling your story" by surrounding yourself with items that mean something personally. For instance, speaking of her master bedroom she writes, I began to place things in our room that were meaningful only to us. Old letters and small mementos became the invaluable pieces that I hung as art and arranged on shelves. . . Details I wouldn't display in other rooms of the house were perfect in our bedroom because they helped to tell our story as a couple. However, in the photos of their bedroom, none of this is in evidence. It was very empty with no family photos, no mementos, and only one piece of artwork, a reproducti0n botanical print in muted shades of gray-brown. In the photo caption she notes the minimal decor, but it contradicts what she wrote about personalizing the bedroom space. It is obvious that all the rooms are highly styled and edited for photography and where 'real life' has not been allowed to intrude. Also, not a TV in sight. It makes for a pretty book with a common aesthetic , but unlike what Joanna espouses, it doesn't feel authentic. This is your house for show, not to live in. If you like the muted neutral spare look with some rustic wood elements and vintage or modern accents, you will no doubt love this book. It's uncluttered and appealing. I admit to liking much of it, though it's not really 'my style.' But for those who do not know what their style is and who admire Joanna Gaines and prefer a safe design guide, this will have much to offer in inspiration.
November 14, 2018
I didn't read most of the book, but I did get some good inspiration from the multitude of pictures that were included (and their captions)!
Gaines provides good information for creating spaces. She also provides suggestions in case you don't want to remodel a whole room / house for small projects that you can do to, i.e. increase lighting in your kitchen, etc.
She also provides some Troubleshooting tips, like how to deal with "Toys Everywhere," in Kid Spaces.
At the back of the book is a "Design Template" page that you may photocopy to use for your space(s).
Not sure what your design style is? Check out the front of the book for inspiration / ideas!
On pages 337-339, there is an Index or projects that are included in the book. For most of the projects, Joanna Gaines (not surprising) is the Designer of record.
One thing that would have made this book better would have been if she had included a list of Resources for each state - a list of Architects / Designers that she would recommend, because we all don't live in Texas or have the opportunity to have Gaines as our designer.
Gaines provides good information for creating spaces. She also provides suggestions in case you don't want to remodel a whole room / house for small projects that you can do to, i.e. increase lighting in your kitchen, etc.
She also provides some Troubleshooting tips, like how to deal with "Toys Everywhere," in Kid Spaces.
At the back of the book is a "Design Template" page that you may photocopy to use for your space(s).
Not sure what your design style is? Check out the front of the book for inspiration / ideas!
On pages 337-339, there is an Index or projects that are included in the book. For most of the projects, Joanna Gaines (not surprising) is the Designer of record.
One thing that would have made this book better would have been if she had included a list of Resources for each state - a list of Architects / Designers that she would recommend, because we all don't live in Texas or have the opportunity to have Gaines as our designer.
November 15, 2018
A beautiful book with lovely photographs, especially if you love modern farmhouse style.
I love the sage, if not novel, design advice to tell your story within your home, filling it with things you love ("creating spaces you never want to leave"), rather than adhering to a certain style or guidelines; I didn't love that, even though there are some helpful tips and takeaways here and there, it isn't particularly helpful or insightful overall as a "guide," in my opinion.
I love that most of the twenty-two "case study" homes, introduced at the beginning of the book, are a blend of the six foundational styles (farmhouse, modern, rustic, industrial, traditional, boho); I didn't love that the book is then organized room by room, so it isn't easy to follow which home is which or to really get a good feel for each home as a whole.
Editing oversight, pp 116-117: the caption refers to the "bold floor tile" but the photo crops out the floor. (Did any other OCD-types catch this, among other typos?)
I love the sage, if not novel, design advice to tell your story within your home, filling it with things you love ("creating spaces you never want to leave"), rather than adhering to a certain style or guidelines; I didn't love that, even though there are some helpful tips and takeaways here and there, it isn't particularly helpful or insightful overall as a "guide," in my opinion.
I love that most of the twenty-two "case study" homes, introduced at the beginning of the book, are a blend of the six foundational styles (farmhouse, modern, rustic, industrial, traditional, boho); I didn't love that the book is then organized room by room, so it isn't easy to follow which home is which or to really get a good feel for each home as a whole.
Editing oversight, pp 116-117: the caption refers to the "bold floor tile" but the photo crops out the floor. (Did any other OCD-types catch this, among other typos?)
November 14, 2018
Her designs are always gorgeous. The book itself was beautiful. I wish I had found it a little more helpful. It definitely made some good points and helped me gain a little perspective on what I’d like to do in my new home. I just sort of wish there was a little more how-to, as opposed to inspiration. Maybe I just don’t know enough about design to be able to take the principles laid out and apply them to my own situation? I enjoyed the book, for sure. And I did learn a few things. Just not as much as I was hoping to.
February 18, 2021
When it comes to decorating a home, I am clueless. This book took a very intimidating subject and made it accessible. She breaks the home down by room, and gives examples of how to incorporate your family's needs into a beautiful design. So many gorgeous photos of homes!
April 1, 2019
I liked Joanna's voice, but NONE of the (black and white) homes looked like people actually lived there. I craved color and a smidgeon of clutter. Oxen and mangers and messy stalls and all that.
June 19, 2024
كتاب لطيف اوي كأنه زي مجلات بتاعة البيوت العصرية
الصور كتير والكلام قليل وبخط مناسب وده المطلوب للنوعية دي من الكتب
علشان تشوفوا شكل الكتاب من جوا ادخلوا ع حسابي ع انستجرام .. بصور الكتب اللي بقرأها 😌👇
@mai.designer92
الصور كتير والكلام قليل وبخط مناسب وده المطلوب للنوعية دي من الكتب
علشان تشوفوا شكل الكتاب من جوا ادخلوا ع حسابي ع انستجرام .. بصور الكتب اللي بقرأها 😌👇
@mai.designer92
May 3, 2019
I am a huge fan of Joana Gaines' design aesthetic/philosophy. I have followed Joana and Chip's show 'Fixer Upper' over the years and always came away with something that I truly liked. I don't prescribe to all her looks and 'distressed' being one of them, but how she approaches a space based on her clients personalities and what 'season of life' they are in, shows me the thought and care that goes into the overall design and finished product.
Receiving this book as a Christmas present from my son this past year, was a delight. I have slowly gone through each section reading and viewing the pictures of their home and others she has created, providing me with various visuals. It gives insight into how they started off and the epiphanies/lessons-learned she has garnered over the years.
"This book really isn't about spending a fortune and having everything you want. That's certainly not what I hope you take away from these pages. Rather, to me the joy in design is the challenge and gratification of creating a space that 'feels' like home every moment that you spend within its walls." (quote from the book)
And that is exactly what I have come away with. I love creating and designing each room in our home with my husband. It is a collaborative effort with our own design aesthetic and filled with all the things we have collected over the years that reflects our family. Not someone else's. But reading and learning from those 'in the business' certainly helps to hone our own abilities and provides fresh ideas and advice.
June 23, 2019
To me the best thing about this book was the index of which picture was in which house. It was very nice to have a reference for the different styles and how each would look as a whole house. However, even though various home styles were supposedly represented they all looked very similar. I like the Joanna Gaines farmhouse style but looking at the traditional, modern, etc homes designed by her in this book, they all still looked farmhouse. Yes, there were modern elements in the modern home, but the color palette was the same, the decor touches were the same.... If you love Joanna you will love this book but if you are looking for inspiration that captures a certain style without looking like Joanna Gaines designed it you should probably pass.
April 10, 2019
A useful guide for finding your design style and using that to design each room of your house. The examples Joanna provides are beautiful and inspiring. I hoped there would be more "how to" in the book, but what was included was useful enough that it was worth the read for me. Will use as a coffee table book going forward.
March 11, 2021
Joanna Gaines helps you identify your decorating style and then apply that to your home. Since reading it, I can identify someone's decorative preference once I walk into their home. This book also gives some key elements of each room you should take into consideration while decorating. This is a helpful and enjoyable book!
September 30, 2022
She has such good ideas & makes everything so useful and beautiful.
April 23, 2020
Excellent book. Beautifully done. Gracious guidelines on how to design spaces that you enjoy and that welcome others into that enjoyment.
February 5, 2019
My library had this in their e-lending library and I borrowed it. It shows different rooms (i.e. living, bed, bath and so on) and pictures of those rooms along with explanations of what inspired the rooms, etc...
I would probably have enjoyed it more if I had the actual book so I could flip back and forth as I wanted to get the full picture. But it was fun seeing the pictures and critiquing them for my own personal taste.
I would probably have enjoyed it more if I had the actual book so I could flip back and forth as I wanted to get the full picture. But it was fun seeing the pictures and critiquing them for my own personal taste.
January 28, 2019
The pictures were beautiful but I didn't really find any of the information to be very useful. It was pretty shallow, generic and full of a lot of cliches. Better off scrolling through Instagram.
November 13, 2022
Summary: A great design book for beginners, without much specific advice, but with pictures arranged to help you figure out your own style.
This book from HGTV star and designer Joanna Gaines is recommended by several lists as a must-read interior design book. That meant I was a little surprised to find that the amount of actual advice was quite slim. For each chapter (one per room), there are a few introductory pages describing an attractive design philosophy. The author aims to make her spaces feel like a cozy shelter from the world that reflects her family's personality. A great statement of purpose that suits what I want to accomplish, but not very specific. Then the author spends a page or two on solutions to specific problems. This could be helpful, but many of the suggestions involve larger changes than I want to make - changing your flooring, for example. Lastly, each chapter had a page listing the items to consider including in a room.
The rest of this book was largely just pictures from a set of about a dozen homes. The author helpfully defines several different design styles at the beginning of the book. She then identifies which mix of styles is present in each house. You then get pictures from many of the houses for each room. Part of me feels like this is just design inspiration that I could get from pinterest. However, it was genuinely helpful to see many examples of styles being used in a flexible, mixed way. It let me start to identify styles that I like or don't like. I also noticed that I really liked when a room paired two contrasting style (industrial + farmhouse, classic + modern, etc). It made it possible for me to start analyzing rooms in a more thoughtful way than I would have on my own.
Overall, while the information content of this book feels thin when looking at the picture to text ratio, I found it really helpful in figuring out my own tastes. I would also revisit it even just for the few pages with a list of elements to include in each room. For that reason, I think it succeeds as a great interior design reference book for beginners.
This book from HGTV star and designer Joanna Gaines is recommended by several lists as a must-read interior design book. That meant I was a little surprised to find that the amount of actual advice was quite slim. For each chapter (one per room), there are a few introductory pages describing an attractive design philosophy. The author aims to make her spaces feel like a cozy shelter from the world that reflects her family's personality. A great statement of purpose that suits what I want to accomplish, but not very specific. Then the author spends a page or two on solutions to specific problems. This could be helpful, but many of the suggestions involve larger changes than I want to make - changing your flooring, for example. Lastly, each chapter had a page listing the items to consider including in a room.
The rest of this book was largely just pictures from a set of about a dozen homes. The author helpfully defines several different design styles at the beginning of the book. She then identifies which mix of styles is present in each house. You then get pictures from many of the houses for each room. Part of me feels like this is just design inspiration that I could get from pinterest. However, it was genuinely helpful to see many examples of styles being used in a flexible, mixed way. It let me start to identify styles that I like or don't like. I also noticed that I really liked when a room paired two contrasting style (industrial + farmhouse, classic + modern, etc). It made it possible for me to start analyzing rooms in a more thoughtful way than I would have on my own.
Overall, while the information content of this book feels thin when looking at the picture to text ratio, I found it really helpful in figuring out my own tastes. I would also revisit it even just for the few pages with a list of elements to include in each room. For that reason, I think it succeeds as a great interior design reference book for beginners.
January 31, 2019
Wow! Just wow! I requested this book from the libray and never guessed I would read the WHOLE thing. It's beautiful! It's brilliant! It's encouraging! I don't ever need to read another home design book as this one has it all. IT was bliss to read. The structure was great. I learned about design styles. Went through room by room, with examples, what to consider and troubleshooting. All this and accompanied, I felt, by a friend who was just as excited about my journey in creating my home as she obvious is in creating hers. If a reader is really serious, there's what amounts to a second book at the end which is a designer and planner. Really, I barely know how to explain how good this book is! We're not talking wild or fancy here, but simple and homey and practical. I'm going to miss the time I set aside each evening for the past ten days or so to be with Joanna and her wonderful book.
March 26, 2019
There's not a lot of text in this book, so it's mostly just about looking at pretty pictures of interiors. The book is organized by room, and the photos feature about 10 different homes that are a mix of a variety of styles. What text there is is good - mostly Joanna's personal experience creating a home that works for her family, plus the message that your home should be a reflection of you and not just the latest trends. Many of the homes still lean toward Joanna's signature farmhouse/rustic style, but there was enough variety to inspire even someone (like me) that doesn't love those styles.
The subtitle of the book says that this is a guide. While the text is informative, I'm not sure that there is enough "how to" for this to be a guide; mostly it's just a nice collection of inspirational images.
The subtitle of the book says that this is a guide. While the text is informative, I'm not sure that there is enough "how to" for this to be a guide; mostly it's just a nice collection of inspirational images.
January 25, 2021
I'm so glad that I have this book in my collection. I went in thinking I would feel envious and a bit defeated when seeing all the beautiful designs in other people's homes. To my pleasant surprise, Joanna addressed this exact concern from the get-go in the introduction; don't feel like you could never have a beautifully put-together home. This book was filled with great ideas, help, inspiration, and encouragement. Best of all, it helps you learn about your tastes so you can go into personal projects within your home with a clearer direction.
I will be revisiting this book again and again as I decorate different spaces!
I will be revisiting this book again and again as I decorate different spaces!
January 2, 2020
Oh, how I love Joanna Gaines!
Her warm personality definitely shines through in this book. She is a true professional who is as devoted to her career as she is to her beautiful family. I don't know anyone who finds such joy in making others happy. Creating elegant and functional spaces for her clients brings her genuine fulfillment. I enjoyed reading about the motivation behind her decorating tricks, and it was fun to see some rooms I recognized from her show. This is also a beautiful book that looks terrific in my library.
Her warm personality definitely shines through in this book. She is a true professional who is as devoted to her career as she is to her beautiful family. I don't know anyone who finds such joy in making others happy. Creating elegant and functional spaces for her clients brings her genuine fulfillment. I enjoyed reading about the motivation behind her decorating tricks, and it was fun to see some rooms I recognized from her show. This is also a beautiful book that looks terrific in my library.
May 1, 2020
I love Joanna’s philosophy on design- to create a home that feels comfortable and inviting not only to guests, but most of all to the people who actually live there. She sees hospitality as meeting the needs of your own family as well as guests, making your house or apartment or wherever you live feel like a sanctuary from all of life’s business and stresses. She focuses on functionality and practicality over trying to impress people who don’t live in your home day in and day out. Joanna is so relatable and down to earth- I hung onto every word she wrote. Inspiring, yet not out of reach.
September 2, 2020
I’ve never really watched Fixer Upper, nor have I been to the Magnolia restaurant in Waco (but we did go to the Dr. Pepper museum there a few years back👍🏻👍🏻😃). So I was surprised when I opened up this book and Joanna’s cookbook on a whim and was really taken in. I’m not a design enthusiast but I like my home to look nice. Joanna has a way with expressing herself in word and design that makes you fall in and drink it up. I may not agree wholeheartedly with all her decorating ideas but her sense of a home that tells a story of the people that live within it’s walls is very enchanting.
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