I used to be obsessed with interior design. I watched HGTV shows on repeat and had every single Living Etc interior magazine from the past ten years (that’s 12 x 10 = 120 magazines)!
During my own tidying festival, as Marie Kondo likes to call it, I let go of all those magazines and later I realized I could either watch another show or I could do something to make my own home nicer, like do the dishes, dust, or fold away clean clothes.
I started investing my time in my current home rather than using my precious time daydreaming about something I didn’t have. Over time this made a huge difference in how I maintain and appreciate my home.
Here are five books to inspire you to create your dream home and look after it:
1. Kurashi at Home: How to organize your space and achieve your ideal life by Marie Kondo
If you have read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and are ready to dive deeper into Marie’s philosophy, Kurashi at Home is for you. In Japanese, Kurashi means ‘way of life’ or lifestyle.
In the book, Marie leads our attention to things that are often ignored when considering how to make our homes beautiful. She asks us to consider if our things have room to breathe. She also shares her own rituals like wiping the entryway* and her shoe soles(!) clean at the end of the day.
“The ultimate goal is to spark joy every day and lead a joyful life.”
*Fun fact, right after rereading the Kurashi at Home and writing this chapter, my child happened to knock over a glass of apple juice. After wiping that, I was inspired to go ahead and wipe our entryway too. This felt so good! It's hard not to believe good fortune wouldn’t follow a shiny, beautiful entryway ✨
2. Right at Home: How Good Design Is Good for the Mind by Bobby Berk
Bobby Berk’s philosophy aligns well with that of Marie Kondo’s. And perhaps this is not surprising considering how in the Queer Eye show the person being helped is always looked at holistically. In the book Right at Home, he talks a lot about mental wellness and how our homes should make us feel good.
“Thoughtfully setting up your home is an act of self-care”.
“Your design style is literally anything that makes you happy.”
I truly enjoyed reading this book.
3. Minimalista by Shira Gill
Shira Gill’s philosophy also aligns well with Marie Kondo’s but she has a more direct, minimalist approach.
“Look at each item and ask yourself: Does this item support and reflect the vision I have for my ideal life. Is this item adding value or clutter to my daily life.”
“You will need to practice putting things away in their designated places on a daily basis. This should be up there with brushing your teeth.”
This book has stunningly beautiful photos!
4. House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style, and Budget by Myquillyn Smith
This is probably the only interior book I’ve ever listened to without seeing it but it made me truly hear her message.
In the book, she spells out basic interior rules that we must understand to make our homes look their best, like how to hang curtains so that they complement the room. She also gives handy advice like picking furniture before the paint color because paint comes in any color shade and is easy to match.
This book is a guide to understanding why some spaces look great and others not quite right.
5. Martha Stewart's Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines
I have to start by saying that even though I knew of Martha Stewart, only recently did I actually read any of her books. Later I realized she has written 100 books (after learning that I became curious about her age which made me even more impressed)!
What I especially liked about this book was an annual calendar of when to do things around the house that are easy to forget, like replacing furnace filters, and how to pace yourself for things like organizing a party or getting ready for the holidays.
I found her advice very detailed and useful.
I hope these books offer some home inspiration to you too.
It’s important to dream about how we’d like to live. It’s equally important to take action and work towards making our homes the homes we dream about.
Dream big and act accordingly!