Reviews

Design Mom: A Room-by-Room Guide to Living Well with Kids by Gabrielle Stanley Blair

camfred's review against another edition

3.0

+the pictures were amazing
+I felt inspired and rejuvenated
+all the wonderful ideas for family together time

-the “chapters” are far too short and don’t feel developed
-she actually recommends tile counters in a kitchen
-she volleys a lot: “have a coffee table, don’t have a coffee table.” I realize she probably wants to provide suggestions without them seeming like commandments, but it comes across as wish-washy and unhelpful

mohawkm's review against another edition

3.25

Like most home design books, there are parts that seem to assume one has unlimited space for those artful displays of books you will never read and those extra throws for the seating scattered casually around a great room; but luckily there's a few good points - including to put all art supplies on a cart so it can move from room to room and to set up a way for kids to see themselves in the mirror to learn how to brush their teeth (seemingly a game-changer). I don't share Blair's love of all metal furniture, but do like the focus on functioning entryways and encouraging family members to be in the same room together when awake and doing different tasks. 

sdefelice's review against another edition

4.0

So charming and lots of great ideas, both manageable and inspiring.

bluestjuice's review against another edition

3.0

A thick, prettily-photographed book that is also nicely laid out in terms of organization and thoughts, which I appreciated. It's an easy book to read cover-to-cover in a few hours, since so much of it is photos. Not every illustration the author shows is to my taste (of course), and although some of her advice is basic (and a few parts of it I actively disagree with), the text is actually full of useful tidbits of ideas for how to make your space work for you, your lifestyle, and your family. I wasn't reading this in order to get ideas for how to overhaul my entire house (that idea is neither in my interest or my budget), but for singular ideas about how to use the spaces we have, and ways to think about how we are using them (intentionally or unintentionally) this book is great, and I picked up some interesting ideas.

The photography leans heavily toward the 'spacious, uncluttered interiors' which are of course lovely, but not necessarily entirely practical for me. Those sorts of photos always leave me wondering where these people keep the rest of their stuff (because I have some lovely uncluttered 'decorated' surfaces in my living room, but I also have a side table stuffed to the gills with sewing and knitting projects, books I'm partly done reading, and so on...), but they are nice to look at. Just don't get too cranky when you realize you can't ensconce your entire life away behind perfectly styled furniture. (At least, I can't.)

krrichmond's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

5.0

iamcaitlinjacobs's review against another edition

5.0

Loved this one - such pretty photos, such sensible ideas.

notesonbookmarks's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this collection of short and simple tips to designing a beautiful home while living with kids (what? they don't have to take over every room and surface???). the book is divided into sections of the house with 10-20 single page tips per section so it's easy to find exactly the advice you are looking for. beautiful color photos to illustrate the points make this book a keeper and a great gift idea.

angiesix's review against another edition

4.0

I’ve been a fan of Gabrielle Blair and her blog, Design Mom, for years. She was one of the first blogs I started reading. Some blogs fit a reader well for a certain season of life - a baby feeding blog, a crafting blog aimed at the preschool set - but year after year I find that the content on Design Mom still fits my life and interests like a glove. I’m usually leery of books or blogs about design. They often feel too out-of-reach for me or unrealistic. This is not the case with this book. Borrowing from her popular blog series, Living with Kids, as well as her own experiences living with six kids, Blair goes room by room with short blurbs on how to make each room beautiful and functional. I feel like this book does a fantastic job of giving readers the foundation to make improvements in each room, while also giving you the inspiration and freedom to make a space your own. Beyond being helpful, it’s also a very pretty book inside and out - one that would look perfect in a well-designed family office or living room!

whitmc's review against another edition

5.0

For someone that gets overwhelmed by Pinterest but wants her house to look put together and be functional in the face of an active family, this book is exactly what I needed and I'll be buying a copy. It talked so much about the feeling and function of a home, and how to set up a room to capture that with the realities of living life in mind (versus having your house look photo-ready!). It focuses on creating a space that's inviting for your family to enjoy, and function in.

lexiww's review against another edition

3.0

It appears I need a painted piano. I am comfortable with this.