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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Beautiful pictures- and good ideas, room by room, of things to consider, especially if you're a decorating newbie like me. I was almost overwhelmed by the amount of good information in this book. Will definitely pick up again for ideas when I'm redoing a room.
Was a quick read, filled with alot of pictures but also had some pretty good information. My one gripe is that many of the houses still had some rustic in then even if they weren't marked as that style.
Method: ebook
Rating: 5/5 stars
Thoughts: Very happy with this! Got some awesome ideas.
Is this book beautiful? Yes.
Is it helpful? Yes, with qualifications.
Does it primarily showcase homes that are completely unattainable for most of us? Yes.
I enjoyed this book. It IS beautiful to look at. And it does have a lot of helpful tips and ideas. The layout is good with chapters focused on one type of room, examples of that, a breakdown of elements that make that kind of room work, and troubleshooting advice.
The pictures and guidance are helpful for figuring out your personal style and what things you do or do not like. The pictures obviously fall broadly into a style you might expect from Joanna Gaines, but there is more range than one might fear. Because my general style does have quite a lot of overlap, it was helpful for me. If someone is really into maximalism or super contemporary it would have less overlap, but the general information would still be helpful.
However, there is one caveat I want to give: these houses in this book are basically unattainable. Yes, we can take the design principles and use them wherever we are to create a home we love (that's Gaines' goal of the book), but they are very very much aspirational photos. I will be using the design template at the back of the book (a big plus) for my entryway soon, but there is nothing in that entryway section that even comes close to what I'm dealing with, a small, relatively dark hallway that opens onto a few of a stairway and coats. Very very little room for even a "built in" cupboard to hide crap even if we had the time, money, or skills to build it. The laundry rooms in the book are gorgeous and, while I did just have a revelation that I could also be happy someday with lighter wood countertops, I'm pretty sure some of those rooms are the size of my living room, kitchen, and laundry room COMBINED.
All of that to say. I like Joanna Gaines, I like her style and I think this is a beautiful book with some helpful advice that is definitely worth perusing. But, if you are looking for someone to help think through the kind of houses most of us live in, I would recommend looking more into Melissa Michaels' books for the nitty gritty.
Is it helpful? Yes, with qualifications.
Does it primarily showcase homes that are completely unattainable for most of us? Yes.
I enjoyed this book. It IS beautiful to look at. And it does have a lot of helpful tips and ideas. The layout is good with chapters focused on one type of room, examples of that, a breakdown of elements that make that kind of room work, and troubleshooting advice.
The pictures and guidance are helpful for figuring out your personal style and what things you do or do not like. The pictures obviously fall broadly into a style you might expect from Joanna Gaines, but there is more range than one might fear. Because my general style does have quite a lot of overlap, it was helpful for me. If someone is really into maximalism or super contemporary it would have less overlap, but the general information would still be helpful.
However, there is one caveat I want to give: these houses in this book are basically unattainable. Yes, we can take the design principles and use them wherever we are to create a home we love (that's Gaines' goal of the book), but they are very very much aspirational photos. I will be using the design template at the back of the book (a big plus) for my entryway soon, but there is nothing in that entryway section that even comes close to what I'm dealing with, a small, relatively dark hallway that opens onto a few of a stairway and coats. Very very little room for even a "built in" cupboard to hide crap even if we had the time, money, or skills to build it. The laundry rooms in the book are gorgeous and, while I did just have a revelation that I could also be happy someday with lighter wood countertops, I'm pretty sure some of those rooms are the size of my living room, kitchen, and laundry room COMBINED.
All of that to say. I like Joanna Gaines, I like her style and I think this is a beautiful book with some helpful advice that is definitely worth perusing. But, if you are looking for someone to help think through the kind of houses most of us live in, I would recommend looking more into Melissa Michaels' books for the nitty gritty.
A pretty coffee table book, but also a useful design guide. I like that she included a notes and plan section in the back.
informative
medium-paced
This is a coffeetable book featuring the design philosophy of Joanna Gaines of the popular HGTV show "Fixer Upper." Gaines recommends carefully considering each place in your home - even less visible places like laundry rooms and odd spaces for their potential, and personalizing them and making them more beautiful and useful. There is some good advice, but the book is mostly photos of gorgeous rooms that Gaines designed, including many from her own farmhouse. Fans of the show will not be disappointed.
Great if you’re building a house and does have some decent troubleshooting ideas and beautiful pictures. However, not super useful if you aren’t building/remodeling.
Actual rating 4.5. Normally, I wouldn’t add a home decor to my “read” books, but I really did read this one, not just look at the photos. It’s huge, heavy, beautifully bound and full of the Joanna Gaines look. Each section has stories about her thought processes and goals, as well as a troubleshooting section. She provides family stories, and talks about the things that didn’t work for her, as well as the things that she’s proud of. As much as I love just about everything she does, I know I couldn’t live with the lack of color I perceive in most of her interiors. That doesn’t stop me from admiring the quirky and unusual materials used, the focus on storage, and the overall feeling of comfort in each home. The use of texture also makes up for the generally neutral palette, in my world.
I love the way the book is laid out. It’s a tough one to juggle, and I certainly wouldn’t read it lying down; if you fall asleep while holding it, it will break your nose!
I love the way the book is laid out. It’s a tough one to juggle, and I certainly wouldn’t read it lying down; if you fall asleep while holding it, it will break your nose!
For the record, 3 stars doesn’t necessarily dictate a bad review. In fact, I quite enjoyed this book, but like a “Fixer Upper” episode, I’ll only return to its beautiful design advice and photos (as well as my journal scribbles in the margins) every so often if I need a refresher. Did this book make me want to suddenly start a bazillion design projects out of my budget? Heck yes! So it’ll stay on shelf with a big ol side dish of hope that I’ll eventually create the ideal space I never want to leave.