I am an absolute sucker for pop culture, and have many excellent memories because of it. (8 months pregnant at a Justin Bieber concert, Traveling to see Taylor Swift!) It is no surprise that I love popular design as well!
Here are my thoughts on some popular home and design books.
1. Ellen Degeneres, Home - This book puts you way outside your comfort zone and unlike her Netflix Special the decor in this book is somewhat unrelatable. Almost every item in most of Ellen's homes have been carefully curated and procured from sources not readily available to the average person. This book did shift my mindset towards thrifting and making sure every item I keep in a space I love and has meaning for me, this is one of the main values of the The Happy Home Line!
2. Joanna Gaines, Homebody - This book is ideal if you do not know your own personal style. Helping you narrow down your own aesthetic can really help your overall design look cohesive. Joanna shares excellent practical tips about layouts and space planning that you can actually apply to your home RIGHT NOW. I absolutely love this book, and loving referring back to it.
3. Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin, The Home Edit, A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals - I have been obsessed with The Home Edit Instagram for years and loved when this book came out. It is a great combination of story telling how they came to be and how to apply The Home Edit Principles to organizing your own home. As a person with a minimalist mindset in mind, the one component I find missing in their process is how to eliminate items that are no longer functional or enjoyed. When refreshing a space I always like to remove anything that I no longer love to give space to the things that I do love.
4. Chip Gaines, Capital Gaines - As suggested this book is more about Chip's side of the business and how he became the entrepreneur that he is. I find these types of books very inspiring for the business side of The Happy Home Line, and this book is all about taking risks and scaling when the time is right. Chip always had an entrepreneurial spirit and started a lawn maintenance company while buying up rental properties. If you like light inspirational reads, and are dreaming of an empire then I recommend this book.
5. Chip & Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Story - This books tells two sides to story of building the Magnolia Empire. The struggle, divine intervention and the building of a business out of nothing. Another light read, with an empowering story telling component that intersects with moments you may have seen on T.V. Due to my love of pop culture and all things design, I would highly recommend this book.
6. Syd & Shea McGee, Make Life Beautiful - This book is formatted similar to Magnolia Story and follows the storyline from both Syd and Shea's point of view. Recollection of similar events from both perspectives, this book tells another entrepreneurial story with emphasis on following your dreams no matter how many times you are told no. Staying true to their roles within their company and to themselves is what has lead them to where they are today. Oh and they got their big start on Instagram!
I have loved reading each of these books, and going back to them as resources of inspiration for both my designs and my business.
What are your favourite pop culture design books?