The Home Style Handbook: How To Make a Home Your Own

Interior stylist Gough’s book begins with the principles of home styling, which she defines as determining the best use of available space, while making it as soulful, beautiful, and comfortable as possible. Home-design inspiration could come from nature, florists, hotels, even specialty shops; Gough stresses that a personal feeling, not perfection, is the goal. She gives advice for lighting, flooring, finding and placing wall art, and more. Key recommendations include keeping expenses to a minimum by organizing dimensions and costs in one notebook and making a “mood board” with samples of paint, fabrics, textures, flowers and plants. Gough urges readers to choose three, four, or five colors and keep the palette the same throughout the house, and she illustrates how to decide which areas will be painted in the primary, secondary, and accent hues. If readers want some variety from room to room, they can style with different textures and still connect the spaces. The book includes plenty of detailed photographs to illustrate Gough’s principles and spark inspiration.