#designmod

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing By Marie Kondo Translated by Cathy Hirano Ten Speed Press, 2014

The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.

Here we go: let’s dive into the KonMari method and talk about the book that sparks joy! The tiny hardcover has no images, only text, and does stray from the “design” lean of the media I’ve reviewed thus far. However, it certainly is found in the Home section of many libraries, and ultimately does respond to one of my main queries with the DesignMod page, that is: how do we relate to the material objects around us, and how do they relate to us? The space of a home is certainly connected to your heart space and mental space.

Overall, this book gets 5 of 6 joyful geese. Without pictures, I got a little cerebral while reading, taking notes and asking questions like I do when I’m researching for a paper/article. This isn’t what threw me off, however. While Marie Kondo is ridiculously charming and her acknowledgement of the precious relationship between people and our things is truly key (*chef’s kiss), I can’t help but get frustrated at how she talks about throwing things ‘away’. More on this after the positives.

Many people around the world are familiar with the name Marie Kondo. The first things that come to mind are often a) neat folding techniques, and b) the question, “does it spark joy?”. There are many nuggets of wisdom across these pages. Here are some of my faves:

Do not even think about putting your things away until you have finished the process of discarding.

...we should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of. 

...always think in terms of category, not place.

To quietly work away at disposing of your own excess is actually the best way of dealing with a family that doesn’t tidy. 

The key is to store things standing up rather than laid flat.

The point in deciding specific places to keep things is to designate a spot for every thing. 

Clutter is caused by a failure to return things to where they belong. Therefore, storage should reduce the effort needed to put things away, not the effort needed to get them out.

...arrange your storage so that you can tell at a glance where everything is…

As someone who grew up in the USA, I appreciate the KonMari method’s attention to reducing excess. Kondo also discusses the benefit of individually honing decision making skills as well as the ability to articulate your preferences. Her process asks that you hold each of your possessions one by one, an incredibly intimate opportunity to listen to why you are holding onto it. Being able to do this is definitely a skill; I’m sure you know someone who “loves” practically anything, or perhaps someone who is rarely satisfied. Asking if an item sparks joy is a good alternative to more proscriptive decluttering solutions, which necessitate that you keep a fixed number of items, or that you buy specific items. The KonMari method instead is very subjective, which I think is fab. 

The book includes biographical anecdotes from Kondo in addition to a detailed explanation of the very specific process that is the KonMari method. She doesn’t shy from bragging about her business’s success, which leads me to my first critique. It must be understood that the KonMari method is heavily branded. She is a true phenomenon, starting from working with clients in Japan to a series on Netflix, a collection with The Container Store, and beyond. The website includes items like storage bins that one should purchase for a tidy home, even though her content suggests using old shoeboxes. This is something that she has worked very hard to develop. I think this book is a good resource for people wanting to learn about Kondo’s story as well as the particulars of her approach to tidying. However, I can’t help but notice capitalist vibes in how much is being sold. 

My main critique lies in the discussion of waste, or lack thereof. It is positive that the method focuses on deciding what to keep in contrast to what to get rid of. The process is definitely more joyful that way. However, a huge part of the excess we possess is the excess we discard. We can consume so much because it’s so commonplace to throw things away, whether it’s because they are broken or because we now like something else. I’ve learned a lot about the institutionalized systems profiting off of waste production from the Slow Factory Foundation. Simply “recycling” or even “donating” items does not assume much responsibility, especially because many items designated for ‘charity’ end up in landfills, burned, or shipped to poorer countries to deal with.

Maybe you’ve heard the term fast fashion, which refers to business models in which inexpensive clothing is produced rapidly by mass-market retailers to keep up with trends. These systems exist in the Global North and usurp communities in the Global South by ways of landfills, under-paid labor, and general pollution. In many ways, the production behind any home item has become fast. Ask yourself, “how many items do I own that I can name the person who made it?” It’s a tough question for the average American. I’m Italian, and the situation there is similar, although home spaces in Italy are much much smaller. 

I’m curious about the perspective on waste in Japan. Kondo developed her method when working with Japanese clients, primarily middle-aged, professional women. My point with this criticism is simply a worry regarding people living in the Global North who are less invested in minimizing waste, that they will take this book and discard things without acknowledging that there is no “away” when you throw something out. Kondo briefly touches upon how discerning what sparks joy should also be considered before buying anything after the big tidy. Nonetheless, I wish there were more consideration of class and economic status, that for many people with limited resources, they don’t have the luxury of getting rid of things they simply don’t like.

Once you learn to choose your belongings properly, you will be left only with the amount that fits perfectly in the space you currently own.

Overall, the book is very helpful and easy to read. Kondo’s approach is clear but also subjective, an excellent recipe for a deep transformation to restore balance and harmony in the home. 

With loving curiosity, 

The Collected Home: Rooms with Style, Grace, and History

By Darryl Carter

With Trish Donnally

Photographs by Gordon Beall

Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2012

“Forgo the immediate, and embrace the lasting.”

Darryl Carter is a sophisticated interior designer who champions blending the modern with the traditional. Last review, I looked at The New Traditional, in which Carter defined his style with shining examples and anecdotes from his personal experiences. Four years later, The Collected Home elaborates on Carter’s special approach to interior design, providing more concrete suggestions by room for readers who are on their own design journeys. Welcome to Part 2!

The Collected Home is successful in its generous plethora of ideas shared in an organized way, as well as its written voice which encourages the reader to follow her own preferences, goals, and intuition. In the end, the hard-cover merits 5 out of 6 treasured geese.

In the Introduction and throughout, Carter repeatedly rallies the reader to have fun during the process. Without forgetting to urge you to be thoughtful and careful in your selections, Carter promises that patience and excitement can coexist. The Collected Home is, in a way, antithetical to current DIY movements; both welcome creativity, but Carter’s approach favors discovery, planning, and listening. Reflection questions throughout the volume ask readers to consider how they use spaces from needs to style proclivity:What appliances do you use? 

Where do you anticipate needing electrical outlets? Step-stools?

How many people eat here regularly?

How often do you buy food? How do you store it?

Where do you want privacy? 

How frequently do you use things?

What’s important to access in your daily life?

I think reflection is key. Too often I see everyday people getting into interior design by coming into contact with a particular aesthetic they like and want to consume. This isn’t bad or good, but doesn’t allow for a few things to happen. 

First, you end up robbing yourself of the joy of collecting, which takes time. Of course, most interior designers recommend starting with mood boards or inspirational images to brainstorm goals and envision ideas. But if this stage is done in one afternoon, or after watching one YouTuber, the result is rarely a style you will truly treasure, let alone one that will last. Changing and growing is to be expected (and celebrated!), but Carter’s idea of home is to be an assemblage of meaningful treasures, and a gathering of all things personal. Basically, not something you can replicate from elsewhere.

“The home should be oriented toward your personal use and enjoyment.”

The second incentive to reflect deeply before transforming your space is because often we do not listen to what the house tells you, about itself and about you. I really appreciate when designs recognize that the home has a voice, and that the particularities of the space are one-of-a-kind! This includes materials in walls, light coming from outside, proportions of doors and closets, everything! Carter insists on process as play: upcycling or reclamation, contributions from everyone in the household, and envisioning multiple possibilities can say a lot about how the home wants to be inhabited. In his price-range, Carter recommends collaborating with tradespeople, architects, and others who can provide a solution you may not have thought of-- or even how to make a limitation work better than the original idea. Does the house offer natural lighting instead of needing to buy a fixture? Would durable floors serve residents better than a fancier floor, thus allowing something else in the space to shine? Can you repurpose cabinets as children’s desks? Or reuse an old door as a pony wall for a bit of separation? Are you able to retrofit furniture into existing architectural elements, like shelving? Knowing and building relationships with craftspeople and experts will only enhance your experience creating your home.

“Often, intangibles define the experience of a home.”

Carter clearly has years of experience and an extensive network in his field. My main critique of The Collected Home is in being way out of league for many readers. Most people don’t collect antique Han dynasty figurines to learn how to display, or own a cast-sculpture of a carousel horse to orient in a foyer. Carter uses lots of terms I had to look up. He also shared swatches from his own paint line that he developed. He’s clearly involved in the art world and has a sophisticated relationship with artists, sculptors, and antique vendors. Furniture designer George Nakashima is featured for embedding an antique work table into a ‘frame’ to actually function (below left). It’s actually really cool. The book just seemed out-of-reach at times.

This is not for lack of encouragement and really clever ideas! I particularly like his vision to buy furniture pieces that can translate into different uses over time. A lot of projects he described leaned into a chance find at a flea market, or pre-existing architectural features, such as staircases or windows. All of his nuanced and well-trained advice is great for people who have the resources to hire experts. Any of his inspiration can be ‘dialed down’, especially because Carter included so many concrete questions to ask and possibilities to consider. For example, he acknowledges the more affordable but high-impact option of ‘try painting it’. He repeats that nothing should be too precious to use, which is an excellent sentiment. 

The Collected Home showcases impressive and high-quality interior design, exactly what it says it does. 5 of 6 sensible geese.

With loving curiosity, 

The New Bohemians: Cool & Collected Homes By Justina Blakeney Photos: Dabito Abrams, 2015 

This year I am committing my exploration of interior design books to non-white authors. I noticed that last year I reviewed media only authored by white women. The industry in the US is dominated by this demographic, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any other voices to be heard! Justina Blakeney describes her multiculturality through her parents: her father is African American and Native American of the Cherokee and Chickasaw tribes; her mother descends from Eastern European and Jewish peoples. Blakeney is one of many talented creatives, and I look forward to correcting my narrow view and sharing her work.

The New Bohemians depicts a design and lifestyle that is truly cool and collected, as the subtitle suggests. This heavy hardcover is full of vibrant photographs and just begging to find home on a coffee table. The organization of the content is smart and neat, and the details are creative and inspirational. Bohemians is a personal collection, an anthology of select homes and their residents. I really liked this book, and with one tiny critique, I rate it 5 of 6 free-spirited geese. 

In her introduction, Blakeney vividly describes the philosophy behind the book and the new bohemian style she captures within it. I appreciate how she first roots the conversation in the roots of 19th century French bohemia, in which artists and other creatives would reject bourgeois standards for cheaper Romany housing and impassioned investigations of beauty. When I hear the word “bohemian,” I personally think of the region Bohemia or Čechy, today a part of the Czech Republic, from which many different peoples have been displaced. Regardless, I was pleased to hear that there was substance behind her understanding of the word, too often appropriated simply as eclecticism by those who never confronted poverty or never thought about rejecting convention. 

The book is organized into “types” although Blakeney insists that there are no boxes. I wasn’t bothered by the sectioning, I think it’s helpful to readers who may have approached the book with certain design-terms in their minds, or perhaps for those already nuanced with the style and looking to articulate their own working vocabulary. The six iterations are: modern, earthy, folksy, nomadic, romantic and maximal. Each features 3 or 4 homes, a sampling of photos and testimonials, objects and stories behind the lifestyle. Residents’ names, occupations, ages, zodiac signs, and spirit plant or animal are shared. (I don’t know if spirit beings are a part of Cherokee or Chickasaw culture, but I always hesitate when these words are used, for fear of appropriation.) Blakeney also includes short DIY tutorials and other resources such as a plant dictionary.

The overall collection successfully defines Blakeney’s concept of “new Bohemian,” which exists at the intersection of play, creativity, resourcefulness, layering, and a strong sense of freedom. I only have two minor critiques. 

Firstly, the narrow geography of the homes surveyed. Los Angeles boasted 8 homes; there were 3 in Portland, Oregon; 2 in Manhattan and 1 in Brooklyn; 2 in Venice Beach, CA; and one each in Las Cruces (NM), Dallas (TX), as well as Joshua Tree and Berkeley (both CA). I wish Blakeney stated explicitly that the homes featured would be only from the US-- although even then, a huge acreage remains untouched. All of these cities host a lot of wealth, except for perhaps the two in the desert: Joshua Tree and Las Cruces. Even with an intended American audience, it’s important to not assume that the US is the default.

My second note is on the description of the objects of the home. Of course, being about decor and design, the book includes examples of possessions that particularly suit the new Bohemian style. It may have just been evident in the people Blakeley interviewed, but I’d be good if I never had to read the word kilim again (as beautiful as it is). At first, it was cool to hear about different types of textiles and other pieces from around the world, including: Mexican sarapes, Turkish fouta, Bengali kantha, Central Asian suzani, Indonesian ikat, and Japanese shibori dyeing and boro textiles. But then these italicised ‘exotic’ pieces were paired with West Elm and IKEA in the same sentence. I guess everyone traveled to the same places and got the same thing. Especially Morocco: there was a Moroccan table, Moroccan kilim, Moroccan pouf, Moroccan basket, and it kept going. Again, maybe those selected for the book all met in Morocco, and so of course they would all have things from there. One person conducts her business with Berber women. It still felt weird to hear the same materials in each home, as if they were products for consumption, rather than personal mementos. I wonder if we would have gotten a different perspective on these remarkable artisanal pieces by showcasing them in the homes of their indigenous creators, or at least by those with ethnic, geographic, linguistic, or familial connections to those places. 

Ultimately, I did enjoy the book a lot. I personally walk the line between collecting and hoarding, and I understand the importance of having physical things in your home, the impact they have on your mood and outlook. Bohemians does an excellent job of showcasing this design aesthetic in its many wonderful variations, incorporating elements of lifestyle, thus making the connection between people and space that makes home.

With loving curiosity, 

The New Traditional by Darryl Carter With Trish Donnally Photographs by Gordon Beall Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2008

I’m venturing out of my comfort zone in both form and function. This book is from 2008, so not the freshest on the interior design scene. Additionally, the sophisticated style is far from my personal taste. Regardless, I also thought it’d be fun to have a two-part review, rating Darryl Carter’s two books. Carter is Black and male, and I’m trying to include non-white cis-female authors in my reviews. I was going to do two books in one post, but I think each one stands on it’s own. This post will address The New Traditional and next time, I’ll review The Collected Home. Welcome to Part 1. 

This large-scale, hardcover volume is fit for a coffee-table, with impressive photos and a very intimate writing style. Carter lauds a classic and calm sensibility, as he describes it, and repeatedly refers to logic. When I took a breath from the fantasy, the book did feel out-of-reach. Old money vibes. Overall, I award this book 5 out of 6 worldly geese. 

The New Traditional is a very refined aesthetic catalog guided by precise and thoughtful prose. Three subtitular key phrases span the top of the front cover: reinvent, balance, and define your home. The book really carefully details a design philosophy, pulling from anecdotal experience and the discipline of craft. Carter does an excellent job articulating this new approach to a traditional style, emphasizing in particular a mix of modern and antique. Elegant images of dining rooms and studies, in the limited color palette of warm neutrals, free from clutter or disarray, upon closer inspection, reveal a very intentional composition of old and new, worn patina and sleek smooth surfaces. 

As I mentioned, many of the rooms portrayed aren’t my particular style. Carter enjoys antique mechanical tools and centuries old figurines, for example. The rooms are also pretty sparse and formal. I still was able to enjoy him narrating countless examples of his design reasonings, what he did when a challenge presented itself, how he put a fun twist on a found piece of furniture. This book is generous in sharing knowledge, but I must be clear: he fancy. But he comes from traditional arts schooling (and law!) rather than a scrappy, DIY ambition. So yes, he’s dealing with nicer homes and nicer stuff, but the tone of the text (which can also get pretty fancy) is warm and insightful. And, I mean, the pictures look like they’re from a museum!

I think the reason I’m okay (I think) with this clearly well-funded designer’s interiors is because the written content expresses a tremendous amount of care and appreciation for the materials of the objects in the home. Carter is keen to preserve antiques and to experiment on pieces that aren’t. He hopes that any furniture piece or any room is not too precious to go unused, which is a very precious insight. He consistently encourages his readers to lean into their own style, to find harmony and use cooperation to achieve balance. I love how he playfully uses pieces outside of their intended function: using a dining table as a desk, altering a couch arm to hinge down for more lounging space, putting shuttered doors in front of windows for the illusion of a terrace. One of my favorite nuggets of his advice is to use the reverse side of a rug, as it preserves the rug and shows more muted, abstract colors which is to my taste. His philosophy does not seem to identify with excess, but rather with having a hand in making home feel like home for those living there, for the things they actually do… his clients just have money. 

Small critiques here. Firstly, most of the pictures were not on pages nearest the text describing them. Carter would paint such a vivid picture, I would think to myself, wow that would look cool, and then 20 pages later there it’d be: the picture he was describing! So I don’t know what the editing team was doing there. A second thing is a question: there were like 800 (hyperbole) ancient Chinese figurines mentioned, and I hope those clients were Chinese. Rich Westerners just hoarding artifacts from non-Western cultures is whack. More on this in Part 2, as The Collected Home goes into more depth about obtaining collections. 

Finally, I just wish someone who seems to be ridiculously classy would also care about using more sustainable resources. So many times he’d suggest using synthetics and other machine-made materials because of all the benefits that technology has come to provide (mostly durability). I feel a little sad, thinking, of course he can recommend that. That’s why people pay him a lot! For the result! Even if getting there isn’t green. 

In the end, 5 of 6 sumptuous geese for Darryl Carter: Part 1. I was very pleasantly surprised and actually enjoyed The New Traditional even though it wasn’t ‘my’ style. On the surface, Carter’s other book, The Collected Home, looks like more of the same, but I could be surprised again. Let’s see what more there is to see in Part 2!

With loving curiosity,

Eco-Chic Home: Rethink, Reuse & Remake Your Way to Sustainable Style By Emily Anderson Photography by Seth & Kendra Smoot Skipstone, 2010

Eco-Chic Home bridges interior decorating with contemporary sustainable living movements, and contextualizes lifestyle and style choices in the broader history of over-consumption. Anderson offers plenty of DIY projects to reuse objects that we traditionally think of as waste, urging readers to reimagine their relationship with material objects. The book falls shy of a perfect score, as some projects are difficult to understand, and that the decoration suggestions don’t quite respond directly to the environmentalist facts presented throughout.

5 of 6 plump geese!

Eco-Chic Home is a book on decorating, not designing. The distinction is made regarding function. An interior designer needs specific education and often collaborates with an architect to plan how a space works, feels and looks. Decorators furnish a space with pretty things but work within its pre-existing functionality. This doesn’t at all mean that decorating is shallow or mindless. Anderson emphasizes three key points in her messaging: rethink, reduce, and re-purpose. 

Anderson’s book has readers rethink how they engage with objects. While the majority of the book is filled with detailed DIY project instructions, the Introduction serves to guide sincere reflection on personal practices as they relate to the world at large. She gives a brief expositional history, describing 1950’s post-War developments of plastics as a catalyst for modern America’s wasteful tendencies. In short, though cheaper options allowed for more people to have more things, it altered the collective psyche into neglecting how much waste those flimsier products produce. While this isn’t a comprehensive history book and those unfamiliar with this history have to take Anderson’s word for it, I really appreciate this context in an interior design book. (Citations for recycling information and environmental facts are referenced at the back of the book, but the historical survey is presented as general historical knowledge.) Her design offerings are not based on aesthetic whims, but are rooted in the understanding that our well-being is connected to the well-being of our planet.

A huge part of Anderson’s message requires us to reduce what we consume. From textiles to food packaging, production leads to waste production. There is no “away” when we throw something away, so by consuming less, we contribute less to that waste. This can be owning fewer items, for example shirts or toys. It can look like bringing our own shopping bags to the store and reusable water bottles out in our day. Perhaps we select items made from more durable materials so they last us longer. Anderson informs us about different materials in her Introduction, as well as strongly suggests that we buy second-hand. When we buy something already used and that doesn’t require new production, we increase the life of that object, avoid participating in using resources to produce new things, and at least half the number of that item being tossed when it’s worn out.

“Even if you never buy a single eco-friendly product in your life, buying less stuff in general means you are making one of the greenest choices possible.”

The majority of Eco-Chic Home focuses on how to re-purpose what we already have. After listing useful tools to have (if possible), Anderson divides her DIY projects into chapters: Entryway, Living Room, Kitchen, Dining Room, Bedroom, Lighting and Holidays & Gift Giving. Every project has a list of tools and sequenced instructions, like a recipe, although not all the projects have pictures. I found that, at times, it was hard for me to understand what I would be doing without seeing the finished product. The ideas incorporated the ideas from the beginning of the book: re-imagine how to use less and use better. Projects ranged from turning old sweaters into pillow covers, building room dividers from found materials, to even making your own paint! (I was personally skeptical about the paint, which comprises skim milk, lime powder, and white vinegar...apparently it’s a thing that doesn’t go sour, but I would still worry about mold, no?) Homemade milk paint would produce a white creamy color, and you could add lime-proof pigments for color. Lots of options all around. 

For the most part, the projects are unique to this book, Anderson really designed a curated selection of remaking projects. The photographed examples all share a styled vibe: kind of an earthy flea-market style, “eco-chic” I guess! Fortunately, she doesn’t make overbearing mandates on which prints to pick, focusing instead on any materials being sustainable or ethically-made or locally-sourced. The book concludes with a plethora of resources: information about the tangible need for a more sustainable society, credits to makers featured in photographs, options of websites or flea markets to start your individual search. As someone who is invested in making more sustainable lifestyle choices, this book was reassuring: other people want this for their homes and lives too.

Eco-Chic Home falls short of 6 luscious geese for a few reasons. Anderson stretches to combine lifestyle with decor, and sustainability with design. Including facts about production and waste on a large scale ultimately is disconnected with a book that rethinks individual life. These serious problems would be much better addressed by companies and countries whose damaging impacts on the planet are far greater than any one person. The book falls into the trap of suggesting that “you can make a difference with small adjustments” without insisting that more powerful entities take responsibility and commit to less-harmful practices. Of course, it’s true that anything helps, and I like that Anderson stresses that money and time are valuable, and that these projects shouldn’t deplete you of either. My realistically doable actions will have a positive ripple-effect: “oh, did you make that?” or “this is delicious, you said it’s from a family-owned store around here?” But we need to go beyond sharing scary realities to motivate individuals to change their habits. 

Ultimately, Eco-Chic Home is a great contribution to interior decorating because it grounds style with a sustainability mindset. I award it 5 of 6 beautiful, plump geese, and recommend it to readers who are excited to experiment with realizing their commitment to greener living. 

With loving curiosity,

150 Best of the Best House Ideas By Francesc Zamora Mola Harper Design, 2016

In the spirit of my critiques and comments on the books I rate, I am re-aiming my gaze away from white, cisgendered female authors. My first zag isn’t necessarily the widest turn possible, (follow @wehavethoughts​! for more coming up): Francesc Zamora is an architect from Barcelona, Spain and he has written plenty on designing homes. But, my public library had 150 Best available, so it looks like we’re starting here!

This book is thicqq. My hardcover copy was nearly 500 pages. The title 150 Best aptly prefaces the contents, which really zoom in to design elements of residential dwelling design, although to me the selection of sample houses to demonstrate those ideas was a bit monotone. Overall, Zamora’s title earns 3 out of 6 geese: rich in detail but not super accessible.

150 Best is an excellent survey of contemporary architectural details. The 42 houses on display share both magazine-quality photographs of interiors and exteriors, but also include floor plans and cross-sections (basically blue-prints from the side). This contribution would definitely interest readers with a background in engineering, construction, and architecture. I thought they were really cool additions, as design is more than just aesthetics. 

The book departed from most of my previous books for review, mainly because it concerned designing the home’s construction rather than furnishing or styling the home’s interior. The one thread, of course, is the understanding that the material objects around us create --one of my favorite words-- space. It is this space that one is actually ‘designing’ for living functionally, and hopefully living happily. I appreciate Zamora’s attention to the site of building and that the home harmonizes with the ecology around it.

There’s not a ton of text in 150 Best, which you either like or don’t. The 2-page introduction I thought was very articulate and thoughtful, perhaps ‘enough’ to support the whole book. I can see how the writing could be hard to understand to those not familiar with the vocabulary of designing homes, but it takes up much less space than the pictures which speak volumes on their own.

My main critique is the one-note nature of this book. The majority of homes have the same contemporary style, and many were pretty redundant, especially as 38 were from Anglophone countries: USA 26, Canada 8, and Australia 4. There was only 1 from India, 2 from Chile, and 1 from South Africa. So I’d say that the selection wasn’t exactly wide spread, although of course all the houses were insanely luxurious. It was also interesting to read about environmentally-conscious innovations. However, consider the inside front-cover, which ends with:

“Whether you’re looking to purchase a new home or renovate your current house, this in-depth visual resource offers an extensive showcase of houses designed by renowned architects and provinces a wealth of ideas on how to maximize the potential of any home.”

My gut is reading ‘elitist vibes’ which it does not enjoy. I do think the book does what it says it does, and would be a nice coffee table book because of the pretty, up-scale showcase. A little inspirational getaway, perhaps, if you’re into the style (too sterile and bougie for me). I do not, however, think this book necessary would help the average person looking to be more active in designing their space as a lot of this book deals with construction instead of decoration.

Comfortable Country: Peaceful Homes Inspired by the Country Author: Enrica Stabile Photographer: Christopher Drake Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small, Inc., 2001 ISBN: 978 1 84597 361 2

*All quotes are from the book.

“Country is not simply an area you can find on a map, it is a place of the spirit.”

Comfortable Country strongly establishes the mood of country-inspired interior decoration. Aspirational homes are showcased on nearly every page, depicting pretty examples of design elements in a country home. The book’s text and images together create a thorough list of what you need to furnish your dream home, more idealistic than practical. Though lyrical and dreamy, Comfortable Country receives a rating of three darling geese out of a possible six, ultimately unable to rise to the standard of being a book about actual design in an accessible way. 

“...home should be a haven of renewal...”

Stabile is verbosely lyrical, describing tangible elements in great detail and providing abstract words to key readers into the decor style’s gentle tone. Repeated again and again, almost ad nauseum, are: comfortable and comforting, simple, inviting, relaxed, peaceful, cozy, casual, informal, tranquil, natural, soothing, unassuming, unpretentious, generous, soft, and restful. The painted picture is very clear; a real #mood #vibe is conjured in Stabile’s detailed imagery. But it’s the same thing on every other page: faded linens, white paint, terracotta pots. All of those elements are fabulous, but we got it the first time!

“Elements like these remind us of the pleasure we derive from the integrity of natural materials and living with things shaped by human hands from nature’s bounty.”

The book got redundant very quickly. The first section focuses on influences to consider: changing seasons, peacefulness, nostalgia, utility, and natural materials. Each is integral to country decor and living, in which you can “indulge your senses and promote your wellbeing.” The second half distributes these characteristics in various rooms of the home, applications of the notes from the first section. This call and response format works to really show readers how the fantasy works... and again... and again… The photography is so beautiful and rich; so many words weren’t needed. Or, if Stabile wanted her specific voice to come through, detail away but limit the book to carefully selected images that flatter the writing-- more of a style diary.

Comfortable Country is a thorough lookbook, a selection of excellent examples curated to present a fresh take (in 2001) on country style. I wonder which elements contributed to that fresh take: wildflowers in chipped vintage enamelware? Embroidered cloth napkins? Homemade ceramic mugs? Delft tiles or Victorian plates? Undoubtedly very pretty, I have a meticulous guide book of items to buy or find and visual examples of ways to place them in my own personal home. However, Stabile’s narrative on lifestyle has a shallow relationship to the material decor of the style, shying away from being a true design book. This brings me to how Stabile grounded, or didn’t ground, the book in any context whatsoever.

“All you need is time to enjoy it.”

Stabile is repeatedly very encouraging of a slower, quieter lifestyle. Chosen items should center rest, enjoyment, and ease. This is all very clear and, I think, very good! I personally would absolutely love to just start over in a sweet cottage, having enough money and time to gather precious pieces and make all my food from scratch. So many of us follow #cottagecore, but there is something inherently imaginary about the vibe, it’s attractive because it’s unattainable. I am still curious as to where her vision resides in a more practical reality, one likely inhabited by her readers. She gets so close!: encouraging me to decorate to my own personal interpretation, to have an “individual reaction to individual things.” However, simply buying these items cannot suddenly allow me to lead a more peaceful, country-inspired life.

“...recapture the unassuming style of a contented era not so long ago.”

This vision is certainly not unimportant, especially in our capitalist society in which we are overworked and undernourished. But Stabile only skirts around this issue, I wish she dove in more! Instead, she longs for a lost era, a time when… The recurring nostalgia is vague, reductionist, and admittedly, kinda sexist. We are asked to “recall a time when all appeared safe and ordered” and I ask: safe for whom? Stabile encourages us to “copy country housewives of times gone by…” to which I would reply, “No thanks.”

“The practical essentials of life need not be unattractive simply because they are useful.”

Perhaps I am mixing country and cottage, but this book indirectly claims a white, patriarchal understanding of being ‘one with nature’ as the ideal. The rhetoric of having a country house is not only bourgeoisie, but actively ignores indigenous ways of life that existed long before ‘having a country house’ was a thing. So many native cultures to this day live in a way where items are indeed made with natural materials, food is picked fresh, and the home is interconnected with the surrounding environment. Stabile jabs at post-war economic boom mass-production of (mostly plastic) goods. This context is important and yet not so simple. Without acknowledging who created the problem, she criticizes and rejects it.

“...make artful use of simple effects to create an unpretentious, relaxing look.”

Basically, what Stabile is presenting is actually luxury more than peaceful living. It’s not about understanding why goods were created en masse, how local artisans were replaced with national department stores. The result is a surface-level relationship with the object around us, which fetishizes ‘simple’ ways of life. An ode to what wealth can do, Comfortable Country acknowledges the need to escape from ‘chaotic city life’, but fails to see how a sweet, gentle hermitage is not an adequate reply to the root causes of why we need that escape in the first place.

Look at this next passage. The voice tries to be relatable, starting by blaming technology and then commenting on minimalism out of nowhere (there’s so much to say on minimalism, coming up in my next post!), but ultimately doesn’t seriously tackle the beautiful goals of the last sentence.

“When technology became a fact of life we had to assimilate, many of us turned to minimalism and a pared-down style to reflect the proficiency of our new world. But real people are not suited to behaving as though daily life were a laboratory experiment-- cool, clean, and clinical. Efficiency has its place, but in the things that we choose to live with we need an intimacy and a softness to keep us gentle, and to keep us human.”

I can only assume the intended audience of Comfortable Country is one who wants a fantasy getaway. This is totally fine! I can only award three geese because, while it sounds lovely, the book is removed from truly accessible design. A reader might crave white linen curtains and a stone bench to sit and admire her garden. But I wish this book were so much more than just a privileged dictation of what country-chic means to her and how you can do it too! It comes across as condescending to a reader like me who thinks (too) critically and has the knowledge to design on her own. The book was what it said it was, and I would only recommend it to those starting out in figuring out their style.

New Minimalism: Decluttering and Design for Sustainable, Intentional Living

by Cary Telander Fortin, Kyle Louise Quilici

Photography by Kelly Ishikawa

Sasquatch Books, 2018

New Minimalism is an opportunity for reflection and inspiration, a guided meditation on how to mend the way people connect with the material items around them. Minimalism is an umbrella term associated with many different approaches to using and owning few(er) things. Authors Quilici and Fortin do not impose any style but rather encourage their readers (and clients) to create individualized spaces that align with the function and personality of those living there. The key is to be honest about what we cherish, and to keep items that reflect that love and spirit.

I rate this book 6 out of 6 sweet geese!! I think it’s a solid text in the library of anyone interested in interior design or anyone looking to address their personal relationship with the objects in their home space.

I wrote a review for this book when I first read it 2 years ago: “I love that this book does not attempt to prescribe a quantifiable minimalism nor does it objectify the process of de-cluttering to regarding just the "things." Instead, it proposes a frame of mind for determining what you find important, and from where your habits of possession are born.”

There are two clear sections: Part 1 is The Philosophy and Part 2 is The Practice.

First, readers reflect on how they currently attach to objects, as well as envision how they’d like their space to function and feel. I like the journaling prompts, and the authors include stories from their experiences working with their organization business’ clients. Quilici and Fortin show four different archetypes of reasons to keep things. If you like Enneagrams or other personality tests, this is a fun element! Do you hold onto things because of sentimentality? Because it could be useful if…? Have you kept something because you couldn’t say no? Or because you already spent the money?

Quilici and Fortin specifically address the failure rates associated with ‘minimalisms’ that mandate a specific number of items (like Dave Bruno’s 100 Things Challenge or “one in, one out” strategies), strictly insist on throwing away anything you haven’t used in the past however long (“throw away anything that you haven’t worn/used in 6 months”). These can be very helpful in the short term, however homes quickly re-accumulate possessions. New Minimalism talks about the psychology of design, which I appreciate. Other contemporary ‘minimalist movements’ like Marie Kondo’s “does it spark joy?” approach or Courtney Carver’s Be More with Less challenge also go deeper. Readers learn how to adapt a “decluttering-mindset,” considering benefits such as more free time and more money saved.

Secondly, we get to dive in and interact with our possessions. The authors do recommend a sequence to minimize getting overwhelmed, and clearly lay out helpful tips from their extensive experience doing organizing for clients. For example, allot an entire day for each object-type, have a friend with you, know of places to donate to before you begin, and more. You start with the most individual of objects: clothing. I actually did my wardrobe following this book! I do like how they recommend going forward by object type rather than room: how many clothes or shoes or accessories I had in the front closet and not in my dresser!

I can definitely tell that most of Quilici and Fortin’s clients (and possibly readers) are parents or professional adults who own their homes or are financially stable. I do think the book can be used by anyone as it avoids specific to-dos of style. However, those in more fragile economic circumstances or anyone with little control over the space in which they live (lots of roommates, not head of the household) still need to perform a bit of mental-acrobatics to take what can apply to them and leave the rest.

New Minimalism emphasizes the human aspect to design, speaking to how readers can reflect on their attitudes towards the objects they own for “sustainable, intentional living.” This is not a design book with filler-text; while it’s pictures are beautiful, each line of text is meant to be read carefully and thoughtfully. Quilici and Fortin touch on individual motivations as well as the broader societal issue of waste. Additionally, I would recommend pausing for a day or two in between sections so as to give your mind time and space to reflect deeply about what you’ve read.

Design is more than decoration; it’s about how you engage with the material space around you to create a space for the feeling of home. It can be joyful and energetic, or restorative and tranquil. New Minimalism is awarded 6 champion geese, and is actually the reason I wanted to do reviews of Interior Design books: to better understand how anyone can turn a house into a home as the cliche goes, how anyone can design their home.

With loving curiosity,