Books That Inspire

As much as I love everything Martha, I am known to look and learn from other publications. I have literally hundreds of books on design and gardening. The Homestyle Book Club loves me. Within the hundreds of books that line my shelves and are stacked on the floor, I have books on design and color theory, design history, textbooks on design, and reference books galore on plants and gardening. I also have more whimsical books like classic home remedies from the 50's. My taste in reading material is varied but some books I return to time and time again. The books I look to most are educational but most of all they inspire my own creativity. These are just a few. I'll be sharing more in future posts.

Gardening:

"A Way to Garden" by Margaret Roach (former garden editor and editorial director of Martha Stewart Living) is a classic volume that any and every gardener should have in their home library. "A Way to Garden" takes a poetic look at all the seasons in the garden, from birth to death. It's an incredible journey into the world of gardening.

"The Outdoor Living Room" by Martha Baker, sparks creativity when looking at design and elements of design for the outdoor living space. From structures to textures, "The Outdoor Living Room" is instructional while being inspirational.

Decorating/Design:

"Pottery Barn Home" is a large coffee table book that you want to look through for hours. With classic Pottery Barn style, it features rooms of inspiration all through the house to spark your own creativity. This is a must have for anyone with an interest in home decorating and design.

One of my favorite HGTV television shows is "Divine Design." I love the design style of host Candice Olson. This book, "Candice Olson on Design" features many of the rooms from the popular television show. Her sense of color, her ability to place just the right amount of accessories in a room, and her ability to mix textures always keeps me coming back for more.

Nate Berkus, the 'cutie pie' designer made famous by Oprah, put his rules on decorating to print in this book "Nate Berkus, Home Rules." While not an in depth look at decorating or design theory, Nate feeds that desire for more modern decorating when the mood strikes. With similar design style to Candice Olson, Nate takes his readers through the entire house with great designs that can be incorporated into most any home. Besides, he is adorable.

One of my favorite books from the editors of Martha Stewart Living is "Simple Home Solutions." This book contains so many 'good things' and great ideas in one easy volume. I've turned to this book time and time again when I'm saying to myself, "what would Martha do?"

Another book in the Pottery Barn decorating series is "Pottery Barn Work Spaces." I'm always looking for the ultimate in functional home office design and this book has given me many great ideas. And, wouldn't you know it.. all materials are available at.... Pottery Barn! Imagine that.