Sherlock Talk

A Homemaker’s Inspiration Round-up

You know where this is headed, and this list is so exciting, so let’s jump right in! Here are the books that get me going when I’m in a homemaker’s inspiration rut:

• “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” by Marie Kondo. It has been over a decade since a friend lent me this book. It isn’t pictured above, but rest assured, it made the list! It is impossible to begin any home improvement project with clutter in the way. When I was struggling to pull a nursery together to welcome my first baby into the world, Marie got me where I needed to be in the nick of time! It took grit and meditation (as most worthwhile ventures do), but any diligent and deliberate homemaker can put this method to good use. I wish you so much joy in the process! This brings us to our next read…
• “Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life,” by Marie Kondo. If you’ve ever used the KonMari Method of tidying, you might have noticed its benefits trickling into other areas of life. In her newest book, Marie helps us do this with intention. We start at home and extrapolate until we feel the benefits everywhere. This book also includes recipes and worksheets to help organize the most important parts of our day.
• “Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home,” by Danielle Postel-Vinay. This book doesn’t live on a shelf in my home. It’s too pretty. Don’t let the place of honor in the living room fool you; it’s an absolute game-changer too. I don’t think I can list all the ways this book has helped me, but I’ll name a few. The French method of treating stains has saved so many of my favorite clothes! I no longer find flat sheets wadded up in the floor or kicked to the end of my kids’ beds. We went French and stopped using them! This book helped me build a functional kitchen. It got my family eating together at the table. It helped me stop taking minimalism to the max and really pause to consider every room’s aesthetic and purpose. (And because it’s February, I’ll let you in on a little secret…this book will help you decorate with a sensual flair.)
• “Housewarming: A Guide to Creating a Home You Adore,” by Beau Ciolino & Matt Armato. A great book to get your family working on the home together! Dream together as you work through the Design section of this book. Get everyone on board, even the moodiest, broodiest artist in the family. Then, dip your toes in a little DIY. Nothing scary, but plenty of practical advice. For example, I have encountered many painters who don’t know this, but they make these CLOTHS YOU CAN DROP on the floor before you start painting. They’re called drop cloths, and they’re super groovy because no one has to spend hours cleaning up after you. (If it looks like Dexter Morgan prepped the space, you’re doing something right.) Anyway, if you’re unsure of what to do with your fabulous home once you’ve got it how you want it, the final section of this book offers entertaining advice and fun recipes!
• “The Poetics of Space,” by Gaston Bachelard. Is home a structure that shelters us, a dimension entirely our own, a memory, a dream, or something else? This book is impossible to define, but if you’d like an artistic, philosophical look at the space you call home, it is something along those lines. It will also help you draft a list of further reading much longer than what I offer here.
• “The October Country,” and “From the Dust Returned,” by Ray Bradbury. Why on Earth are these books listed here? What could they possibly have to do with making a home? They’re here because the House that “arrives” is what every home I live in aspires to be. My October driveway is the homecoming I wait for year-round. To understand the level of reverence your home deserves, read these books.

On a lighter note, this homemaker just discovered edible glitter! I want a salt shaker full of it on my dinner table forever! Happy Love Month!!

XOXO-

Brit