This book should come with the following message-- Warning: Too much of this type of book can lead to major house dissatisfaction.

It was gorgeous, though. ( )

Joanna Gaines has an incredibly specific aesthetic, where the difference between something as disparate as, say, modern vs traditional, is barely perceptible. This book has really pretty pictures though. ( )

I thought I’d check this out as the ladies from the By the Book podcast are going to read it, and I wanted to get some background. Also I’ve seen quite a few episodes of Fixer Upper, and I think Joanna Gaines is a saint for dealing with Chip as he annoys the crap out of me.

I’m a homebody too, and I enjoyed reading Joanna’s advice on making your home really reflect you. Even though she breaks down different styles, just like the show you’ll be seeing a lot of white, black, natural wood, and metals in these pages. A lot of repetition on the palettes. I adore color and art so always have an eclectic mix of design in my home, but I think she gives a good overview of elements in the spaces.

Note this book seems to be meant for houses in which you might have the ability to renovate and not a lot of ideas for renters (I believe you can make home anywhere—not just through escrow). Also the sizes are a bit much for many city dwellers—she shows some laundry rooms that are bigger than most studio apartments. Even though the photos were lovely, they didn’t do much for me. I think rather that I was inspired by her words about ones home, and I already have some ideas for moving some furniture around... ( )