Home Design

How do the French create the elusive and alluring sanctuaries they call home? This question long intrigued Danielle Postel-Vinay. Thanks to a chance encounter with a French expat in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and years of immersive research, she embarked on a quest to discover the secrets of the French home aesthetic. Experiencing first-hand la belle vie - the beautiful life - Postel-Vinay now shows everyone how to create their own French sanctuary, a home sweet maison, no matter where they live.

Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family's food on just a quarter acre - and earn $10,000 in cash annually while spending less than half the time that an ordinary job would require.

Recognize and celebrate the magic of life with timeless rites and spells. Create a magical household - a haven of harmony, safety, spirituality, security, and romance. The benefits include a happier existence, protection against thieves, improved health, restful sleep, satisfying spiritual experiences, and a perfect environment for positive magic. This warm and wise guide by much loved author Scott Cunningham has been helping people create sacred spaces in their homes and gardens for nearly 20 years.

In this mesmerizing memoir-in-essays, New York Times best-selling author Erica Bauermeister renovates a trash-filled house in eccentric Port Townsend, Washington, and in the process takes listeners on a journey to discover the ways our spaces subliminally affect us. A personal, accessible, and literary exploration of the psychology of architecture, this book is designed for homeowners, remodelers, and those who are simply curious about how our built environments shape who we become.

When Christine Platt set out on her journey to live with less, she never intended to become The Afrominimalist. She just wanted to tame the chaos in her closet! But after struggling with the austerity and whiteness of mainstream minimalism, Christine realized why minimalism often seems unattainable for so many: the emphasis on all-white, barren aesthetics distracts from the practice of living with intention. And so, she decided to do things her way by curating a life of less influenced by the African diaspora.

Living a settled life in a small apartment and following the same routine every day might seem perfect for many, but for some, this kind of life is not for them. A settled life is predictable: Every morning, you wake up at the same time, go to work, return home to do chores, and then sleep again. The cycle continues. RV life promises freedom, simplicity, beautiful sceneries, and saving money on living expenses. However, you must know what challenges await when you embrace RV living. Does the humdrum of settled life make you feel trapped in the same old routine? If so, this book is for you!

No matter what the world says, embracing the seasons doesn't require endless bins of factory-made decor or loads of time. In fact, your home can be festive, stylish, and cozy with minimal effort and a limited budget.

We are living through a global catastrophe. Buildings affect how we feel, moment by moment, day by day. They have the power to lift us up and make us feel awestruck, playful, safe, and inspired, just as they can make us feel alienated and sad. But many of the places where we live, work, learn, and heal have become monotonous and disposable. We’re surrounded by cheap, boring buildings that make people stressed, sick, and unhappy. In short, much of our world has been crafted in a way that is hostile to human experience.

Building a new house requires a lot of foresight—things will go wrong and the plan will most likely find itself derailed at one point or another. Although this is in many ways a natural occurrence, it doesn't have to be in any way catastrophic. With the right plan in place and a detailed map of how to progress through the entire process, no matter the curveballs you encounter, you’ll be able to seamlessly get back into the flow of things. It’s one thing to have the skills, but it’s another thing entirely to be able to apply them in a way that produces results.

The creator of the popular cleaning website Clean Mama and author of Clean Mama’s Guide to a Healthy Home shows you how to establish systems and rituals to transform your home into a clean, organized, and comfortable space for you and your family.

Discover how your dream of affordable, stylish, open-concept, sustainable living can become a reality, no matter your budget! The dream of creating a personalized space often feels out of reach for many, with traditional home-building routes presenting a maze of expensive choices, overwhelming legal requirements, and endless design decisions. Did you know? An estimated 1,000 new barndos are built every year in North America. See how many people are jumping into this movement?

Upcycling Furniture For Dummies shows you how to revitalize old furniture, with just a little effort and imagination, and maybe a few coats of fresh paint. Upcycling furniture is affordable, good for the environment, and a whole lot of fun! This easy step-by-step guide shows you how to get creative and put your own unique flair on your designs. You'll gain the knowledge and confidence you need to select items that are worth transforming or restoring and learn specific techniques to give old pieces a new lease on life.

Secrets of Home Staging isn't just an indispensable guide for the everyday homeowner; it's also geared to realtors and those committed to real estate investing and flipping houses. With potential home buyers pre-shopping homes online and dismissing many of them in as little as three seconds, it is essential that your home is staged to look its best. Secrets of Home Staging will help you navigate the home-staging process with an easy-to-follow guide.

You may think you don’t have the time or the money to start a big permaculture project. But permaculture doesn’t need to be overwhelming. You can start as small as you like, and you can move at a pace that suits you. Don’t feel you have to learn everything in one go and rush out to transform a whole wilderness in a year. Just deal in manageable chunks, and you’ll do just fine. Even if all you have done is tend to a few tomato plants on your window ledge, you can become an expert gardener; all it takes is a little time, patience, and practice.

Imagine this: stepping into a room where you instantly felt more at ease, where you felt comfortable and connected to tradition and nature. A room that embraced you with its serene energy, a sanctuary from the noise and chaos of the modern world.

Are you drowning in clutter, overwhelmed by endless to-do lists, and stuck in the never-ending chase for "more"? It’s time to break free. In Decluttering Our Lives and Embracing a Minimalist Lifestyle, you’ll find the inspiration, tools, and humor to simplify your world and create a life that truly matters. From taming overflowing closets and chaotic schedules to redefining success and finding peace in the everyday, this book is your step-by-step guide to intentional living.

Tiny houses on wheels are glamorous and solve a lot of problems for people, but actually building one is a different story entirely. Maybe you've spent a lot of time researching and planning, but you're not quite sure you are ready. Or perhaps you are having a tiny house built for you but don't know what your builder will really do or how to communicate with them. Whatever your situation, this audiobook will arm you with construction knowledge in simple terms.

Second Chances is a unique guide to a one-of-a-kind, circular wardrobe. Eleni’s superpower is sniffing out great finds and here she walks you through the art of in-person discovery at thrift stores and vintage shops, estate sales and flea markets, yard sales and antique stores—and online resale platforms. This book will teach you how to organize your existing wardrobe, evaluate pieces you find, and manifest your dream closet.

Your home is probably your largest monthly expense and ultimately you want it to become an asset, perhaps to pass on to your kids when you’re gone. Why then do homeowners put so little value in the people they hire to work on their homes? If you own an expensive car, you’re not likely to take it to the cheapest garage you can find. If you want a nice smile, you seek out an expensive, private dentist to give you that smile. No one goes to a cheap plastic surgeon or a cheap tattoo artist. Going to court? “Better find myself the cheapest lawyer I can” – said no one ever.

Cultivate your inner peace and create your own green thumb sanctuary, even without any previous gardening experience! Has the intricate art of bonsai cultivation always fascinated you, yet you've been fearful of the perceived complexity? Contrary to popular belief, bonsai cultivation doesn't have to be an intimidating endeavor. In fact, it can be an immensely rewarding experience that nurtures both your sense of creativity and mindfulness.