Inspirational and Order
Tasha Tudor's Garden by Tovah Martin
Even grown-ups need picture books! This is the ultimate feminine picture book. While I can't ever have her garden, it's delightful to fill my eyes with beauty and my head with dreams. The ultimate cozy book.
Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places that Inspired the Classic Children’s Tales by Marta McDowell
This may not seem very HearthKeepery, but it's about a woman managing her gardens, so there's lots to glean. Plus, this book is just so cozy, British, and will help you appreciate Potter's dear books even more. A straightforward read with lots of beautiful pictures. A whole world of inspiration.
The Private World of Tasha Tudor by Tasha Tudor and Richard Brown
Another beautiful book about Tasha Tudor. The pictures are wonderful, though I preferred Tasha Tudor's Garden better. There is always a danger when you meet your heroes and while I love much of Tudor's life, I disagree much with her life philosophies. So still interesting and beautiful, but much less inspirational. I would still recommend it as a cozy, lovely read with some wonderful ideas about loving the old and using your time away from screens.
A Well-kept Home: Household Traditions and Simple Secrets from a French Grandmother by Laura Fronty and Yves Doronsoy
This is an inspirational book that breathes out tradition, simplicity, and an eye for detail. When you sit and read it as a whole, it is very soothing, encourages beauty, tender care, details, and a love of glass, plants, food, and fabrics. It's hygge before hygge. It's a quick read. It would make a beautiful gift for a new homemaker interested in the roots of her work. It's more of a vibe than concrete help, though it is filled with unique housekeeping tips. I did find myself much more aware of the details of my home after I read this book. It just brings little things to the forefront and shows you their importance.
(Available for checkout from the HearthKeeper Library.)
Simplicity at Home: Japanese Rituals, Recipes, and Arrangements for Thoughtful Living by Yumiko Sekine
If you are drawn to natural fabrics and simplicity of design all with a strong Japanese feel, this beautiful book is for you. I found it to be inspirational in its lack of franticness. It reminded me of what I am drawn to in the minimalist movement. Plus, I have a deep love for linen. I loved how she had her home specifically designed with mostly open cabinets to encourage herself to limit what she kept in the home. I love how she reuses fabric. I love the creativity on display in the way she uses things apart from their original design. I loved all the natural and diverse textures. And I have a fascination with the Japanese way of mending things that celebrates imperfection. I now feel the need for more linen and ceramics in my life. If only they weren’t so expensive. I also loved how she describes the seasonal changes both in fabrics and foods.
What this book lacks is a real focus on home. This woman has a career, no kids, a boyfriend, and obviously a fair amount of income. That makes some of her choices far different than the all-in homemaker. There is also an appalling amount of concrete. This is a book where you take the beauty and inspiration but don’t worry about the rest. Just look at the pretty pictures.
This book shines in its photography and the overall sense of calm and order that infuses it. It is an excellent place to start if you want to be inspired to simplify your life. But I recommend you move on to something more tangible afterward.
(Available for checkout from the HearthKeeper Library.)
The Complete Book of Home Organization by Toni Hammersley
Sarah Gabriel's Review:
I'm not going to write a full book review for this one. I'm just going to highly recommend Toni Hammersley's Complete Book of Home Organization to anyone who loves organizing, anyone who feels like their house has gotten on top of them, anyone who doesn't know where to start, anyone getting to know a new home, or planning to move soon. I fully intend to buy this book and refer back to it regularly.
Throughout the book, there are weekly challenges for each room or zone of the house, with helpful breakdowns of how to start the task.
Most of the book is laid out with numbered practical advice, including demonstration sketches, home decor photography, recipes for products, lists for shopping, or various systems of breaking down your items into categories. Everything is explained in a very flexible "here's how you figure out how to make it work for you" way.
(Available for checkout from the HearthKeeper Library.)
