my favorite design books to inspire your next makeover

While our bedroom makeover is on hold a bit as my leg heals, I’m still brainstorming what other renovations we can tackle this year! Homeownership… the work never ends, ha. While Pinterest is obviously my favorite place to find inspiration, nothing quite beats the timeless, classic inspiration that so often comes from books. I have a fairly large collection, so now that I’m essentially on couch-rest all the time, I’ve been digging back into some old favorites and wanted to share my favorite design books to inspire your next makeover!

1. Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves by Emily Henderson

I’ve found this book to be a great resource in helping me figure out simple things like where to position rugs in relation to furniture, how to style a good #shelfie, and even vignettes to inspire some of my styling work.

2. Living with Pattern: Color, Texture, and Print at Home by Rebecca Atwood

Rebecca mixes and curates print and pattern unlike anyone I know. I love her ocean inspired textiles and casual vibe, so this book is a definite must… and played a huge role in inspiring our bedroom makeover!

3. The New Bohemians: Cool and Collected Homes by Justina Blakeney

I love how Justina breaks down all the different types of boho vibes. I think so often anything with a monstera plant and some shibori gets lumped into a general ‘boho’ bucket, but this books helps to identify key components of different slants on this look, my favorite being Modern Bohemians.

4. A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of A Misspent Life by Mary Randolph Carter

I don’t know if any other book captures my approach to how I want my home to feel than this one. Truly, the title says it all.

5. Surf Shack: Laid-Back Living by the Water by Nina Freudenberger

This is the newest addition to my collection of interior design books. I felt it was a great source of inspiration for the casual bungalow vibe I’m trying to achieve.

6. Sage Living: Decorate for the Life you Want by Anne Sage

The soulful advice (and gorgeous styling) in this book really helped me to dig deeper into the emotional side of homeownership and what it means to me.

my favorite design books to inspire your next makeover on jojotastic.com

And then there is my *mild* obsession with designer Sibella Court. Ever since being introduced to her nomadic, bohemian, globetrotting vibe while working at Anthropologie, I haven’t been enough. I love how every image she shares is like a miniature world, full of whimsy and wonder. I highly recommend you guys pick up these books:

7. Gypsy: A World of Colour & Interiors

8. The Life of the Bowerbird: Creating Beautiful Interiors with the Things you Collect

9. Etcetera: Creating beautiful interiors with the things you love

10. Nomad: A Global Approach to Interior Style

Which books do you think I should check out next?

Behind The Blog

Joanna Hawley-McBride is a Pacific Northwest-based social media strategist, content creator, and former textile designer. Joanna is the founder and editor-in-chief of Jojotastic, a lifestyle blog focused on Joanna’s work-in-progress cabin, finding the best pair of underwear through #UnderwearThesis, and empowering women to explore nature — all in her signature unfiltered style. Her work has been featured in Domino, CNBC, and Eating Well.

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