The world is full of decorating books. Ones that are filled with beautiful rooms decorated by high-end designers on outrageous budgets. Books that make you feel like your home, and maybe by extension you, will never measure up. Books that make decorating seem like a mysterious thing that you need a degree and a few initials after your name to do properly. Books that transform a rational woman into a crazy lady who isn’t fun to live with because she’s trying to make her home look like a magazine shoot 24/7. This is not one of those books.
My dear, talented friend, Shaunna, has written a decorating book for you. A real person, on a real budget, living in a real house. This is a book for the mom who craves a creative outlet, but only has five minutes to complete a project to satisfy that craving. This is a book for the newlyweds who want to make a bunch of hand-me-downs and thrift store finds look a little less like a bunch of hand-me-downs and thrift store finds. This is a book for the people who want a wow-factor kind of home without breaking the bank.
But even more than that—more than the creative ideas, fun projects, expert painting tips, and inspirational pictures—Shaunna gives you permission to try and fail. She encourages you to put things into perspective. And you’ll close this book at the end, feeling that you’ve just made a new friend. The kind of friend who dishes her best secrets and tricks with you. One who gives you the push to try something new and cheers you on. One who’s willing to share her perfectly imperfect life and home with you. That’s the kind of decorating book you’re about to read. And you’re in for a real treat.
—MARIAN PARSONS, author of Inspired You, creator of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint, and
blogger at Miss Mustard Seed