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The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well
Style is a luxury, and luxury is simply what makes you happy.
Over the years, founding editor in chief of domino magazine Deborah Needleman has seen all kinds of rooms, with all kinds of furnishings. Her It’s not hard to create a relaxed, stylish, and comfortable home. Just a few well-considered items can completely change the feel of your space, and The Perfectly Imperfect Home reveals them all.
Ranging from classics such as “A Really Good Sofa” and “Pretty Table Settings” to unusual surprises like “A Bit of Quirk” and “Cozifications,” the essential elements of style are treated in witty and wonderfully useful little essays. You’ll learn what to look for, whether you are at a flea market or a fancy boutique—or just mining what you already own.
Celebrated artist Virginia Johnson’s original watercolor illustrations bring the items and the inspiring rooms of world-famous tastemakers to vibrant life. Styling tips and simple how-tos show you techniques to put it all together to create, say, a beautifully made bed (the fast way and the fancy way), an inviting reading nook, or an effortlessly chic display of pictures.
According to Deborah, the point of decorating is to create the background for the best life you can have, with all its joys and imperfections.
This book will show you how.
Deborah Needleman is the editor in chief of WSJ. Magazine and creator of the Off Duty section of The Wall Street Journal. She was the founding editor in chief of domino magazine and coauthor of the book of decorating .
Virginia Johnson’s illustrations have appeared in books by Kate Spade and on textiles carried in more than one hundred stores, including Barneys, Liberty of London,
and Net-A-Porter.
perfectlyimperfect.com
Over the years, founding editor in chief of domino magazine Deborah Needleman has seen all kinds of rooms, with all kinds of furnishings. Her It’s not hard to create a relaxed, stylish, and comfortable home. Just a few well-considered items can completely change the feel of your space, and The Perfectly Imperfect Home reveals them all.
Ranging from classics such as “A Really Good Sofa” and “Pretty Table Settings” to unusual surprises like “A Bit of Quirk” and “Cozifications,” the essential elements of style are treated in witty and wonderfully useful little essays. You’ll learn what to look for, whether you are at a flea market or a fancy boutique—or just mining what you already own.
Celebrated artist Virginia Johnson’s original watercolor illustrations bring the items and the inspiring rooms of world-famous tastemakers to vibrant life. Styling tips and simple how-tos show you techniques to put it all together to create, say, a beautifully made bed (the fast way and the fancy way), an inviting reading nook, or an effortlessly chic display of pictures.
According to Deborah, the point of decorating is to create the background for the best life you can have, with all its joys and imperfections.
This book will show you how.
Deborah Needleman is the editor in chief of WSJ. Magazine and creator of the Off Duty section of The Wall Street Journal. She was the founding editor in chief of domino magazine and coauthor of the book of decorating .
Virginia Johnson’s illustrations have appeared in books by Kate Spade and on textiles carried in more than one hundred stores, including Barneys, Liberty of London,
and Net-A-Porter.
perfectlyimperfect.com
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2011
41 people are currently reading
2007 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
April 18, 2012
From the title, I was expecting this book to be a refreshing look at the obsession with perfection that so many of us have toward our homes, and a reminder that no, we don't have to be perfect all the time, and neither do our living spaces. Maybe with some awareness that not everyone has the time or money to make their homes look fantastic, and some basic advice for making things look good without spending all your time and energy on decorating.
Sadly, it seems to be filled with just as much this-is-what-you-MUST-do advice as other home decorating books. A few pages in, I was already overwhelmed with rules and extremely specific "advice" I know I'll never be able to afford to follow. I should be symmetrical, but not TOO symmetrical. I should fill my home with beautiful things, but also add "a bit of ugly." I need Egyptian cotton sheets that were made in Italy, and if I'm unlucky enough not to have my own "in-house laundress," I can "treat" myself to getting them professionally washed and ironed. Ironed! Life is far too short to waste time ironing sheets.
It's pretty obvious that this, like so many other decorating books, is written for people with much more money than I will probably ever have. Did you know that ottomans are "a personal matter between me and my upholsterer"? I can't even imagine saying the words "my upholsterer" with no sense of irony. I suppose the words "founding editor of Domino magazine" on the cover should have tipped me off.
The watercolor illustrations by Virginia Johnson are gorgeous, and I like that they're drawn and painted rather than photographed. It makes this book unique, and also lets your imagination fill in the details rather than thinking "okay, I have to have THIS chair and THIS wallpaper," etc.
And to be fair, I'm sure my home would look beautiful if I followed the advice in this book. But for that to happen, I'd have to be able to afford to move out of my tiny apartment and buy furniture that didn't all come from Craigslist.
I'm sure people can find some great nuggets of advice in this book that will work for them. Meanwhile, I'll keep searching for a decorating book that doesn't require a six-figure salary and a personal upholsterer.
Sadly, it seems to be filled with just as much this-is-what-you-MUST-do advice as other home decorating books. A few pages in, I was already overwhelmed with rules and extremely specific "advice" I know I'll never be able to afford to follow. I should be symmetrical, but not TOO symmetrical. I should fill my home with beautiful things, but also add "a bit of ugly." I need Egyptian cotton sheets that were made in Italy, and if I'm unlucky enough not to have my own "in-house laundress," I can "treat" myself to getting them professionally washed and ironed. Ironed! Life is far too short to waste time ironing sheets.
It's pretty obvious that this, like so many other decorating books, is written for people with much more money than I will probably ever have. Did you know that ottomans are "a personal matter between me and my upholsterer"? I can't even imagine saying the words "my upholsterer" with no sense of irony. I suppose the words "founding editor of Domino magazine" on the cover should have tipped me off.
The watercolor illustrations by Virginia Johnson are gorgeous, and I like that they're drawn and painted rather than photographed. It makes this book unique, and also lets your imagination fill in the details rather than thinking "okay, I have to have THIS chair and THIS wallpaper," etc.
And to be fair, I'm sure my home would look beautiful if I followed the advice in this book. But for that to happen, I'd have to be able to afford to move out of my tiny apartment and buy furniture that didn't all come from Craigslist.
I'm sure people can find some great nuggets of advice in this book that will work for them. Meanwhile, I'll keep searching for a decorating book that doesn't require a six-figure salary and a personal upholsterer.
January 8, 2012
I never read Domino, and never even heard of it until it was defunct, so I am new to Deborah Needleman. The title of the book is what caught my attention. Initially I was disappointed to see the book filled with watercolors rather than photographs, but then I decided that the book was better without photos. Photos are static and can make the decorating ideas seem unattainable, whereas the watercolors provide the hint of a suggestion as to how to create your space, and make it all seem much more doable.
I appreciated that her approach doesn't focus on spending lots of money to put your home together, but at the same time, the author does seem to think that everyone reading this book lives in some sort of sprawling mansion. The amount of furniture suggested for a living room simply would not fit in my living room, and I couldn't fit a round entry table into my itty bitty entry to save my life.
I did like the chapters on cozying up and quirkifying, as whimsy is one of my goals in my home. I also enjoyed her discussion on ottomans and benches, as these only very recently occurred to me as being genius additions to a home's furnishings.
I appreciated that her approach doesn't focus on spending lots of money to put your home together, but at the same time, the author does seem to think that everyone reading this book lives in some sort of sprawling mansion. The amount of furniture suggested for a living room simply would not fit in my living room, and I couldn't fit a round entry table into my itty bitty entry to save my life.
I did like the chapters on cozying up and quirkifying, as whimsy is one of my goals in my home. I also enjoyed her discussion on ottomans and benches, as these only very recently occurred to me as being genius additions to a home's furnishings.
February 1, 2018
I enjoyed this because it was Fancy-ish in some ways, but mostly just pragmatic, good humored, and with lots of nice tips about how to think about home decor and what you want out of a home environment. It was also inspirational without making me so gung ho I want to knock down walls or something, which is great because I'd like to rearrange some furniture this year but know I won't be able to afford, like, pulling up the carpet. (Waves to Melissa -- thanks for the gift, m'dear! *g*) Loved the watercolor illustrations too, and all the examples of rooms that are decidedly not minimalist.
April 29, 2022
What a great book! I got so many good ideas for decorating my home. I love that the book is illustrated with watercolors by Virginia Johnson instead of with photographs. Johnson's illustrations are lovely and whimsical, giving you an idea of the decorating concept Needleman is discussing but also providing more scope for the imagination than a photograph, which can seem more prescriptive.
May 6, 2015
This was a quick read with many great ideas and I like that the author is playful and doesn't take home decorating too seriously. I wish the watercolor illustrations were photographs instead. It was hard for me to visualize the rooms she displayed. The watercolors did add an artistic feel.
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August 28, 2020Gorgeous illustrations, and I definitely learned some things. But I think, for my lifestyle, I need a decorating book that doesn't suggest things like, "buy $75 hand cream," "keep a large supply of table decorations in your pantry" (Where will the food go?), and "maybe put an armchair in your bathroom."
May 17, 2012
Combined with Domino: The Book of Decorating, this book is a must-read for decorating nuts (like me!) and will set you on the right track when you're staring at a blank space and wondering what to do with it. The Perfectly Imperfect Home focuses less on the step-by-step how-tos and more on the insipiration and philosphy behind developing your personal style, living well, and making your house into a home. Needleman's text is friendly and often feels like you're being pulled into a conversation, rather than just being talked at. She focuses on the elements that she personally feels are important to address; for example, Needleman has mini-essays on things like Fragrance, Bits of Whimsy, A Touch of Glamour, and everything from end tables and area rugs to lampshades and hanging your children's pictures.
Many reviewers have complained about the watercolor illustrations, asking where the "real photos" of the spaces are or saying that the illustrations are cloying. This is purely a matter of personal taste - I found them to be charming and as inspirational as seeing an actual photo. You get snippets or glimpses of a space and your imagination is encouraged to kick in and think about how you could achieve the effects you want in your space. I have it on my coffee table and enjoy kicking back and flipping through here and there to get the brain juices flowing.
Many reviewers have complained about the watercolor illustrations, asking where the "real photos" of the spaces are or saying that the illustrations are cloying. This is purely a matter of personal taste - I found them to be charming and as inspirational as seeing an actual photo. You get snippets or glimpses of a space and your imagination is encouraged to kick in and think about how you could achieve the effects you want in your space. I have it on my coffee table and enjoy kicking back and flipping through here and there to get the brain juices flowing.
July 23, 2012
I was hopeful when the introduction to this book focused on living a joyful life and having a "spirit-filled home" that embraces your individual personality, but when I dove into it, it was just more of the same old, boring advice. There wasn't anything remotely connected to bringing a sense of individual spirit into your house, and as one other reviewer said, the author assumes we all live in a giant mansion full of multiple rooms. There was no acknowledgement of how to deal with small spaces and the taste-level did not veer from the high design style that Domino magazine was so famous for. I did give it one extra star for the beautiful watercolor drawings, and for the brave choice to only have these illustrations, with no actual photos at all.
February 11, 2015
The best decorating book I've ever picked up. Playful watercolor illustrations, a warm, conversational style, great insight into why it's important to decorate in the first place, and practical suggestions to get started no matter what your budget. I love that the focus is about the feel of a home, and how to achieve that warm, personal, welcoming beauty and comfort that enhances the life you live within it's walls (not to make a magazine-spread tableau that can't be loved and lived in).
March 23, 2016
Loved her writing style and that her decorating advice is very real and accessible. I didn't find the use of watercolor illustration helpful though...it was lovely but I find actual photos to be more helpful and transferable to my space.
October 31, 2023
This book is just filled with inspiration. The chapters are very short, the information is easy to follow, the tips are helpful, and the watercolor images are beautiful and keep you from getting distracted by someone elses decorating decisions. The writing is fun and, at times, a bit highbrow and opinionated, but always in a charming manner. I loved this book and definitely want to add it to my collection and have it to share. It's a great book to plan to return to when your home feels dull.
February 5, 2017
Beautiful illustrations. I was excited by the title. Unfortunately while the aesthetic was beautiful, I felt it was too much perfect and not enough imperfect. More focus on the terms of decorating than how to take what you can and live well with it.
June 8, 2018
I don’t have a home to decorate but I thought this book was whimsical and adorable. Maybe someday...
June 18, 2018
Skimmed
January 18, 2020
Delightful! I didn’t expect to read this cover-to-cover but I did and I enjoyed every bit of it. The illustrations are gorgeous and so full of energy 😍
January 12, 2015
The Perfectly Imperfect Home is really beautiful and really fun. I think most of my reviews contain a proclamation that the book is "fun", and it's really because I choose them that way, but the tone of writing and beautiful watercolour illustrations (one of my favourite artistic mediums) are both comforting and 'quirky' - exactly what this book aims to instruct on in decorating.
Full of lovely little tips and hints, such as how to make a bed in the 'fancy' method, and the best height for lamps and tables, it's really useful for a novice like me. I especially loved the segments on lighting and bathrooms, but there wasn't a bit I didn't find enlightening or helpful. I love Needleman's focus on creating a lived-in home, as opposed to the stiff, picture-perfect ones we see in images. A home isn't homely until there are personal touches, until you actually use those throw blankets instead of having them permanently installed in some 'decorative' manner. There is even advice on how to get cushions at the correct softness so that people actually use them and don't throw them on the floor to sit down instead.
Overall I loved it. I have no complaints for once!
Full of lovely little tips and hints, such as how to make a bed in the 'fancy' method, and the best height for lamps and tables, it's really useful for a novice like me. I especially loved the segments on lighting and bathrooms, but there wasn't a bit I didn't find enlightening or helpful. I love Needleman's focus on creating a lived-in home, as opposed to the stiff, picture-perfect ones we see in images. A home isn't homely until there are personal touches, until you actually use those throw blankets instead of having them permanently installed in some 'decorative' manner. There is even advice on how to get cushions at the correct softness so that people actually use them and don't throw them on the floor to sit down instead.
Overall I loved it. I have no complaints for once!
September 8, 2018
It was my first time seeing a home interior decorating book with illustrations only, and I loved it. I was very impressed with how well-done the book was, from the many illustrations to the different sections touching on the kitchen, the bedroom, the living room, lighting, the bathroom, etc. Needleman's prose is very charming, and I felt as if she understood my need for things colorful and a little weird/quirky. I've mostly been seeing minimalist interior decorating books, which I didn't find suited my tastes as much. I like that she mentioned wanting her kids to associate their childhood with having a comfortable and bright home, and to embrace it when they accidentally mark the couch with a crayon or marker. The book had great tips that I am now applying in my own life, and now I'm on the hunt for some cute ceramic animal figurines, and something with leopard print.
December 6, 2011
I miss Domino so, so much -- it's nice to have this book on decorating by Deborah Needleman to fill the void. She has lots of solid advice for creating a beautiful but not overdone home.
Having illustrations instead of photos was a little off-putting at first, I think mostly because I'm so used to seeing decorating books loaded with photos, but in the end I think it was a better choice because it forces you do focus on the concepts rather than the particularities. Photos tend to date a book faster than anything else, and the advice in the text deserves to stick around longer than photos would be relevant.
Having illustrations instead of photos was a little off-putting at first, I think mostly because I'm so used to seeing decorating books loaded with photos, but in the end I think it was a better choice because it forces you do focus on the concepts rather than the particularities. Photos tend to date a book faster than anything else, and the advice in the text deserves to stick around longer than photos would be relevant.
July 9, 2018
The contents of the book did not really live up to the title, reading it felt like rule, after rule, after rule. It bugged me that the author stated she is not a fan of house plants... they are a decorating staple. Many people love philodendrons and they are very on trend, I don’t think she needed to single them out and say they should never be used. At times she seemed to delight in putting people’s personal decorating styles and interiors down (even using her own friends as what-not-to-do examples, quite rude!). I genuinely loved the water colour illustrations for the imagination they invoked and it was the saving grace for me.
November 28, 2011
I was pretty disappointed in this book. There wasn't anything in it that I haven't seen a bunch of times before and the content is really light-weight as well. It took me about twenty minutes to read the whole thing. The illustrations were pretty but they also made everything look very same-y. Considering all the lip service the author gives to appreciating imperfect spaces and making any home feel perfect, it would have been nice to see some design examples that didn't belong to upper class Manhattanites or Parisians.
March 1, 2012
Surprisingly readable, which makes sense considering this isn't a typical decorating book filled with photos. It's more about mood and coziness and the little things. It wouldn't necessarily be helpful if you were actually looking for specific visual inspiration, but I did find the illustrations to suit the mood of the book perfectly. I read the whole thing in one sitting, thinking of ways the concepts could apply to an apartment.
October 10, 2013
Great decorating book for a novice decorator like myself. (I'm not even at novice level because it's not something I ever aspire to!) I enjoyed the whimsical sketches of actual rooms in homes, along with practical advice presented in a way that doesn't talk down to the reader. Thanks, Laura T., for loaning it to me!
March 31, 2016
Despite the fact that my decorating budget extends only as far as Target and Ross, I still enjoyed reading this book. I got a lot of nice ideas from it and even though it suggested things like lacquered walls and ceiling wallpaper which are definitely beyond my budget/interest. It's a fun book with delightfully rendered illustrations as well as being low on the snobby scale. Refreshing.
August 17, 2015
My favorite little coffee table book. So many cute ideas for how to make your home cozy and livable. The suggestions are easy to implement and the book itself is well-written and easy to read. I also love the illustrations So glad I picked this up a few years ago! I have gotten a lot out of it.
January 30, 2017
I liked that book, I figured out for myself what I want, what I love. From the point of if, there is something new I got? Hm, not so much. But very good to figure out for yourself and kind of brainstorm and find inspiration. Excellent book, for those, who doesn't know these things.
August 25, 2015
Loved it. Great illustrations, practical tips, helpful hint, fun writing style, and the best part: you don't need a ton of money to make an ordinary house into a special, personalized home
January 1, 2017
I read home design books for the photos. This had illustrations. Yes, they were lovely. No, I wasn't inspired.
January 27, 2020
While visiting my professional decorator friend, I saw this eye-catching book on her coffee table, and asked to borrow it. While I didn't read all the text, I enjoyed an hour's perusal through its pages, reading all the sidebars and analyzing the illustrations. I liked the laissez-faire approach Needleman takes to decorating, where she doesn't worry overmuch about rules and emphasizes creating a lived-in "real" home. I love her suggestions about having a few quirky items that show personality, her ideas for beautiful but usable pillows, her use of baskets and trays, and especially her tips on lighting. I have zero training on decorating, but I like what I've done with my home (some rooms I love, others are just okay). The Perfectly Imperfect Home makes me want to change things up and incorporate some of her ideas - maybe a bright elegant wall or a little animal print, and a lush new sofa... I love what she says in the introduction, "The point of decorating, as far as I can tell, is to create the background for the best life you can have." My home is the setting for my life, and I want to feel happy and comfortable here!
4 stars.
4 stars.
January 19, 2021
While not technically a graphic novel, the beauty of this book is the way the words interact with these gorgeous watercolor illustrations of interior scenes by Virginia Johnson. The tiny scenes and still life compositions of everyday household items ignited my imagination for the home decor overhaul I'm in the lifelong midst of taking on in the ChicFinn Cottage. February will mark our four year anniversary with our home out in the country and it's incredible to think about the transformations I've already made here through major DIY grit and a lot of elbow grease (with the back pain to show for it). It also means that perhaps this year I can beat my record of how many projects I've completed in the course of a calendar year. My hermanita getting married here has really put the fire under me and this book helped give some useful tips (on why everything doesn't have to match, which is really my style anyway) to build a sophisticated and comfortable home in which one can live. I wish the book delved into the cult of consumerism and the idea of making a home as a particularly classed and gendered reality... but alas, perhaps I will make that book one day!
May 9, 2025
10 Out of 5 stars!!! I loved this book so much!! First, let us go no further without acknowledging that it is BEAUTIFUL!! All of the pictures are these watercolor depictions of legendary designers own homes and work. It is so helpful and practical! Here is the tool guide to making your home a home! She talks candidly about how a lot of design is creating a beautiful space that isn't comfortable or livable, which defeats the point. She covers everything from how to layer and create a beautiful space. But the emphasis is on comfort an and living in your home. Here is how to style a bed, and here are the pillows that you need to curl up with a book, or take a nap. You need a throw at the end of your bed, so that if you don't have the energy to pull down the covers, you can grab the throw to curl up. Square European pillows are the best to prop yourself up against and read in bed. How do the smells of our house create a home. You will want to own this book, and will refer back to it again and again as you make home purchases and decisions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews