The Home Bird: Creating joyful interiors where old meets new

by Elle Hervin

'A must-have... at once visually breathtaking and inspiring' Paula Sutton @hillhousevintage

Discover the positive power of 'dopamine décor'.

Achieve your dream home with this 7-step formula from Elle Hervin. Find inspirational colour palettes, learn how to transform ordinary corners into extraordinary spaces; marry old and new (while keeping things practical).

The Home Bird invites readers into Elle's home, loved by more than one million followers on her Instagram @elle_the_home_bird and offers an intriguing tour of nine other beautiful and individual homes that embody the modern vintage look.

Genres: Nonfiction, Interior Design, Design

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2025

Reviews

[Sarah Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was honestly so badly written it was exhausting. My rating on this is fairly scientific:
Writing, 1 star
Information, 3 stars
Photos & imagery, 5 stars.
Averaged out to 3 stars. The information was good, but readily accessible everywhere else I've been reading. Would be especially good for beginners. But the writing was absolutely atrocious. The typos were the least of the issues...her writing style is incredibly cringe. Constant overuse of the most irritating alliteration in every section, multiple times on one page often. So much overuse of the same handful of words, to the point that it felt like I should be playing a drinking game for how often she reused the words. Honestly, I have no idea if she used an editor, but it reads like she didn't and really REALLY should have.
Buy it if you want something pretty and encouraging for permission in blending old and new styles. Just don't expect good writing.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book, but even better than that, it's packed full of great design information.

[Abby Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quit reading this book around page 70. I got bored. The writing was so repetitive that once you read the first few pages, you pretty much got the book. I did finish looking at all the pictures. Typically, I adore decorating books because they are so homey. Some of my greatest attitude adjustments have come from the love of home found in them. This is not one of those books. Get it from the library. Look at the pretty pictures (the only reason this is getting three stars).

More personally, meaning this isn't the fault of the author, I found myself uninspired by the decor. I kept thinking, this is why I got off of Instagram. This over curated, perfect, "it's so easy, you can do it to" feel. Again and again the author insisted that she designed the room on a small budget, but never once did she share what that budget was. That would have been helpful. She talks about antiquing without teaching antiquing. Yes, I like the idea of filling a room with character by mixing old, new, and personal. Yes, I like the bold use of color and pattern (the best part of the book), but many of the rooms felt so showcased. They didn't feel like rooms you could be sick in or ugly cry while watching a war movie. Her kids' room was not a room for any kids I know. So, I am glad I looked through this book, but I wish I had gotten it at the library because this kind of decorating book just isn't my goal in my home anymore.

[Periplus Bookshop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruang hidup yang indah lahir dari kemampuan memadukan yang lama dan yang baru, menghadirkan suasana rumah yang elegan sekaligus fungsional. Melalui inspirasi visual dari hunian di Inggris dan Australia, karya ini mengajarkan cara menata interior dengan memperhatikan estetika, keberlanjutan, dan kenyamanan sehari-hari. Setiap halaman menyuguhkan panduan praktis, mulai dari pemilihan palet warna, teknik menemukan perabot vintage, hingga strategi dekorasi yang menstimulasi kebahagiaan. Tidak hanya itu, terdapat pula formula langkah demi langkah untuk membantu pembaca menemukan karakter unik dari rumah mereka. Dengan pendekatan kreatif dan terarah, buku ini menjadi rujukan ideal bagi siapa pun yang ingin menciptakan hunian modern vintage yang penuh kehangatan. https://blog.periplus.com/2025/09/22/...

[She Who Shall Remain Nameless · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty book for the most part. I prefer lots of color and patterns in my interiors, so those were the ones that appealed to me most in the book. Charlotte Gaisford’s converted barn was my definite favorite of the featured homes.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful and inspirational book! Tons of ideas...well done!

[Melissa]

Instagram

[Erin Smith snowdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgeous book!