The Daily Connoisseur's Guide to Living Well at Home: Making Everyday Life Extraordinary

by Jennifer L. Scott

Discover the extraordinary beauty of ordinary days in The Daily Connoisseur’s Guide to Living Well at Home by bestselling author Jennifer L. Scott.

With wisdom born of personal experience and international inspiration, Scott invites readers into a philosophy of intentional, elegant living—where homemaking becomes an art form and everyday rituals elevate the soul. From organizing clutter with bespoke systems to establishing rhythms of peace and productivity, this guide offers practical strategies and gentle encouragement for creating a life of order, beauty, and joy—right where you are.


Divided into three transformative parts—Function, Beauty, and Inspiration—this book equips readers to not only run their homes efficiently, but to infuse them with style, grace, and meaning. Learn how to implement a connoisseur’s cleaning routine, create nourishing meals with ease, and enjoy the pleasures of fine living on any budget. Whether you live in a cozy apartment or a sprawling house, her message is don’t wait for your dream home to live your dream life.

Overflowing with personal stories, global insights, and journaling prompts to spark self-discovery, The Daily Connoisseur’s Guide to Living Well at Home is more than a manual—it’s a movement. This is a book for anyone who longs to turn everyday tasks into meaningful rituals, and a home into a sanctuary. Step inside and begin your journey to conscious, joyful living today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Personal Development

300 pages, Hardcover

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

Jennifer L. Scott is the New York Times bestselling author of Lessons from Madame Chic, At Home with Madame Chic and Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic (Simon & Schuster), Mademoiselle Chic (Daiwa Shobo), and Connoisseur Kids (Chronicle Books). She is also the creator of the blog and YouTube channel, The Daily Connoisseur, where she explores the fine art of living. Jennifer has been featured on CNN, BBC, and CBS News, and in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, USA Today, Newsweek, and The Daily Mail. She and her husband, Ben, have four children and they divide their time between Southern California and the English countryside. Learn more at www.jenniferlscott.com

Reviews

[Elisabeth Ensor]

A wonderful and inspiring book by Jennifer! This follow-up to her three-book Madame Chic series is both thought-provoking and beautifully detailed, with illustrations that are simply perfect. It’s inspired me to create my own “Chic Assignments” for 2026—making decluttering part of my monthly routine, studying more composers and music, and expanding my leisure activities as well.

I already read daily, take weekly violin lessons, and make art regularly, but this book has me reflecting on what else I might add in the coming year. Living well at home, after all, is really about learning to love your own life as it is, right now.

[Susan Murray]

I bought this to support the author, who I follow on social media, so I was not expecting anything new and didn't get anything new. Pretty little book, but why so many "journal"pages. Nice reminder to slow down and be intentional.

[Dianna]

This book is adorable—the illustrations are fantastic, and the design is pretty. I love the author's other work (books and YouTube), but this felt like a re-hashing of her other stuff.

Also, I spotted two homophone typos (pored over/poured over is the one I remember), which an editor should have spotted, and that was disappointing for me in a book that otherwise looked so professional.

I mostly ended up skimming this one. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had not been familiar with her other work.

[Jessica Gutierrez]

I love the beautiful and intentional way she lives and am always inspired by her to live that way too. I wish this book was larger and also a bit longer, but overall very inspirational just like her other books!

[Laurie Wheeler]

This book wasn't anything like I presumed after reading the author's articles in Victoria Magazine.
However, for those who want help cleaning and organizing their home and life, she has good tips.
Since I've not struggled with organization, etc, I breezed through those parts.
Like other reviewers, I got a bit more from the inspirations at the end of the book.

[Kim]

I especially enjoyed the sections on Inspirational homes and International inspiration. The journaling prompts are also enjoyable.

[Elli Hurst]

Beautiful book! A lot of this information is great inspiration. However, I didn’t come away with anything new. This would be a lovely book for a young women, newly married.

[Juanita Gaulton Broadbent]

I love Jennifer and have enjoyed her other books, but this one definitely lacks depth. I would skip this one!

[Sarah Davis]

I thought much of this book was rather out of touch. I did enjoy the last section the best, but over all not worth reading.

[Jessica Anand]

There wasn’t much new in terms of Scott’s content overall. Part Three was the most interesting to me because it included newer material and felt less prescriptive in tone. I think the book would have been stronger had she taken that approach throughout. Not sure why we were given “journal” pages - that was unnecessary. The best part of the book was the beautiful artwork throughout.

[AngieA Allen]

The Daily Connoisseur's Guide to Living Well at Home: Making Everyday Life Extraordinary fits 52 Book Club challenge prompt #26 "title in a serif font." You Tuber and author Jennifer L. Scott gives us her insight into making home our desired destination and how we can enjoy our time there.

Choose to live a beautiful life at home, through your dress, your actions, and your decorating. Make your homelife so delightful that most experiences staying anywhere else pale in comparison. Your home will always be an ongoing project--not like a construction zone that is never finished but more like a delightful art project that you slowly add to over time...You will find yourself thriving in your space.

Scott shares much of her own experience as she tells us of her inspirations for a beautiful, functional home. Delightful water color illustrations by Alice Tait add significantly to the beauty of this little volume. Plenty of room for notes and ideas as well as journal prompts to help with the thought and planning process. Recommended.

[Ileana Torres]

I was a little disappointed with this book. I've read Scott's other books and enjoyed them; they were both entertaining and insightful. I was looking forward to more of the same with this recent book, but it did not meet my expectations. The book is divided into three parts: Function, Beauty, and Inspiration. While the first section contained some useful tips for homemaking/housekeeping, the remaining parts seemed like filler to stretch out the book. The included recipes were interesting - it is obvious the author is a California girl through and through. There are a few positives: the book is gorgeously illustrated throughout and the journaling pages/worksheets were useful. Overall, this book was just okay and I don't recommend it. I should add, Scott had already written a better book on this subject, At Home with Madame Chic, so if you read that book, you will not not miss anything by skipping this inferior one.

[Lily’s Library]

Beautifully designed book, but ultimately a summation of the YouTube channel with little new information.

Part I - Deals with order and method of running a home and homemaking. Pretty basic info and I didn’t take away anything from it.

Part II - Covers topics already discussed at length on Jennifer’s channel — dressing well at home including pajama selection, dining well, a few exercise tips, and simple hobby and craft ideas for inspiration. The section on having fun at home was entertaining to read.

Part III - Finally had fresh information. Design and lifestyle tips from Jennifer’s travels. The design tips all come from a very upper class background though and seemed out of touch and a bit humble braggy at times 😬.

[Jen Dean]

I’ve been a fan of Jennifer’s work for the past decade and have all of her books, which have been deeply influential to my home/family/personal life. I am also a channel subscriber and know her work well. This book curates and beautifully presents her more recent approaches and ideas on living, nice to have them compiled in a book. There is new content as well (travel inspo, recipes) but mostly I appreciate how beautiful this book is and longtime fans of Jennifer will reignite so much of the art work and imagery throughout. A very minor but important love for me is that this book is the same size as her others, they stack perfectly on my bookshelf (small joys!).

[Ginger Hudock]

I have read most of Jennifer Scott’s previous books and also follow her on YouTube. This book is a beautifully designed hardcover book with lovely toile endpapers and watercolor drawings throughout. The book is similar to Jennifer’s pervious ones, in that it is about home life that is intentional and beautiful. Her style reminds me of Alexandra Stoddard, who wrote in the late 1990’s. If you are interested in a gratuitous intentional home, I recommend this book.

[Kelly]

This is a beautiful book! Reminds me of Alexandra Stoddard's books. I love the illustrations. Also enjoyed learning more about Jennifer's life and the home settings that have inspired her. I also love that the book is the same size as her Madame Chic series, so they all sit comfortably on the shelf together!

[Karen]

In this book, Jennifer, my very favorite YouTuber, offers a gentle and peaceful vision of how our homes can be. Her words, paired with the whimsical and charming illustrations, create a sanctuary of beauty and intention. This is a book that lingers, quietly rekindling my desire to craft a home where I feel restful.

[Laura]

Cute book, lovely illustrations. Nothing ground-breaking, but I enjoyed it. Since I purchased it online, I didn't realize how small it was. A bit expensive for $28, especially since it has a lot of pages that are just lines for notes (which I would never fill out, since I don't like write in my books). Nevertheless, a beautiful little book.

[Rachel]

An enjoyable read that focuses on the form, function, and aesthetics of living well at home. The design of the book is beautiful, and it is an easy read. However, some of the sections are repetitive, and I’m not impressed with the recipes she shared as they’re very plain and boring. The author missed a big opportunity to really add some pizzaz with some uniquely elegant recipes.

[Eleni]

I’ve been following Jennifer on YouTube since 2018/2019. If you’re an avid viewer, the information in her new book is nothing new but I still found it to be a great read! It’s perfect for someone who is just getting into homemaking.

[Ashley]

I loved this book! What a kind, gentle reminder of all of the elements that create, “Home.” I loved the illustrations as well as space to journal and reflect. I’m inspired to revisit certain concepts to help make our home life even better!

[Pauline Chin]

What a lovely and delightful book! I've always enjoyed Jennifer's YouTube videos and have been following her for a few years. This book reminds us to slow down, have a cup of tea and surround ourselves with beauty. And yes, just 'Keep calm, and remain classy.'😊

[Alina Stanford]

I really love some of the ideas in this book. I really think that having a home you feel comfortable and inspired in is so important. It also inspires me to create a home more elevated and functional.

[Karen Shilvock-Cinefro]

This is a pleasant book with helpful chapters on organization, routines, and beauty for your home.
Jennifer and I don’t live in the same. I always have lots of projects going on at once There are also 5 working adults in the household si each has their own system.

[Mbgale]

Nothing earth shaking in this book but it's a pleasant read with a few ideas that don't usually appear in this type of book (ex. hobbies). Illustrations are lovely. It's a little like reading a magazine in book form. A nice way to spend the afternoon and a reminder of the best of making a home.

[Cindy Nastri]

Enjoyable

Loved this book, it was enjoyable and sometimes eye opening. We let the normal hustle and bustle of life take us down unnecessary rabbit holes. Life should be amazed at and enjoyed.

[Elise]

If you love Jennifer’s other books or her YouTube Channel, you’ll love her new book! It’s cute, practical and a pleasure to read!

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Sue]

very insightful

[Elle Lutz]

This was a lovely and easy read, if you follow Jennifer on YouTube much of this book is full of conversations had there.