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Love the House You're In: 40 Ways to Improve Your Home and Change Your Life
Stop hating your house and start adoring it—40 steps to make your home express who you are and work for the way you really live
Decorating can be daunting and overwhelming, but here’s the If you want to love your house, the inspiration and ideas need to come from you. Interior designer Paige Rien thinks it’s about more than creating a beautiful space; it’s about creating a home that reflects you and all that you find comforting and inspiring in your life.
Through 40 actionable steps, you’ll discover tools that will help
Explore your life Mine your life for those things that inspire nostalgia and create a positive connection to memories, explore your family’s heritage, and be conscious of how you want to live now.
Understand what you’re working Take stock of your stuff, understand the history of your home, and get clear on the space you have.
Create an inspired action Discover how to approach design room-by-room, find the through line that ties the whole house together, and work in ways that empower your own ideas and creativity.
Learn the design skills that Get tips on picking paint colors, choosing window dressings, arranging art, and more.
When you start decorating your home with you as the starting point, you can create a highly personalized space that reflects your past, your future, and how you want to live today. In the process, you’ll gain the confidence and inspiration to come up with a functional and fabulous living space that’s just right for you and your life.
Decorating can be daunting and overwhelming, but here’s the If you want to love your house, the inspiration and ideas need to come from you. Interior designer Paige Rien thinks it’s about more than creating a beautiful space; it’s about creating a home that reflects you and all that you find comforting and inspiring in your life.
Through 40 actionable steps, you’ll discover tools that will help
Explore your life Mine your life for those things that inspire nostalgia and create a positive connection to memories, explore your family’s heritage, and be conscious of how you want to live now.
Understand what you’re working Take stock of your stuff, understand the history of your home, and get clear on the space you have.
Create an inspired action Discover how to approach design room-by-room, find the through line that ties the whole house together, and work in ways that empower your own ideas and creativity.
Learn the design skills that Get tips on picking paint colors, choosing window dressings, arranging art, and more.
When you start decorating your home with you as the starting point, you can create a highly personalized space that reflects your past, your future, and how you want to live today. In the process, you’ll gain the confidence and inspiration to come up with a functional and fabulous living space that’s just right for you and your life.
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2016
66 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 2, 2016
It's not a stretch to say this book changed my life. At a time when my new husband and I are desperately wanting to buy a home, but are needing to stay at least another year in an apartment we hate, this book made me look at our apartment in a new light.
It's been a horrible feeling to hate the place we live. What's worse is when you know you're stuck there. From the moment I saw this title, I knew it was a book I had to read. I needed a solution for the situation we were "stuck" in, since we won't be leaving any time soon. I read this book like it was a life-saving manual. I completed every exercise that applied to us. Admittedly, there were many parts in the book that I skipped through quicker because they simply didn't apply to our situation: We don't have kids. We can't make any changes like paint or flooring or appliances because we rent. We aren't planning on being here long enough to see any major changes come to fruition.
But the concept of the book, and the changes I was able to make, have changed my whole outlook. I read this in conjunction with "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo, a book that helped me de-clutter, organize, and curate our belongings. Between the two, I already feel like I live in a new home. I feel like I can hold onto my sanity long enough for us to save for a down payment. I don't hate the apartment anymore. We just bought our very first piece of furniture together and not for one moment did I worry about what anyone would think, or whether it was a look that could be found in a home magazine. We bought what we liked. We bought one item...a sofa...which means that what every piece we buy next will likely not be a matched set with the sofa. But I don't care. I'm buying pieces I like, piece by piece...and because I like them all, they will go together in some way.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's been a horrible feeling to hate the place we live. What's worse is when you know you're stuck there. From the moment I saw this title, I knew it was a book I had to read. I needed a solution for the situation we were "stuck" in, since we won't be leaving any time soon. I read this book like it was a life-saving manual. I completed every exercise that applied to us. Admittedly, there were many parts in the book that I skipped through quicker because they simply didn't apply to our situation: We don't have kids. We can't make any changes like paint or flooring or appliances because we rent. We aren't planning on being here long enough to see any major changes come to fruition.
But the concept of the book, and the changes I was able to make, have changed my whole outlook. I read this in conjunction with "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo, a book that helped me de-clutter, organize, and curate our belongings. Between the two, I already feel like I live in a new home. I feel like I can hold onto my sanity long enough for us to save for a down payment. I don't hate the apartment anymore. We just bought our very first piece of furniture together and not for one moment did I worry about what anyone would think, or whether it was a look that could be found in a home magazine. We bought what we liked. We bought one item...a sofa...which means that what every piece we buy next will likely not be a matched set with the sofa. But I don't care. I'm buying pieces I like, piece by piece...and because I like them all, they will go together in some way.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2018
Loved it! I want to have it, but library renewals will have to do for now.
I believe we most love books when they articulate something we already knew, deep down, but had never put into words before. Even how-to books can do this:
I love her themes of "throw out style", "ignore what everyone else is doing", "go slow", "tell your own story (and get clear on what it is first)". If you are interesting, your home will become interesting when you express yourself in it - and everyone interests themselves. Also practical and honest, while bare-bones, advice about the reality of renovation, if that's on your menu.
This is the "design" book to start with, before spending money, to look within and get clear about what you really want out of your home.
I believe we most love books when they articulate something we already knew, deep down, but had never put into words before. Even how-to books can do this:
I love her themes of "throw out style", "ignore what everyone else is doing", "go slow", "tell your own story (and get clear on what it is first)". If you are interesting, your home will become interesting when you express yourself in it - and everyone interests themselves. Also practical and honest, while bare-bones, advice about the reality of renovation, if that's on your menu.
This is the "design" book to start with, before spending money, to look within and get clear about what you really want out of your home.
April 8, 2016
LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! Amongst the array of design books that give you rule after rule or trend upon trend, Rien stands out for not only writing about personalizing your space, but she writes with an immensely personal tone. I love her approach- it's the perfect mix of warm and fuzzy, casual, reflective and cool, but most of all REAL. She just gets it! Plus her POV made me look at my own house thru a completely different and more appreciate and proud lens.
Reading this book made me feel like I was chatting with a friend about our very own homes. I can't wait to read it again.
Reading this book made me feel like I was chatting with a friend about our very own homes. I can't wait to read it again.
April 22, 2016
I have had this awhile on my kindle from netgalley. I skimmed more than once. Getting down to it tho, it is really good! I feel I can embrace the ideas offered here. In the opening, one of the best concepts is there...have confidence in yourself! You are the best person to decorate your home. I have always been a fan of being true to yourself in your decorating style. I do enjoy Pinterest. It can get so overwhelming, however, and I get tired of it and feel frustrated. HGT just makes me feel tired. I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. I consider myself a creative person and enjoy making my own things. I know who I am and what I like and do not like. I rarely go for the latest "it" thing or fashion craze.
This book gives me permission (I know, I don't need) to use my own style and creativity to have the home I love being in. If that is pet nostalgia everywhere or the colors of the sea, or lots of family photos....whatever, because what I love is perfect for our home.
I very much enjoyed this book! If you are stuck in the fads or latest and greatest ideas on Pinterest, maybe close up that laptop or tablet and write down and draw what you love for inspiration. (I see the same old burlap wreaths on every door). What is in your heart? What is your passion? What brings you peace and joy? That is what should surround you. For me, I love to bring the outdoors in. Nature makes me feel the most serene.
Thank you to the author and netgalley for providing me with this book to read and, therefore, helping me remember to get in touch with myself again and create the home I love and love to be in.
This book gives me permission (I know, I don't need) to use my own style and creativity to have the home I love being in. If that is pet nostalgia everywhere or the colors of the sea, or lots of family photos....whatever, because what I love is perfect for our home.
I very much enjoyed this book! If you are stuck in the fads or latest and greatest ideas on Pinterest, maybe close up that laptop or tablet and write down and draw what you love for inspiration. (I see the same old burlap wreaths on every door). What is in your heart? What is your passion? What brings you peace and joy? That is what should surround you. For me, I love to bring the outdoors in. Nature makes me feel the most serene.
Thank you to the author and netgalley for providing me with this book to read and, therefore, helping me remember to get in touch with myself again and create the home I love and love to be in.
January 28, 2016
Rein asks us to put down our magazines, turn off HGTV, power down Pinterest, all of which Rein feels add to the popular dissatisfaction with any living space. Instead, Rein encourages the reader to journal and reflect on personal tastes, travel experiences, family and faith, and the begin to decorate carefully and slowly to create not only a space that reflects the person, but also a space that you will love for a long time .
March 11, 2016
A wonderful book about working with your style to create the house of your dreams. It isn't a guide that forces you to follow "design rules." It helps you determine what is important to you in a home and how to make your home reflect who you are.
February 7, 2022
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST HELPFUL BOOKS I HAVE READ on design.
It's not about paint colors. It's not about "trends" or time periods or styles. It's about the emotional ties we have to spaces and how to feel good in them. Got me unstuck on figuring out our new house. The questions in it help you think about things in a useful way, and develop a vision. Also helps you work with a partner to reflect both of you. Helps you figure out why a room isn't working for your life - what is it you actually do in the room, and what do you need in the room for it to do that? (Rather than, what's the color palette you need in here or what's the furniture style?) Helps prioritize projects too.
It's not about paint colors. It's not about "trends" or time periods or styles. It's about the emotional ties we have to spaces and how to feel good in them. Got me unstuck on figuring out our new house. The questions in it help you think about things in a useful way, and develop a vision. Also helps you work with a partner to reflect both of you. Helps you figure out why a room isn't working for your life - what is it you actually do in the room, and what do you need in the room for it to do that? (Rather than, what's the color palette you need in here or what's the furniture style?) Helps prioritize projects too.
December 1, 2019
More of a 3.5 but it wasn't super compelling so I'm rounding down. I did not do any of the workbook type exercises. The point of this book is to encourage people to stop trying to turn their houses into magazine worthy houses--this alone will not lead to happiness. She gives ideas on how to infuse your personality, past, culture, passion, etc into your design. That was part one, which I found the least interesting and slowest to read.
Some concrete suggestions I found helpful: pedestal sinks without cabinets underneath are indeed the right choice for my tiny bathrooms; remove the curtains from my kitchen windows to make the room feel bigger and more open; you do not need a lot of furniture; prioritize what to do around the house by what affects your daily life; if your house or a specific room has a older/vintage aesthetic, leaning into it will be easier to make it lovable than wanting to completely work against it etc. She reinforced my desire for an entryway bench despite the fact that I barely have room for one. What I did though was order an ottoman that I think might fit so we'll see if that works.
It was a fine book, but it's a little hard for me to skim or give proper highlights on this one because it tries to get you to think through things.
Some concrete suggestions I found helpful: pedestal sinks without cabinets underneath are indeed the right choice for my tiny bathrooms; remove the curtains from my kitchen windows to make the room feel bigger and more open; you do not need a lot of furniture; prioritize what to do around the house by what affects your daily life; if your house or a specific room has a older/vintage aesthetic, leaning into it will be easier to make it lovable than wanting to completely work against it etc. She reinforced my desire for an entryway bench despite the fact that I barely have room for one. What I did though was order an ottoman that I think might fit so we'll see if that works.
It was a fine book, but it's a little hard for me to skim or give proper highlights on this one because it tries to get you to think through things.
April 25, 2016
I received an ARC from Netgalley.
As a timid and indecisive decorator of my own home, I really appreciated Page Rien's guide to living in and decorating the home you're in. Rien guides the reader through an overview of the home and her philosophy on decorating. I love how she emphasizes taking the time to think about what you love about your home and what bothers you, as well as taking stock of each room and its features before diving in to making any changes. She gives concrete and useful examples and ideas of how you can make your home better without having to spend loads of money or embark on a giant renovation. The underlying theme of her home improvement philosophy is to find ways to make each and every space unique to you and what you love, allowing readers to find their own decorating style that will reflect who they are and what's important to them.
I read this book on a Kindle, which is difficult to appreciate and makes it tricky to utilize the book (which is really a workbook) to its full potential. This is definitely a book that I will purchase, dog ear, write in, and use frequently as I make my own home more lovable.
As a timid and indecisive decorator of my own home, I really appreciated Page Rien's guide to living in and decorating the home you're in. Rien guides the reader through an overview of the home and her philosophy on decorating. I love how she emphasizes taking the time to think about what you love about your home and what bothers you, as well as taking stock of each room and its features before diving in to making any changes. She gives concrete and useful examples and ideas of how you can make your home better without having to spend loads of money or embark on a giant renovation. The underlying theme of her home improvement philosophy is to find ways to make each and every space unique to you and what you love, allowing readers to find their own decorating style that will reflect who they are and what's important to them.
I read this book on a Kindle, which is difficult to appreciate and makes it tricky to utilize the book (which is really a workbook) to its full potential. This is definitely a book that I will purchase, dog ear, write in, and use frequently as I make my own home more lovable.
August 30, 2016
I am not the target audience for this book but I still got something out of it. It is written for homeowners, not design professionals. Her design philosophy closely echoes mine. I found it practical and encouraging. I also discount the word "style" and favor highly personal, meaningful expression. I chafe at designing for hypothetical resale buyers. That is fear talking. I agree that remodeling is evolution. It is never done. Everything is going to take longer and cost more than what you planned. While the author's approach is obvious to me, I realize it is not to most people. In fact, I have said many of these same things to clients. It doesn't hurt to hear it myself. Her tone is forgiving. I feel like she builds confidence and hits upon several universal design dilemmas without rendering judgement. There is no right or wrong answer. Take risks. Be authentic; trust yourself.
January 15, 2019
This book inspired me to look at my house differently. Instead of telling me I need an Ikat rug or shiplapped walls, the author tries to get you inside your own head and provides you with the confidence to make our house your own and also makes you realize what you need to make a room more functional for your own family.
April 6, 2016
practical, fun, engaging and meaningful. this really helps to bring you back around to what's important in your home, how to make it reflect the life you have! thank you
August 3, 2016
My new favorite decorating book: ideas and encouragement for tuning out Pinterest and making our home interesting and inviting in our own way.
January 11, 2019
For someone with kids and a partner this may have been more compelling but I eventually lost interest in the process.
Read
February 27, 2019It is not time for this--I'll come back to it after I'm done with the KonMari. I like it, just need to revisit later.
January 23, 2020
I liked this book. It had a few helpful tips, but I didn’t feel like there was anything groundbreaking here.
May 22, 2018
I'm on the fence with this one. There were some great passages about loving your house or why we do the things we do, but the book didn't really resonate with me in a lot of ways. Maybe it's because I'm not the type of person to keep a house book, or maybe because I'm currently in transition to a house that I can make my own .... Or maybe I'm the type of person who needs the visuals. I didn't really get a lot out of the first two sections of the book - barring a few quotes here and there - and the exercises fell flat very quickly because I wasn't keeping a book and I don't have a space right now to update.
The thing I liked was that it was an easy read and there were some good tips in the latter two sections of the book that I could walk away with.
The thing I liked was that it was an easy read and there were some good tips in the latter two sections of the book that I could walk away with.
May 25, 2022
This book is not what you expect. There are no pictures. It is not a hand-holdy how-to guide for home design. It is a guided journey into yourself and what you want and need from the home you have. It is permission to forget and/or ignore all the "rules" you've learned about decorating your home and do what inspires and moves you.
I really liked it. I only wish I'd found it six years ago when we first bought our home. I sorta stumbled my way into this philosophy anyway, but it would have happened much faster if I'd read the book first!
I really liked it. I only wish I'd found it six years ago when we first bought our home. I sorta stumbled my way into this philosophy anyway, but it would have happened much faster if I'd read the book first!
May 7, 2017
Loved! Moving so much in the last several years has really thrown off my ability/desire to make home feel like home, and my tastes have changed enough in the interim that I'm not quite sure what I like anymore. This book got me excited about all that stuff again and also made me feel ok about not rushing into anything; it's ok to wait to find the right dresser, or think about paint color, or whatever. I'm excited to go back through the book again and start project-planning soon.
April 21, 2025
What a great little book on Home decorating. I flipped through while at the Library and knew I needed to take it home to read more. I love the authors take on a home, we all have things we dislike about our house but her take is that any house can be a home, when filled with things that give us joy. Starting small, I am working on putting those accessories together that make me happy and hanging all those pieces of small furniture and artwork that will turn my rooms into homey spaces.
January 21, 2020
A good choice for someone who was in the process of moving. If you're exhausted because you think it's normal to remodel a home in a weekend, this might be your remedy. Another "take it slow and make some deliberate choices" kind of book, Rien walks the reader through every nook and cranny of a home, with advice on making it your own, on any budget.
January 8, 2021
A more unique decorating book, in that Rien emphasizes the individual personality of a family+home. Probably not something I’ll read again, but some interesting ideas if you’re into decorating books.
January 17, 2021
Perfect book for those with a house of their own but without a mind of their own. Author gives a list of all the online house decor design advice sites to avoid then wastes page after page giving the same type of advice. Would have said spoiler alert but I am sure I could not spoil this book.
March 8, 2017
This would be really great if I was unhappy with my house. So if you are, this book will be extremely helpful. I wrote down a couple of ideas but overall, it just didn't apply to me all that much.
September 23, 2019
renovate slowly
March 25, 2020
This was a reread, but I love this book. Great advice about how to think about your house in ways that are really personal, not just trendy.
April 16, 2020
Inspirations and insights to LOVE where you live now! 40 ways to improve your home & change your life. Karen Briscoe, author and podcast host 5 Minute Success
January 4, 2021
Only about 30% of this book was relevant to me; simple lines drawings only. Would have liked more illustrations.
January 21, 2023
Would have liked it more if the print was readable, light gray or blue was impossible to read comfortably. Small pale printing was too much for me, glad it’s a library book.
quitters
October 19, 2025Had to return to the library. Read about about 1/3 🤷🏽♀️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews