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Simple Home: Calm spaces for comfortable living
A beautifully illustrated guide to creating a home interior free from clutter and the joy of keeping things simple.
A beautifully illustrated guide to creating a home interior free from clutter and the joy of keeping things simple.
The simple home is calm and uncluttered, with each item carefully chosen. It’s in tune with the current desire to buy well-made, well-designed items that will grow old gracefully, and to create homes that are sustainable and stylish. This doesn’t mean a minimalist home—it’s about living in comfort in a carefully considered space. The Philosophy of the simple home explores Mark and Sally Bailey’s design ethos. Their Colour scheme is inspired by nature to create a feeling of tranquillity. Materials are reclaimed or reused, and ethically sourced. Calm reigns in the simple home—a haven from the stresses of life. Craft embraces the artisan’s skill and the pleasure of owning items that will last. Recycling furniture and materials will give your home an air of individuality, with old and new objects living happily alongside each other. Comfort is paramount, with cosy textiles and warm wood. A rediscovery of old-fashioned Natural Cleaning methods will nurture your home—try the Baileys’ own recipes for cleaning products without harsh chemicals. Furniture is sustainable, with clever storage to hide necessities. Finally, Curating Your Home looks at ways to make your space into your very own museum of cherished possessions. The Baileys then turn to simple Spaces, showing you how to create welcoming yet practical Entrances and Hallways, versatile, convivial Cooking and Eating spaces and supremely comfortable Living spaces. Bedrooms are soothing places with possessions tucked neatly away, while Bathrooms are functional yet warm. Workrooms are a joy to furnish with rescued desks and fittings from old offices or former factories. Above all, the Baileys urge you to surround yourself solely with the objects that you really love and to enjoy the beautiful calm of an uncluttered home.
A beautifully illustrated guide to creating a home interior free from clutter and the joy of keeping things simple.
The simple home is calm and uncluttered, with each item carefully chosen. It’s in tune with the current desire to buy well-made, well-designed items that will grow old gracefully, and to create homes that are sustainable and stylish. This doesn’t mean a minimalist home—it’s about living in comfort in a carefully considered space. The Philosophy of the simple home explores Mark and Sally Bailey’s design ethos. Their Colour scheme is inspired by nature to create a feeling of tranquillity. Materials are reclaimed or reused, and ethically sourced. Calm reigns in the simple home—a haven from the stresses of life. Craft embraces the artisan’s skill and the pleasure of owning items that will last. Recycling furniture and materials will give your home an air of individuality, with old and new objects living happily alongside each other. Comfort is paramount, with cosy textiles and warm wood. A rediscovery of old-fashioned Natural Cleaning methods will nurture your home—try the Baileys’ own recipes for cleaning products without harsh chemicals. Furniture is sustainable, with clever storage to hide necessities. Finally, Curating Your Home looks at ways to make your space into your very own museum of cherished possessions. The Baileys then turn to simple Spaces, showing you how to create welcoming yet practical Entrances and Hallways, versatile, convivial Cooking and Eating spaces and supremely comfortable Living spaces. Bedrooms are soothing places with possessions tucked neatly away, while Bathrooms are functional yet warm. Workrooms are a joy to furnish with rescued desks and fittings from old offices or former factories. Above all, the Baileys urge you to surround yourself solely with the objects that you really love and to enjoy the beautiful calm of an uncluttered home.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Mark Bailey
9 books1 followerMark and Sally Bailey’s style has been evolving for over 25 years in their Herefordshire home and business, Baileys Home & Garden.
Their backgrounds in architecture, interior design and furniture-making have lead to numerous and varied collaborations with the music and fashion industries, retailers, and in product design.
Mark and Sally have worked with Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Donna Karan, Liberty, Conran, Takashimaya and Habitat.
see: "Sally Bailey"
Their backgrounds in architecture, interior design and furniture-making have lead to numerous and varied collaborations with the music and fashion industries, retailers, and in product design.
Mark and Sally have worked with Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Donna Karan, Liberty, Conran, Takashimaya and Habitat.
see: "Sally Bailey"
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 26, 2018
If by "simple" you mean "constant off-white color schemes with accessories that all carry a tetanus risk" then by all means, I'm sure you'll live calmly surrounded by patina'd scissors from the 30's or whatever your bag is.
Some of the pictures were pretty but the inspo was limited and the writing was so pretentious I quit reading it after about ten pages.
Some of the pictures were pretty but the inspo was limited and the writing was so pretentious I quit reading it after about ten pages.
December 5, 2012
Beautiful photographs, but sometimes just a little too monochromatic and monastic.
March 21, 2011
What this book is:
* it's about decorating with stuff you love, those gems you've pulled off the curb or dug out of dumpsters, the "good stuff" you can't believe someone threw out just because it was "old."
* it's inspiration
* it shows instead of tells (although there's a healthy amount of informative text)
* it's about dialing things down to an almost monastical level, without sacrificing one lick of quality
* it's about creating a neutral backdrop against which the rest of your colorful life happens
What this book is not:
* step-by-step instructions for decorating your own home
* it's not about "shabby chic" or "country"
* it's not about filling your house with "the right stuff"
* it's not about making your house the center of attention
All that said, it's an amazing, well-photographed book that hits the mark in terms of evoking the sense of open, relaxed & low key space. Paint is left peeling; nicks & scratches are left unfilled; glass is left scratched. This book is all about the imperfect and how it makes us feel. You won't find any wild colors or patterns -- everything is in shades of white, black, and brown -- but you will find this particular look relies heavily on natural light (problematic for the typical American homeowner). The point here isn't to provide blueprints for faithful duplication. It's about applying the principles, which the authors' talk about on nearly every page throughout the book. It's as much a book to read as to look through. Indeed, the authors seem to go out of their way to appear not to dictate to or put pressure on readers to conform to their stated ideal, which is really refreshing.
* it's about decorating with stuff you love, those gems you've pulled off the curb or dug out of dumpsters, the "good stuff" you can't believe someone threw out just because it was "old."
* it's inspiration
* it shows instead of tells (although there's a healthy amount of informative text)
* it's about dialing things down to an almost monastical level, without sacrificing one lick of quality
* it's about creating a neutral backdrop against which the rest of your colorful life happens
What this book is not:
* step-by-step instructions for decorating your own home
* it's not about "shabby chic" or "country"
* it's not about filling your house with "the right stuff"
* it's not about making your house the center of attention
All that said, it's an amazing, well-photographed book that hits the mark in terms of evoking the sense of open, relaxed & low key space. Paint is left peeling; nicks & scratches are left unfilled; glass is left scratched. This book is all about the imperfect and how it makes us feel. You won't find any wild colors or patterns -- everything is in shades of white, black, and brown -- but you will find this particular look relies heavily on natural light (problematic for the typical American homeowner). The point here isn't to provide blueprints for faithful duplication. It's about applying the principles, which the authors' talk about on nearly every page throughout the book. It's as much a book to read as to look through. Indeed, the authors seem to go out of their way to appear not to dictate to or put pressure on readers to conform to their stated ideal, which is really refreshing.
July 21, 2021
Hmmmm... Not my style. A bit to spare and to sparse.
January 17, 2022
Another beautifully photographed, minimalist, rather rustic design book. Organized by the authors' principles--including calm, craft, recycling, natural cleaning, curating collections--then by rooms/living spaces. No pianos or much of any tech (TVs, screens, computers), even in the workspace section (basically only one laptop near the very end). The organization by rooms takes away a little of my envy but also loses the various owners' personal style sense. The pictures are restful, though . . .
October 23, 2023
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in decorating. The photos are superb and the text is very informative. Dozens of sources are listed if the reader would like to pursue a design idea. I had only one problem: the entire book is designed to be completely monotone. None of the ideas entertain any type of color. The ideas all revolve around beige, white, gray, brown. I understand this is a popular choice, but it is not mine. I enjoy the richness of color and variations. Don't let my opinion sway you, tho. This book is full of rewarding ideas and suggestions.
February 25, 2022
I really liked what the book stood for but the pictures were too much. I like the idea of a simple home but the pictures were of a 100% recycled home and most of them looked like a beggar’s hideout. I think that if you incorporate the ideas of the book sparingly and mix modern with reclaimed high quality that is when the home looks beautiful, peaceful and liveable.
April 11, 2026
I've followed the Bailies on social media for many year. I love the style, but realising that I will never have a big white house to make into this ideal! Not as inspiring as I would have hoped.
January 21, 2024
Non-Fiction; Home Improvement
5 Stars
There were some good concepts presented here, but not workable for most homes. The rooms appeared cold and uninviting to me. Originally 2.5 stars
——- ^ ——
Fast forward to today and my tastes have changed so much. What once fell flat has sparked a renewed sense of calm in these beautifully curated spaces. Age has brought better clarity and vision for me.
5 stars and purchased for my home library.
5 Stars
There were some good concepts presented here, but not workable for most homes. The rooms appeared cold and uninviting to me. Originally 2.5 stars
——- ^ ——
Fast forward to today and my tastes have changed so much. What once fell flat has sparked a renewed sense of calm in these beautifully curated spaces. Age has brought better clarity and vision for me.
5 stars and purchased for my home library.
December 18, 2015
Idealistic design principles abound here. I would find a way to imply hipsterism, except that I think that sub-genre, lifestyle, whatever else it allegedly encompasses, already gets too much credit for a lot of things in our current consumer culture. As for the interiors themselves, they're of a neutral pallett, without the starkness of modernism or the complete rumpled linen aesthetic we're bombarded with in examples of the rustic look.
December 18, 2009
I am such a sucker for this style. Nothing revolutionary here, just lots of perfect moments captured on film.
June 12, 2013
Beautiful photos of great interior design. I love flipping through the pages. Very inspiring.
June 11, 2016
What a refreshing, simple, and delightful read!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews