Home Stories: Design Ideas for Making a House a Home

by Kim Leggett

Learn how to create rooms filled with warmth, meaning, and your own unique story of home   Kim Leggett’s first book, City Farmhouse Style, was a big hit. Now Kim is back with the welcoming interiors her fans crave and a no-rules approach that is all about using what you love to create rooms that tell your personal story.   Everyone has a story worth telling, and every room can become part of that story—whether you decorate it with heirlooms, flea market finds, simple mementos, or a mix. In Home Stories, Leggett shows readers how to use all these treasures to design very special rooms filled with interest and meaning.   She begins by asking readers what it is that attracts them to a certain “Thinking hard about what really speaks to you, and then using it as the basis for design, is the secret behind all of the best, most interesting rooms.”   Each chapter presents fascinating spaces and the stories behind the accessories, furnishings, and mementos that fill them. There are plenty of projects, too, plus practical design guidance and design inspiration for refreshing decor as the seasons change.  

Genres: Nonfiction, Design, Interior Design, Reference

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2021

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book affords a very pleasent glimpse into antique and (dare I say it?) old junk styled in eye catching design. The text is friendly and cheerful. The photos are full of pretty things in handsome rooms. I shut the book musing several ideas.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first coffee table book I’ve read. I made my way through it slowly, reading a couple pages here and there all year.

It made me think differently about how I want to put together my home. I love the idea of building a “storied home” versus a decorated home. The pictures are beautiful and show how your home can have nostalgia and meaning.

“Our homes should be put together with affection by our own hands, with the things we believe in and the people we love.“

[Susan Kendrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational and beautiful to look at. Not completely my style but still enjoyable

[Bárbara Costa]

Maybe a bit too focused on farmhouse style and antique furniture for it to have a looot of practical use in my case. Still, it was a sweet gift with design suggestions to spark ideas. Also, the main message is pretty wholesome, as your home can be more "yours" if you include bits of your own stories in it.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relyn Rating: 4.5 stars

Oh man, this book is full of gorgeous images and terrific ideas. I am so inspired. Let' go thrifting!

[Mindy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book just shows photos of old dust collector stuff sitting around. Nothing looks like a home. Took this out of my local library.

[Am Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

What this book really is all about, is vintage & patinated furniture. Why? Because the author says they usually come with lots of stories attached. Like for instance antique signs from 19th century shops, apothecary cabinets, milliners' hat display racks, etc. The author encourages constantly looking out for old and weathered stuff (read: stuff other people would throw away) because of their history. This is a romantic concept, yes, but very often a lot of the furniture featured was so beaten they looked downright gross and ready to fall apart. E.g. A chair's rattan seat had already been badly stretched/warped & looked like it was about to give way anytime + it probably housed a million bedbugs; an old weather-beaten green cupboard's (probably lead-containing) paint was flaking so badly & the wood beneath so worn and rotten-looking, I thought it would only be a matter of time its owners died from either lead poisoning or the cupboard falling on top of them due to disintegration.

There's a reason why people discard furniture. Very often it's because they're deemed no longer safe for use, or, well, they're spoiled!

I do laud the author for trying to salvage stuff though. Recycling and reusing should be encouraged, though one must also consider whether something is worth saving (as opposed to scrapping it for parts), and whether continuing to use it will result in injury or harm.

That being said, the book does contain numerous ideas for vignettes, heavily focused around items that have personal meaning to their owners. As such, the book does achieve what the title claims it to be, although I did not quite like the emphasis on collections and collecting - we should try to reduce instead of covet more things in our lives. Also, there were a few homes featured that contained numerous wildlife trophies on the walls or real stuffed animals as display pieces which I found really off-putting.

On the whole this book does offer some nice ideas for making your home more personal, with a lot of styling ideas, although it too heavily centres around old/weathered items, sometimes to the point of being impractical. If your style is minimalist, you don't like the shabby chic look, and/or you detest items with patina, this book won't be for you!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just not my style. I'd probably have enjoyed more narrative and fewer pictures, because the author's ideas were far more appealing to me than the actual design. The author encourages focusing more on stories and memories, both ours and those of people we never knew, than on design rules. I questioned the practical use of her designs since no one could sit in her guest bed with those deer antlers hanging at head level! But it was a quick read; I had it finished in a couple hours.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book, written similar to a biography through multiple mini stories. Shares the author’s journey in treasure hunting and insight in how she works her finds into the decor. Gorgeous photos (that pink dresser!!!!). Also shares stories of some friends and their finds, decorating stories. I loved this book.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Home Stories... charming, rustic collections showcased in thoughtfully designed interiors and descriptive text explaining how pieces were found/ hunted and rationale for display. Somewhat farmhouse, eclectic, and minimal all in one. Gorgeous ideas for authentic antique styling.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pictures alone in this book brought me back to going on antiquing adventures with my mom growing up. Loved learning about the different pieces and ideas to style them to show personality. A fun design book.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lovely book won’t be appreciated by lovers of minimalist decor. But if you love antique treasures and pieces with patina, it’s a charming guide to how to style your finds.

[Mary Lynn]

For fans of the author or farmhouse style only.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the home tours and stories behind their collected treasures.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn't really appeal to me. Too much brown and white. And knick knacks.