Decorate Workshop by Holly Becker

Happy to receive my copy of Decorate Workshop by beloved blogger and stylist Holly Becker! I've written about Holly and her work a lot on this blog because:

1. I love her style and her books. 

2. I've taken a couple of her Blogging Your Way classes and learned so much. 

3. I love her personal story: it inspires me to see how Holly is following her dreams. 

On my shelf

So, you can imagine that when her second book arrived, I was quite excited and couldn't wait to pour a cup of tea and settle in! It's called Decorate Workshop and although it's paper back, it's still quite hefty with over 200 pages of gorgeous photography by Debi Treloar. This book is different from her first book Decorate because it's more of a step by step guide to help you move away from the book and actually pick a project to work on. There are 8 steps to help you get in touch with your creative nature and express yourself. I am very drawn to this concept. I am intrigued with how people decorate their homes and love to explore friends' homes to get a better glimpse of who they are, where they've been and how they choose to express themselves through their decor. Of course it's an ongoing process and by no means does your home "make you who you are," but it certainly is fun to see what people choose to display in their homes and how they represent themselves. People have told me that my home is really "me" and I take that as a compliment since it is my intention to reflect who I am in all aspects of my life, including my nest.

Holly recommends that you use this book as an "interactive workshop" and after having taken her classes and listened to her podcasts, I can really hear her voice as I read. There are spaces in the book to make lists, write down inspirations and jot down ideas in each chapter. Holly encourages the reader to write in the book, which I've never done in any decor book, but I found it was quite fun to write my name in the book and begin a sort of journaling process. 

My favorite sections are the first two- Seek INSPIRATION and Find your PERSONAL STYLE. I like Holly's prompts such as  "List 5 cities that you adore and detail why" or "My favorite places to visit are..." 

Another bonus is that we get to see Holly's home as she explains her creative process with decorating her own personal space. 

 Less is more when it comes to a child's room

Learn how to make a mood board to catalog and guide your inspirations

The patchwork tile floors, dangling lights and vintage cabinet make this
kitchen stand out from the norm.

Go ahead, write in it!

Soothing neutrals

A perfect example of how vintage can look polished and clean,
with just the right amount of texture and nostalgia.

A vintage medicine cabinet in the kitchen adds character

I'm probably on step 3 right now, "Identify your project". Although I've put a lot of time into personalizing my home, I still have grand plans to remodel my kitchen, decorate my office and update all the bedrooms. Yikes, sounds like a lot of work! Yet, Holly's right, your home is always a work in progress, but having a guide like this makes it more fun than work~