I am so excited to review Holly Becker's new book Decorate Workshop: Design and Style Your Space in 8 Creative Steps as part of her blog tour! Holly barely needs an introduction but if you have been living under a design-free rock for a while, she is the author of Decorate as well as the woman behind the awesome blog Decor8. She's an incredibly talented designer and stylist, with a knack for creating personal and unpretentious spaces, she has a great eye and intuition for design and she might be one of the sweetest blog "superstars" I've had the pleasure of meeting.
This is also the second book Holly has worked on with the uber-talented photographer Debi Treloar. Debi makes each space feel inviting and warm, equallay aspirational and approachable. Not a small feat!
While Decorate was pure eye candy, Decorate Workshop takes it one step further and helps you get in touch with your inner Dorothy Draper through creative exercises and prompts. It's an incredibly fun book, teaching you how to channel everything from your favorite foods and films into fodder for design projects in your home. Imagine being able to tackle any design project through 8 simple steps!
What a gorgeous mood board! Expect lots more where these came from in this book!
Holly shows how she decorated her own home. Holly, if you ever get tired of this rug, I could always take it off your hands for you. Just sayin'.
This spread above was one of my favorites. On the left is the home of James Leland Day, a home that Holly visited while shooting the book. Holly was so inpired by Day's home that she decided to gather a collection of objects, fabrics, and trims inspired by the look of his living room. Holly suggests trying out this activity with a tear or image that you love to get comfy with print and color and let me tell you, it is an amazing way to get the creative juices flowing! I decided to try one of my own.
I picked a tear from an old issue of Domino and then set about the house grabbing this and that. The process was incredibly eye-opening. Often, we pull tears from magazines on instinct. We dont think too hard about it, it's just an image we like for one reason or another, right?
Bt, when you start to analyze an image, you see so much more. I immediately found an old tin that came close to the color of the dining room walls in the tear and then a piece of warm wood to represent the large table. Then I pulled a bunch of fabrics and paper, trying to get that "just right" mix of feminine and modern that I love in the photo. I had my blues and greens, but there was something missing. That little tiny pop from the yellow and pink flowers! It's a small but crucial element.
So thank Holly for teaching this old gal a new trick! It was so much fun to read this book and I already bought a couple of extra copies for holiday gifts!
To check out the rest of the lovely bloggers on Holly's tour, head over to Chronicle Books.
This is also the second book Holly has worked on with the uber-talented photographer Debi Treloar. Debi makes each space feel inviting and warm, equallay aspirational and approachable. Not a small feat!
While Decorate was pure eye candy, Decorate Workshop takes it one step further and helps you get in touch with your inner Dorothy Draper through creative exercises and prompts. It's an incredibly fun book, teaching you how to channel everything from your favorite foods and films into fodder for design projects in your home. Imagine being able to tackle any design project through 8 simple steps!
What a gorgeous mood board! Expect lots more where these came from in this book!
Holly shows how she decorated her own home. Holly, if you ever get tired of this rug, I could always take it off your hands for you. Just sayin'.
This spread above was one of my favorites. On the left is the home of James Leland Day, a home that Holly visited while shooting the book. Holly was so inpired by Day's home that she decided to gather a collection of objects, fabrics, and trims inspired by the look of his living room. Holly suggests trying out this activity with a tear or image that you love to get comfy with print and color and let me tell you, it is an amazing way to get the creative juices flowing! I decided to try one of my own.
I picked a tear from an old issue of Domino and then set about the house grabbing this and that. The process was incredibly eye-opening. Often, we pull tears from magazines on instinct. We dont think too hard about it, it's just an image we like for one reason or another, right?
Bt, when you start to analyze an image, you see so much more. I immediately found an old tin that came close to the color of the dining room walls in the tear and then a piece of warm wood to represent the large table. Then I pulled a bunch of fabrics and paper, trying to get that "just right" mix of feminine and modern that I love in the photo. I had my blues and greens, but there was something missing. That little tiny pop from the yellow and pink flowers! It's a small but crucial element.
So thank Holly for teaching this old gal a new trick! It was so much fun to read this book and I already bought a couple of extra copies for holiday gifts!
To check out the rest of the lovely bloggers on Holly's tour, head over to Chronicle Books.
What a beautiful book! The above process is really cool, not too much unlike what we did in your Color & Comp class at squam Kayte, with the inspiration photos. Just a slight variation, taking it a step further...you have been doing that, just in a different way. Isn't it lovely when other people allow us to see things differently and build upon them allowing us to be more free & creative! I hope you are doing well lovely lady & that the upcoming holidays is filled with all the love & light you deserve!
Posted by: Julia Prohaska | December 11, 2012 at 07:43 AM
Oh thanks Julia! It is so true. I do projects like this all the time with my art, but just haven't tried it with objects. It was a really fun exercise!
Hope you are well too!
Posted by: this is loveforever | December 18, 2012 at 11:21 AM