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Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of A Misspent Life
How to live creatively with collections, clutter, work, kids, pets, art, etc... and stop worrying about everything being perfectly in its place.
For all those who choose to live "imperfectly" with the messy things they love, this book shows how to do so creatively, happily, and with considerable style ideas from leading designers. A beautiful and inspiring volume, A Perfect...more
For all those who choose to live "imperfectly" with the messy things they love, this book shows how to do so creatively, happily, and with considerable style ideas from leading designers. A beautiful and inspiring volume, A Perfect...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
October 19th 2010
by Rizzoli
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Wow people. Such bitterness. I loved this book. I'm so tired of looking at glossy magazine photos of glossy over styled houses. The only house that was a bit much was her sister house with the marble kitchen counters. I've seen books with houses so pristine you can't imagine people living in them let alone children and pets. These houses look lived in.
I like this design aesthetic. I live in an oldish ~ house ( 100 years). While it isn't particularly cluttered (except with books, and paintings a...more
I like this design aesthetic. I live in an oldish ~ house ( 100 years). While it isn't particularly cluttered (except with books, and paintings a...more
The title says it all - almost! This book is filled with warmth and regard for people and yes, things. It seems the author and her case studies enjoy their lives, enjoy their friends and family, enjoy their things, and don't feel guilty about it at all. I enjoy Carter's take on what makes a home. Here are some nuggets from the book: "Don't scrub the soul out of your home" (back cover);Clutter is a skillfully arranged state of spirit ( p 48); A wall cluttered with images that personally appeal to...more
Jun 22, 2011
Relyn
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people with a chronic case of the messies
Recommended to Relyn by:
House Beautiful or similar magazine
Hmmm... What can I say about this book? It's interesting, I want to finish it. But... BUT! The one thing every residence profiled has in common is that each picture gives me an overwhelming desire to go in and CLEAN IT UP!! The mess and the clutter wouldn't bother me so much if the title didn't seem to indicate that doing things differently was a mistake. PLEASE! The author looks at these pictures and sees life. I look at them and see MESS, delay, and aggravation. It's fine with me for people to...more
What a delightful book and finally a book that I agree with! The author's perspective is perfectly described in the title and I wholeheartedly agree. Despite two neatnik neighbors, I believe my house should be tidy which I define as relatively clean and picked up, but not cleaned to the point of enslaving me or my family, and eliminating the stamp of our personalities and hobbies. Like many of the photos in this book, the top of my bedroom dresser is obscured by piles of books, but it shows I lo...more
My favorite parts of this book are the photos of all sorts of differently cluttered homes and all the reasons they have for living the way they do. It is endlessly fascinating to me to learn about people who live in ways completely different from my own. It helps me relax and embrace whatever sort of home I choose to create - or even to accept what it is, even if it's not exactly what I want.
I also really loved the chapter on unmade beds. I hadn't thought about what an intimate portrait of our l...more
I also really loved the chapter on unmade beds. I hadn't thought about what an intimate portrait of our l...more
Just flipped through it. I love the title idea: that one shouldn't spend all one's life cleaning the house. But to me that means you should have less stuff around to get messy, and you work hard at keeping on top of it in small pieces so it's never an overwhelming job (ha! easier said than done). The photos in this book are too cluttered for me, as my tastes are seeming to grow more minimal the older I get. I agree with living life, but also not living it with everything piled up in rooms with m...more
I really liked this book. It tells the stories of lots of folks and their lives and how they live with their things. I am not an excellent housekeeper. My house is lived in. And I love it that way. This book made my heart happy, because it reminded me that my house can be the way I love it. Even if that means piles of stuff, or if it means nothing but the necesities. Who cares what others think? And don't try to live up to someone elses standards. Just mine.
I thought this book would be more funny but it's serious. See, Martha Stewart has it all wrong, people. Cluttery homes are lived in, full of personality, life, meaning. So what if it's messy? That just means that the people in that home are terribly interesting. Definitely they are NOT messy. Just interesting. No one say anything else about it.
Obviously this book appeals to people who have slightly (fine, or not so slightly) cluttered houses. And you know what? It's ok. I read a passage once...more
Obviously this book appeals to people who have slightly (fine, or not so slightly) cluttered houses. And you know what? It's ok. I read a passage once...more
This book celebrates displaying our precious items and living creatively. This is not a book for those who believe being organized means living in a show home environment with all surfaces bare and everything away. This book celebrates the creatives and tactile who love to have their beloved things on display and accessible. Fantastic coffee table book - the pictures are glorious.
This was fun to borrow from the library. It made me think about decorating more creatively. I'm not sure whether I would be brave enough to let my kids write and paint on really nice upholstered chairs. It looked really cool in the picture.
If you tend to be a pack rat, it will let you relax...
If you tend to be a pack rat, it will let you relax...
I love that this designer is creative director for Ralph Lauren, and uninhibited-ly (sic?) celebrates that homes are for living in. Even more amusing are the Goodreads comments from all the poor Goodreads folks who were dying to go clean up the messy rooms!
I must admit. I didn't read this book. I looked at the pictures. And it made me think about all those warm, cozy houses I've been in and how the ones I really love are a bit cluttered and messy. It's a lovely book. Check it out from the library and peruse!
Many times when I walk into someones home I hear the words, 'I am so sorry for the mess'. Then I respond and say, "I love seeing that this home is lived in, it is a sign that people are living life." This book hits it right on the spot.
I didn't get to read all of it, the title drew me in. Beautiful book. Charming writing. Can't say the pictures inspired me.... I like a lived in home but all the clutter in some of the pictures stressed me out!
Gorgeous photographs en beautiful and interesting rooms. Having lived for a long time in a tiny house and having lots of different interests I can completely identify with the premise of the book.
Takeaway: It's okay to have a house full of junk as long as it's well-appointed, worth a fortune, and artfully arranged.
Still, the photos are lovely to look at.
Still, the photos are lovely to look at.
A wonderful style guide and memoir from my personal Style Icon, Mary Randolph Carter.
Beautiful photography showcasing quirky and real spaces around the world
Loved this photo book about marvelous clutter. Artistic and hopeful. ;)
I liked this book, but I had higher expectations for it...
I really enjoyed reading paragraphs here and there about how to find comfort in your home as well as making your home more welcoming and enjoying clutter and an umade bed on occasion. I like how it declared we don't need to have a perfectly kept house to be happy and we can enjoy the personal clutter that makes our houses a home and how it personally represents our lives. I didn't like the authors taste on every persons clutter, but I enj...more
I really enjoyed reading paragraphs here and there about how to find comfort in your home as well as making your home more welcoming and enjoying clutter and an umade bed on occasion. I like how it declared we don't need to have a perfectly kept house to be happy and we can enjoy the personal clutter that makes our houses a home and how it personally represents our lives. I didn't like the authors taste on every persons clutter, but I enj...more
An interesting read, but overall I feel a little disappointed by it.
Pretty photos but I didn't get any great ideas from this.
I really enjoyed this book and felt encouraged by it. It's a huge book filled with beautiful photography of real people's homes--real people living real lives. Some would call this clutter, but these people are making it work. As a result, I felt more freed to tread that ground between allowing my home to be what it is and to become what would best support my family's life instead of adhering to common "wisdom" about how a house should be arranged.
beautiful book on the houses of artists (and others). a good weekend 'browsing' book!
Ok, I mostly skimmed this and looked at the pictures. Was disturbing to me that I couldn't go into these homes and clean/organize. I may have a problem...
Beautiful pictures, interesting viewpoint. I feel like I went a little crazy when we staged our last house to sell it and I haven't really recovered from it. I also feel like I am living in a culture where well-organized, decluttered houses are fetishized. This book was a fresh perspective.
Nice "coffee table" book. I was hoping it would help me rationalize my lived-in house, but it just left me feeling like I have to be artsy to get away with clutter.
looked at the pictures. some interesting ideas - but none of these people are "real" to me since they were mostly artists & live overseas....
I guess I should have realized that this was more of a decorating book that some type of creative nonfiction that I was hoping for.
Adult picture book that is fascinating and comforting at the same time.
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19 juin 09:03