Design Mom: How to Live with Kids: A Room-by-Room Guide

by Gabrielle Stanley Blair

New York Times best seller

Ever since Gabrielle Stanley Blair became a parent, she’s believed that a thoughtfully designed home is one of the greatest gifts we can give our families, and that the objects and decor we choose to surround ourselves with tell our family’s story. In this, her first book, Blair offers a room-by-room guide to keeping things sane, organized, creative, and stylish. She provides advice on getting the most out of even the smallest spaces; simple fixes that make it easy for little ones to help out around the house; ingenious storage solutions for the never-ending stream of kid stuff; rainy-day DIY projects; and much, much more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Design, Adult, Self Help, Family, Art

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2015

Reviews

[Hannah R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite my low rating there are some good ideas contained here. I thought the writing was poor and repetitive to the point I questioned if she had editors "You'll need a basket for the hand-washable laundry. You'll need a basket to collect dry-clean-only pieces. You'll need a basket for the mending. If you like to line-dry, you'll need a take-this-outside basket..." and she goes on to use the phrase "you'll need a basket" TWICE more. My main issue was not writing style - it was the text ideas not matching the photographs. The idea to keep your children's beds clear of extra pillows yet a ton of decorative pillows were featured in the corresponding photo, or to buy a kitchen table with a weathered look so you don't mind your kids scratching it - and a sleek shiny table was pictured on the following page. The differences between the suggestions and the photos made this a frustrating read

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I relate to so much of what's in this book. Definitely the style I aim to accomplish in my child-filled home some day. The author believes much of what I do:
-a Disney movie family, but no clothes, toys, or decor with the characters
-bedrooms are doe beds! Kids belong in family spaces where everyone can work on projects, etc in a shared space
-night stands can be stools!
-kitchen islands are necessary
-concrete countertops are for cool people
-duvet covers are the answer!
-vintage tablecloths!!!

[Amanda]

Mostly read this because the author’s Instagram (@designmom) is one of my favorites. Not for design but for her French house restoration. I enjoyed looking through this although I’m in an apartment by myself. A lot of the suggestions make sense and aren’t things that are often considered when furnishing a house with kids, or even with just lots of people like roommates.

[RH Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s always fun to see people doing things they’re good at.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really spoke to what has been on my mind lately after moving into a new house. I felt like the author gave me encouragement/permission to do some things I’d already been considering as well as some helpful to new ideas for designing and organizing a home that is geared toward kids.

I appreciated how the book was broken into small sections so I could catch a little here and there until I was able to finish it.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've followed Design Mom for a long time now. I like her thoughtfulness on how design affects family, especially the things you remember over time. . .the china patterns, the table cloths, the special popcorn bowls and horn salute before a movie night, the collections we keep. She is for the most part, unfussy and pragmatic, and always looking for a way to use the objects and instincts at her disposal. I took several ideas from this book and now my son can play the 20th Century Fox Intro on his Baritone. #winning

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has 6 children but believes your house should be designed to fit the way you live right now. Tons of great, simple ideas to make your house work for you. Ex. use towel hooks instead of towel racks, which are difficult for children to use. Lots of beautiful pictures! Such great ideas.

My only complaint is this, I follow her blog (designmom.com) and most of the ideas she had already tackled. I wished for more new ideas.

[Lacey Parr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one did not quite live up to my expectations. It wasn’t anything truly revolutionary or life-changing. The photography was good, and I did like a few of her ideas.

[Cassie | Uplifted Book Club · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe because I’m a seasoned mom of toddlers and teens right now… but I didn’t take much from this book. It fell a bit flat.

The pictures were not always about what magnificent ideas and solutions she was talking about so that was really unhelpful. Left lots to the imagination.

I really don’t like writing this review with any kind of negativity, I am a fan of her online presence and that’s why I bought the book - but I just can’t highly praise it. I wish she would have given us more imagery of her many homes that she spoke of and maybe even chronologically documented them and her systems for life. I feel there was a big opportunity missed here for that. Especially with her French home! Where was that and all of those details?!

Almost 300 pages long people!! This is definitely a coffee style book. Some really good ideas in here, but just not enough direction/inspiration that was needed to make it a staple for every home.

It is a really pretty hardcover book with beautiful typography throughout- as a fellow graphic designer I did appreciate that!

[Briana Almengor]

Easy to read.
Divided by rooms/areas in home so readers can pick and chose to read about one problem area for solutions or to entire book.
Great, inexpensive solutions that are definitely family friendly.

[Unit of Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continues to be my favorite design inspiration book.

[Janae Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but ✨unrelatable✨

[AnnieHil]

Not an announcement, just a palette cleanser. Gabrielle just got another book deal, so I thought I’d check out her first book.

[Megan Moss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a lot of good advice in this book and thought the format made a lot of sense. The only reason I didn’t rate it higher is because I didn’t like the style in the photos and felt that there could of been more variety in the aesthetic. Still learned a few things!

[Kaytee Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection of short and simple tips to designing a beautiful home while living with kids (what? they don't have to take over every room and surface???). the book is divided into sections of the house with 10-20 single page tips per section so it's easy to find exactly the advice you are looking for. beautiful color photos to illustrate the points make this book a keeper and a great gift idea.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for inspiration for designing spaces with family in mind, but I wish it was a bit more reasonable in the space and square-footage department. I don't have a living room AND a family room AND a home office AND a laundry room AND a pantry--do you? If so, good for you, but what about us small but mighty house folk?

[Stephanie Sheaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected to pick this book up and skim the pages, but I read every word! Gabrielle Blair's writing style is engaging, winsome, and intelligent. She is also clearly an expert on this topic since she is a designer and has six children of her own.

Lots of inspiration/ideas! Also - pretty pictures galore!

[Monica Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! As a new mom and first time homeowner it was exactly the inspiration I needed. It is full of practical tips about how to design your home to be a place where every member of the family feels at home. The pictures weren't too fancy like other interior design inspiration I have come across online. I now have a list of home projects that I'm excited to start working on.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite chapter was on entryways. My favorite advice was to design your home for the person you are right now. My favorite new idea is to occasionally collect dish towels as souvenirs.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

well made,pretty design book. I think i've picked up some useful ideas although it's very USA oriented,of course.

[Rachel Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked being able to come to this book here and there and read about a room or two. Not necessarily a sit down and get so engrossed you read the entire thing in a day type of book. But I loved the inspiration she shares. I feel excited and motivated to eventually implement some of her ideas in my home. It was so relieving to have someone say "if you have kids, your home doesn't/shouldn't/won't look like a museum at all times." I see so many beautiful homes online - completely monochrome and white and no clutter or toys....or signs of life. She lays it out that it is possible to have a home look nice, but still make it a place for creativity and magic.

She also makes good points about how the home influences the dynamics and relationships of the family. If you want to bring people together, don't make the bedrooms the MOST intriguing places to be. Bring the toys and books out to the main living area so people congregate there.

Good ideas that I think are realistic.

[Lauren Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light & airy Spring home inspiration. Reading this fresh-idea photo-centric book didn't yield any specific tasks pour moi; however it did its job of getting the gears moving for refreshing & organizing my family home -- the kind which was referenced all of two times in the book, a la city apartment sharing one bathroom. There are certainly superfluous chapters for nonexistent spaces/ rooms, and at times they conflicted, talking about kids doing homework in view of you cooking dinner, which I am on board with, but then referencing a dedicated space elsewhere. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. I did resonate with some home philosophies, such as maintaining bedrooms -- yes, child's included -- for bed, while living & playing in the living room. (No family or office/ project rooms required!)

[Amy L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read with pretty gram-worthy pictures and some helpful DIY tips along the way.

Favorite Pages: 53: Don’t Rush-“allow your living room to inform you how it’s going to be used; it will tell you, but you need to listen!”
172: Dealing with Disney-“We love Disney...but I have been quite strict about keeping the associated character paraphernalia out of the house. We flat out don’t do character bedding or room decor.”

Alternative Title: “How to Live with Kids: Design a House You Love and Make Your Kids Deal with It!”

Add it to your own library? Personally ehh, but if you or someone you are gifting for loves and lives “Bringing Up Bebe” then go for it.

[Lucy Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first design book I actually read cover to cover, didn't skim anything, and took notes.

Honestly, now that my children are out of the toddler phase and I've got a mix of big and little kids, our set up hasn't been working as well and I feel like this book answered all my questions. The author has 6 kids that span over 13 years so she definitely knows how to make a space work. I loved the pictures, also how she talked about different spaces working for different sized families (the family office: it can be a room, a desk, or a drawer).
5/5 stars. Loved it. Got it from the library, will probably buy. Will definitely buy my sister for her birthday.

[Madalene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most home design books, there are parts that seem to assume one has unlimited space for those artful displays of books you will never read and those extra throws for the seating scattered casually around a great room; but luckily there's a few good points - including to put all art supplies on a cart so it can move from room to room and to set up a way for kids to see themselves in the mirror to learn how to brush their teeth (seemingly a game-changer). I don't share Blair's love of all metal furniture, but do like the focus on functioning entryways and encouraging family members to be in the same room together when awake and doing different tasks.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the library thinking I'd just skim through it but I ended up reading it cover to cover. I have read Gabrielle's blog in the past and really liked it and the book has a similar feel. It felt like chatting with a really stylish but down-to-earth friend who has great advice on every subject. I liked that the pictures felt timeless, not trendy. Her advice was also very practical and reading it made me want to be more thoughtful about my home, rather than making me want to run out and buy new furniture.

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Having kids doesn't mean your home has to be in a perpetual state of mess. It just means that practicality is a bit more important than decor. This room-by-room guide offers unique and useful ways to alter your home for little kids to enjoy.

Highlights: Divided into sections so it's easy to access ideas for a specific space. There's also helpful information about design styles/materials and simple DIYs!

Lowlights: Not every idea is a "game-changer".

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have actually rented and reread this book three times now. I think it's full of great ideas for making your house work for you and your family, as well as looking stylish no matter what your personal style it. Blair provides enough examples of her family's home just enough to bring the book to life without making it seem too self-centered. It's the kind of book you re-read to get inspiration for your home as your life changes.

[Esther Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down, and I'm a 23 year old who's not planning on kids for a while. I just loved her thoughts on beauty and functionality and relationships with spaces. And I felt an unexplainable kinship to her. I realized after reading Blair is a Mormon, but a progressive, liberal, thoughtful Mormon, who values all the parts of the church I do. She's a critical Mormon. So I think that's why I was captured by her unique but familiar sensibilities (of design, but also of family).

[Shhhh... Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good tips in here. For example, having a mirror over your bathroom sink that your toddler can see into: kind of essential for them to learn to brush their teeth or know that they need to scrub that chocolate cookie off their face before mom sees. Oh, and all of the entry way suggestions. So, not brilliant, as there were many how-tos that felt pretty standard - and not wholly useful for renters with little space - but wonderfully organized and helpful.