Feels Like Home: Transforming Your Space from Uninspiring to Uniquely Yours

by Marian Parsons

Discover how to achieve your dream home on an affordable budget using these inspiring pictures, practical tips, and easy-to-implement tutorials.
 
Most of us don’t live in a dream home that was custom built to suit our tastes. We have to work with a house that brings its own style, quirks, and personality to the table. But imagine walking into this house, but it’s perfectly designed and decorated with your style in mind—a home that fits you like a well-tailored outfit and yet is as comfy as your favorite pair of pajamas.
 
What would that home look like exactly? How would it feel to live in a home styled specifically for you?
 
The truth is, every home should feel like a custom home and not have to break the bank. In Feels Like Home , DIY makeover queen Marian Parsons (a.k.a. Miss Mustard Seed) teaches you what she’s learned over the years, sharing budget-friendly practical tips that will inspire you to change your space from “blah” to beautiful, from a builder-grade to character-rich home. Each chapter will guide you through detailed, easy-to-implement tutorials for projects, makeovers, decorating ideas, and tips for handling common challenges. Special note-taking spaces are also included for recording your own design ideas. Room by room, you will be empowered to transform your house into the home of your dreams!

Genres: Nonfiction, Interior Design, Coffee Table Books, Design, Self Help, Home Improvement

304 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2021

About the author

Marian Parsons is a paint & textile enthusiast and lover of all things home. She started her business, Mustard Seed Interiors, in 2008, as a way to earn extra money for groceries and diapers. What started as a local decorative painting and mural business has grown into a popular blog, Miss Mustard Seed, a fine art and design business, and a podcast – The Creative Exponent with Shaunna Parker. In addition, Marian created and launched a paint line that is sold around the world - Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint. Her original products and fine art have been sold at Hobby Lobby, Creative Co-op, Décor Steals, and more. Her first book, Inspired You (Thomas Nelson, Nov 2012) was nominated for the ECPA Christian Book Award in the category of Best New Author. Marian currently lives in Rochester, MN, with her husband and two sons.

Marian regularly contributes articles and photographs to Cottages & Bungalows, Romantic Homes, Land Leben, Traumwohnen, and HGTV.com and her work has been featured in Country Living, In Her Studio, Women’s Day, Better Homes & Gardens, Romantic Homes, American Farmhouse Style, Cottages & Bungalows, Where Women Create, Fresh Style, Make it Over, Watercolor Artist, Mary Jane’s Farm, Country Chic, French Style, Washington Post, Fox News, NBC, CBS and on The Nate Berkus Show.

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay decorating book but I found the title ironic since it didn't really give me any tips on how to make my particular home uniquely mine at all. The example photos are mostly from the author's home and others like hers, which are not at all my taste (fancy fake farmhouse style? buy a modern subdivision home and spend a bunch of money to make it look older and more traditional). To be fair, my decorating style is sort of "90 year old house meets cottage chic meets thrift store boho identity crisis meets too damn many people live in this house."

(When the plumbers in our population-700 town installed a bathtub in our basement a few years ago one of them asked his dad, the owner of the plumbing business, "Will it be up to code?" and his dad snorted out loud and said, "Not a thing in this basement is up to code." Our house has a razor blade hole in the back of the medicine cabinet to drop used razor blades behind the wall, which only people who have really old houses relate to. Our downstairs ceiling is entirely papered with 20+ years of our five kids' artwork to cover the old water stains and ugly ceiling tiles and people who come into our house frequently end up with a crick in their necks walking around looking up. And our couches are covered in layers of blue, green and teal blankets and fabrics because the couches were destroyed by the dog and bright red but had "good bones" and are nice and squishy.)

My home and my style are admittedly odd but I love our happy home, and it's very hard to ever find anything that matches it in decorating books or advice that's geared towards those who want to make their home more comfortable, personal, beautiful, etc. frugally. I don't want to do $5,000 projects to make it look like my ceiling has wooden support beams, thanks. I don't want to decorate with bizarre vintage photos of dead politicians I don't know. I don't want to custom order a couch upholstered with the perfect fabric for the amount of money some folks earn in a year. But I realize I'm in the minority, and most will probably greatly enjoy this book.

This is not an insult but it will be a very good book for middle to upper income "normal" people. :)

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book of ideas on how to make your home uniquely yours. The pictures are beautiful though the style is pretty heavy on country cottage look, which is not particularly appealing to me. I did like the ideas presented in the book on figuring out what will work in your house and what elements can be featured or added to bring out the beauty of your home.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Imagine walking into a home that was designed, built, and decorated just for you….We can customize each space, one little step at a time, bringing our idea of what feels like home to life,until we delight in each room of our house. It’s not perfect, but rather perfectly suited to us.”
In Feels Like Home, Parsons takes us step by step through the process of customising our homes (my favourite part of the book), followed by a tour through each room of the house and finally, some thoughts on furniture and finishing touches
The photos, while beautiful, are quite limited – many are of the same homes and even, multiple photos of the same rooms (the author’s) , which meant there's a lack of style variety. The style is lovely though.
Parsons’ mix of inspirational words, domestic anecdotes, diy projects and decoration advice seems a bit of a jumble at times, but that’s its charm. Some of what she has to say, about practising and taking time and making the best of what you have, really resonates with me.
“Decorate with the mindset of a gardener” she tells us. And I think that’s what really makes a house feel like home.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

[Cover Lover Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a devotee when it comes to anything home. I spend countless hours a week watching the HGTV and DIY channels looking for inspiration in decorating, organizing, and beautifying my home. The book Feels Like Home does much of the same thing. It inspires me.

Styling a home is much more than painting an accent wall, hanging paintings, and tossing throw pillows on a couch. It is setting a mood, fashioning a room to express yourself, who you are, how you’re inspired, and what comforts you.

I like to personalize every room in my home. A sterile hotel room doesn’t feel like home. A room with bold, bright colors or chunky, heavy furniture isn’t really my style either. I prefer a soft, simple, nostalgic atmosphere with lots of books, family photos, a variety of textures, and a sense of nostalgia.

This book helps me transform my living spaces in my own way, my own style. It holds an abundance of gorgeous, inspiring photos that make me want to transform every corner of my home. Feels Like Home overflows with timeless style, tasteful comfort, and homey feelings. Not only is it highly inspirational, but the artsy, textured cover looks pretty on the shelf.

Dɪsᴄʟᴏsᴜʀᴇ: I ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʀʏ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ. Mʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴғʟᴜᴇɴᴄᴇᴅ.

#FeelsLikeHome

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Good tips throughout. Easy to follow instructions on how to create your own custom home.

Thank you to Marian Parsons , NetGalley and Worth Publishing for the ARC of this book.

[Monica H (TeaandBooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find home decorating books to be fun and relaxing to look at. We love the character of older homes so we bought one and have been working on fixing it up and decorating it a bit at a time. Feels Like Home by Marian Parsons is a simply gorgeous book with lots of pictures and encouragement to decorate your own home.

In Feels Like Home, Parsons offers a lot of budget-friendly, practical tips for making your home the relaxing place that you want it to be. She has chapters specific to living rooms, kitchens, dining areas, bedrooms, home offices and work rooms, bathrooms, hallways, laundry rooms and mudrooms. They are a whole lot of gorgeous pictures in this book to inspire you. But the thing I like best about this book is that Parsons truly encourages you to make your home your own. She invites you to find your own style, not just copy hers. At about 300 pages, there is just so many practical home tips in this book, that I believe Feels Like Home would be a great addition to anyone's home library. On many pages, there are specific steps to complete projects like painting your own mural or putting starched fabric on the wall. I plan to keep this on hand to give to someone has a house warming gift too. I think it would be a real encouragement and help to anyone with a new home.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

[Anjana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been working on ideas for my house for a couple of months. I have not acted on anything in any real way, except for a few touches here and there, and I thought this might help me make some choices.

The book begins with the author walking us through her ideas of a dream home, the mindset when looking at houses and also based on how much DIY one can do. She then walks through room by room and within that, idea by idea with mood boards to match. Now, I have never gotten the hang of a mood board, and therefore it was not too much help in my own quest. It is a colourful book with many ideas, but it had bigger DIY projects than I am currently capable of. It is a spread of her ideas for her own home, from which we can take a few inspirations. The suggestions are not limited to one type of project but encompass a wide range.

I would recommend this book for people who are handy with power tools and have a space in their home they are considering redoing. For today I want to put a plan of mine to sew a few curtains. If I get through that, I will consider it an achievement.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is based entirely on my reading experience and my own capabilities in this particular field.

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of tips, tricks, techniques, and some DIY to transform your home to feel just like your home. I liked that a lot of the information are presented in bulleted points making it very easy to read, digest and use for decorating your house. I also enjoyed the author’s stories about how she worked on her own place, sharing her wisdom and experiences.

I loved many of the ideas including using fabric starched to walls instead of applying wallpaper, and I spotted a picture frame for hanging art work that I want to copy right away!

The photos of the interiors are all beautiful especially when compared to the before photos at the back of the book!

This would make a really useful gift for someone about to move into a new house or someone planning on some redecorating.

[Joni Owens]

If you buy this book for the inspiration pictures alone you will be extremely happy. I could have looked at her photos all day. The author is easy to understand (she doesn’t talk designer speak down to you at all) and gives really great tips throughout the entire book.

Highly recommend if you are just moving in to a new home or if you’re just looking to change things up.

[Gemma · Rating 3 out of 5]

With tips, projects and assignments this is a great book to make your home unique.
Plenty of ideas for any taste, and how to that will help any level of experience.


I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Deborah Raney · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I suspected, Marian’s book isn’t a sit-and-read quietly book. It had me hopping off the sofa several times to try a different accent piece here, a new pillow there, a color swatch in this room, and a new arrangement in that room. In other words, the best kind of decorating book ever!

[Lauren Albrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, inspiring, beautiful book on decorating your home! Really enjoyed the tips and ideas in this one. And the gorgeous photos!

[MookNana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful resource for a very challenging issue: what makes a house feel like a home? As the new owner of a builder-grade box, I've been working through this myself and there was a lot of helpful information here, especially theory and exercises that can be adapted to many situations. Basic principles of customizing a space are explained clearly and accessibly. There are lots of lovely pictures and project guides to spark inspiration.

My only quibble was that the homes presented seemed to be mostly suburban-type spaces and the aesthetic skewed heavily toward country, rustic, and shabby-chic looks. This left me, and my modern, urban home, a little underrepresented. Still, the guide and overarching ideas are sound and I definitely found useful assistance in the text.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Feels Like Home is a style and tutorial DIY guide by Marian Parsons to help readers to put their individual mark on their personal space. Due out 12th Oct 2021 from Hatchette on their Worthy Books imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function.

I really liked the casual conversational style the author uses. It felt almost like a chat with a friendly and reassuring friend ("It's only a bit of paint, no worries it'll be fine"!). The layout is beautiful, full of clear and well styled rooms which actually look lived in. The photos are drawn from a wide variety of styles and periods and there will be something to appeal to most readers.

The book's chapters are arranged thematically from finding out what readers' own desires and goals are, through to planning and executing projects. The following chapters provide inspiration room by room: living spaces, kitchens, dining areas, bedrooms, creative & work spaces, and the rest of the house (bathrooms, etc). Custom furniture and finishing spaces round out the content along with a relevant bit of philosophy (why are we decorating or working on these projects and how can we find inspiration?).

The author has included some short DIY tutorials including a hand painted wall mural project that is probably worth the price of the book. It's beautiful and really looks do-able.The book also includes some really useful appendices. There's a before and after exhibit showing the same areas for comparison and inspiration as well as a resources and links lists.

I liked that the book isn't locked into one particular style or level of exclusivity. Sometimes I feel like home style and interior guides are fairly useless for readers who don't have a seven figure salary. There are casually styled rooms included here as well as exclusive period stately homes and everything in between.

Lots of useful info here. Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Bespoke Home!

PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG: http://bookreadingtic.com/2021/11/09/...

Where we live, and what we have around us affects us to our core. Our environment can be calming, or make us tense. We should strive for our home to be a place of renewal and peace, and that is what this author wants to do. She wants us to live in a Bespoke Home—a place that feels good, we have come home.

Close your eyes and imagine things that you like, colors, types of furniture, and so on. Think back through your life about items you have liked most—whether you saw them in person, movies, or other forms of media. Now imagine bringing some items like that into your living space. Plan to put that into action a little at a time, so you don’t get over-whelmed by the scope of it.

The author wants you to remember you may not live in the place of your dreams, it may even be the opposite, but you can gradually make anyplace more "you." Ms. Parsons cautions that you need to work with the type of place you currently live in, not work against it. But it is possible to create any space into a combination of yourself, and the reality of what you have to work with.

This is a great book that is easy to read, with lots of simple ideas to give yourself a very happy place to live--a Bespoke Home. It will cause you to sigh deeply when you come in, and say to yourself, "I am home!" I enjoyed this five-star book and you will too. I highly recommend this fun, practical book to anyone who wants to easily make their place home-- without breaking the bank.

Worthy Publishing has provided Tickmenot with a complimentary copy of, Feels Like Home, for the purpose of review.

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a confident decorator....at all. So I feel authors have their work cut out when they're working with me. I like to pick up a book like this every now and then and see if it can get me one step further. I feel like this book did that. This book isn't about having the perfect house but having one that is perfectly suited for you and how you want to live and function there. I appreciated that it focused on this being a long, slow process that will probably last a lifetime. It's not a destination.

It had 9 project tutorials. A lot of these were beyond anything I'm hoping to do. Maybe someday I'd come back to them. It also had assignments scattered throughout. These were more my speed. For instance, one assignment was to add one unexpected thing to one room in your house and live with it for a week. That seems manageable and interesting and fun to me. I'm going to do it.

I appreciated a lot of the tips and I made note of a few things I want to think about as I'm out at thrift stores and sales...things like statement pieces. I also want to find some interesting switch plate covers to add interest to a room.

I appreciated that the author isn't encouraging you to go out and start from scratch and spend a lot of money. She asks questions that help you analyze what's working for you already and how you can take it a step further. I think this book is helpful for those who want to make big sweeping changes as well as for those like me who just want to dip their toes in the water of decorating.

Thank you to Worthy Books for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Feels Like Home” by @marianparsonsart is a beautifully bound hardcover book filled with tips and tricks to transform your ordinary space into an inspiring place.

Each chapter focuses on a different room of the house and includes thoughtful questions, decorating advice, anecdotes, diy projects, and more!

The book is filled with photos that include before and after shots of homes (though not side-by-side comparisons) as well as diy projects. It is important to note that the houses featured reflect a more rustic feel.

It is a wonderful book that you can skim through as well as dig deep. Readers can choose to read the chapter pertaining to a specific room of interest or read cover-to-cover as general interest.

It’s a handy book to have on hand as a reference guide as Marian talks about everything from setting the tone of each room, use of various materials, picking the right type of paint, paint colour, colour scheme, and everything in between. It’s a book that will help you transform your current or future house into a home that is uniquely....yours.

*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange now for my honest review. All opinions are my own

[Sue.the.very.busy.reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read the blog missmustardseed.com by @missmustardseed for a long time. I loved her first book, Inspired You and highly recommend it. Feels like Home is her new book. Marian focuses room by room on giving practical suggestions on how to decorate your suburban home. After reading her book I made a list of projects for my husband and I to tackle. I am sure he is going to be so excited I read this book. I really haven’t done anything to my house in years. It could use a bit of a refresh.


My home project list:
Repaint front doors black outside & restain inside.
Repaint stairs tying the white and oak together.
Watch for a cabinet for the entry hallway to hide shoes.
Plant for laundry room and wooden brushes that can hang useful yet decorative
Recover ottoman
New grandchildren pictures for playroom
New play table for playroom
Sand red chairs and repaint them
New carpet by front door.
Repaint flower pots for outside.
New family photo for my bedroom
Add more Teagan and Zach photos front hallway, back hallway, photo frame, my office

[Emily Serven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I love decorating books that focus on doing the most with what you have. This book does a great job of encouraging contentment with the home and circumstances you’ve been given, while applying some practical principles to make your home even more lovely. I was encouraged to take some serving pieces out from behind cabinet doors and use them as decor, so that they are being appreciated all the time, not only when being used for holiday feasts. The book also includes instructions for some straightforward DIY projects to help boring, beige, builder-grade houses have a little more architectural interest, like picture frame molding on walls, box beams on ceilings, 3/4 wall paneling, and even starched fabric instead of wallpaper in rooms where a non-permanent decor solution is needed.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the pictures and I like how she included step by step instructions on some projects that can be done in the home. I anticipated this being a book with smaller projects, not larger actual home improvement projects. I felt like I was not the target audience for this book. While I am striving to make my new home more my own, I don't have a lot of money to spend on that, and my family and I are not quite so formal as all of the pictures in this book seem. So there were some good ideas, just not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been following the author for many years now, love her style and take on what makes a house feel like a home. She tends to the reclaimed and vintage look so if you are into contemporary or midcentury looks this may not be for you, although she does pay lip service to how her suggestions could work for any style. A bit heavy on the tutorials maybe (why I gave a 4 as opposed to a 5) but otherwise an engaging and beautifully photographed (as usual) read for anyone interested in the subject.

[Come_read_with_me_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has amazing ideas and DIY tips and tricks.
Marian has broken this book down beautifully, with a mixture of stories, history, how to do segments and pictures. I really loved the layout and it is very clear that Marian has great knowledge about making a house a home.

I would recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, worthy publishing and worthy books for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiffany Schank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest feedback. This book is beautiful, like nothing you will ever see before this. It is a book on a bespoke home, one that is uniquely and perfectly your own! The images will blow your mind if ou enjoy houses and decorating. It is more than that, it is how your home should feel and be to you! Appreciating your home and its unique build, looking at its potential.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book the pictures are truly inspiring m. I found so many creative ways to picture my home as my own unique space. This book is worth it for the lovely pictures alone but the advice and ideas are truly helpful and I am so glad I found this book. I highly recommend it if your wanting a book to help get your mind focused on truly designing a space for that fits who you are as a person and bring those aspects into your home.

[Deanna Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The best rooms have something to say about the people who live in them. David Hicks " That is so true and this book is a lovely hard cover that is yes... inspiring. I especially liked the paint techniques. I also liked how she put the paints, fabric and color swatches together so you could how things would work together. I was gifted a copy and it's a very nice addition to my book shelf.

[Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read my fair share of books on design and decorating and I find that most of them tend to overwhelm me what with their rules and info. This book is different in that the author teaches you the basics, just enough for you to have a foundation, and lets you have free reign over your own style. I am spellbound by the author's enthusiasm!

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marian Parsons absolutely blows me away with her talent. This woman can knit, upholster furniture, paint with oils, run a blog, beautifully design a home... what can't she create!? I found this book helpful with practical steps you can take to nail down your own style and figure out how to implement it. Inspiring and beautiful.

[Cat Hoort · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a failed DIY-er. I follow so many people on social medias or YouTube and see them work magic... and I always think "if only I could" After reading through Feels Like Home, I feel like I actually can! Marian gives so many great ideas. And the pictures. Oh the pictures. If only to be an inspiration, spend some time cherishing the beauty in the photographs. This was fun!

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this books which has lots of good decorating ideas for every room in the house and step by step DIY projects. Mostly country style decorating photos throughout. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Anissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I always love a good home decorating book and this one really delivered for me. Great inspiration pictures , and really helpful, cozy writing makes this a book I will return to again and again.