FINALLY, I have my very own “nesting place” where I can hide write, read, and get all creative— and much of my inspiration came from a lovely little book called… drum roll… The Nesting Place. With the motto “it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful”, and a recommendation from my fave inspirational writer Ann Voskamp, this was one book I had to check out:
The Nesting Place is, quite simply, a gorgeous book. (Nothing to do with empty nesters whatsoever, even though that day is looming ever closer for us, which is rather freakish.) Myquillyn Smith, aka The Nester, does a stellar job intertwining practical home décor tips with humor, faith, hospitality, down-to-earth honesty, inspiration, and enticing, glossy photographs. She encourages us to embrace our inner quirky, create intentional spaces, and define our home’s purpose. And it all makes perfect sense.
It is SO much more than a home decorating book.
“This book isn’t about decorating a house. It’s about creating a beautiful, meaningful home you love. Right where you are.”
The Nester is vulnerable and funny, and it feels like you’re having a cup of coffee your new bestie, as she shares stories from her THIRTEEN— I kid you not— previous homes, most of them rentals. Actually, she encourages renters not to use renting as an excuse to prevent you from making your house a home you love, and she gives some awesome tips and tricks to help you put your stamp on your rental. She also touches on working with opposites, not procrastinating, being gutsy, and embracing imperfections. In life, as well as in home décor!
I was particularly challenged to not feel the need to apologize when someone comes over and things aren’t perfect (the bulldog threw up/ the bathroom counter is peeling/ the bulldog chewed the corners off the hardwood stairs/ the dining room table isn’t big enough / the bulldog ate that chunk of drywall… mainly bulldog issues actually). My house is a home. We live here. And we love it. We even love the bulldog.
We renovated most of our house four years ago, and I love the clean, contemporary look we now enjoy. However, my study (which used to be our home school room, and then a guest bedroom) needed some attention. Basically, I needed to get rid of the junk, create a reading area complete with bookcases for my books, and make the area usable and beautiful. I was given free reign to “girl-ify” it, too, as it was for me— and not all the males who live in the rest of the house. Pink was permitted. 🙂
Here’s the “before” in my reading area:
And the “after”:
My splurge for the room was the “Luna Chair”,which is quite possibly the most heavenly chair in the world. It actually feels like you are getting a leather hug as you sink into it with a book. Sheer bliss.
I may never come out of this room.
I even took the Nester’s cue, dug around in my garage, and spray-painted the scary, ugly owl— originally bought to keep the wretched woodpeckers at bay:
Yeah, you might spy Nigella Lawson’s “How to be a Domestic Goddess” on my side table— lofty goals indeed…
And here’s where the books get written and other miscellaneous writings are created: (This is a particularly neat and tidy day— not always the case.)
Reading The Nesting Place gave me the little push I needed to actually get a room finished so that I can live in it and enjoy it. I’ll refer back to the book whenever I get the creative urge, or simply want to remember why creating a HOME is so important. I’ll leave you with this fantastic quote from the book, which is an echo of my heart, too:
“I long to create a home where all who enter can fully be themselves, and where all who leave can be more ready to live out their calling.”
If you are in the market for some ideas on home décor and a beautiful life, and SO, so much more— I thoroughly recommend The Nesting Place.
Wishing you a fabulous Friday,
