In the follow-up to their bestseller Young House Love, superstar bloggers/designers Sherry and John Petersik return with a gorgeous, relatable guide to help readers bridge the gap between how we want our homes to look, feel, and function, and how they actually do. Lovable Livable Home is one of my favourite new books for its design solutions — doable projects and quick fixes that can bring order and personality to our spaces in an hour or a few afternoons.
Boring built-ins become lively with a coat of bright paint, a ceiling medallion doubles as a stencil for a beautiful wallpaper effect, and wooden storage crates make the perfect shelves to corral the flotsam and jetsam in an entryway. These are projects I can actually see myself doing, in spaces I can actually see myself living in. They’re family homes that work and play hard, inviting homes with style and soul.
Included are several befores and afters from Sherry and John’s own homes, where they share lessons they’ve learned as their needs and styles evolved.
I love the she said/he said feature where Sherry and John discuss how to talk someone into a purchase (Sherry) and how to talk someone out it (John). I’d like to see more of these. Perhaps in a third book?
Lovable Livable Home gave me lots of house envy for sure, but it also gave the inspiration and how-to’s to tackle some of the things that have been driving me crazy for years. (The mess of artwork blanketing the dining room table, for starters.) It’s a great resource for even the most beginner DIYer and a welcome tribute to family friendly spaces.
Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for sending me a copy of Lovable Livable Home to review. Images excerpted from Lovable Livable Home by Sherry Petersik and John Petersik (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2015. Photographs by Todd Wright.
try small things 
11 responses to “Lovable Livable Home by Sherry and John Petersik”
[…] colourful spines, which perks the space up a bit.) Maybe you recognize some? I’ve reviewed Lovable Livable Home, Chic Boutiquers At Home, In the Company of Women, Dream Decor, and At Home: Sarah Style here on […]
[…] Listening / To my favourite decor and DIY podcast, Young House Love Has a Podcast, with John and Sherry Petersik. (I reviewed their second book, Lovable Livable Home.) […]
I love this book! So many personal touches for around the home that I’ll have to try. I think the painted crates for clothing storage at the front door are a must for our home now! Such a great idea!
Oh! I love this all so much!!!
I’m so glad, Elizabeth! I’d love to see a book from you too! 🙂
I can totally see this being a great book to have. I’m loving the idea of it being for the everyday Joe. I enjoy doing projects around the home and find that so many books are focused on either the professional with a workshop or someone with an endless flow of money that could probably have afforded to purchase an item to put in place without building or organizing. I will definitely be checking this out….Great write-up!
Thanks Matthew! There’s definitely lots of affordable projects that don’t require fancy tools or a workshop (which we don’t have either). I think DIYs make a house a home.
what a great book i have to get a copy
You’d love it, Linda! So many cozy, cheerful spaces.
I’m so glad that I’m discovering a new book about organization, I like when I can make projects that are not too expensive to make my home more organized. That would be a nice holiday gift!
Lots of ideas to get things up and off the floor, which I LOVE. Makes everything look much more spacious. 🙂 I hope you find a copy under the tree!