On Wednesday, I trekked out through the blustery Boston weather to West Elm, and I wasn't the only one. Judging by the snaking line, it seemed that most of the 600+ people who RSVPed on Facebook to meet John & Sherry Petersik (and get their copies of the couple's first book, Young House Love, signed) showed up despite the storm. The can-do attitude that makes their blog so relatable translates to the book, and obviously resonates with readers. Snow, what snow?
The former Homies winners are the first to admit they have no formal training in design; they just want nice looking things for cheap. That's the wonderful thing about DIY: anyone can do it. And that's the spirit of Young House Love. Full of simple and inexpensive ideas that even a beginner can tackle, the projects are a mix of cool and classic.
In the age of Pinterest, it seems we're always searching for the newest and the next, and it's rare that anything is truly original. I love that John and Sherry introduce their book by hoping that people will have a mix of "I've-never-thought-of-that moments, I've-thought-of-that-and-just-might-give-it-a-try-now moments, and I've-already-done-that-where's-my-high-five moments." The next time I'm wearing my snarky pants and feel an eye roll coming on over one trendy project or another, I can just give myself a mental high five instead for tackling it already. Negative energy avoided!
Broken down by cost, time, and effort, Young House Love has projects for every space that even the frugal, busy, or lazy can complete (self-proclaimed lazy girl, here!). And if something goes awry? As Sherry shared with me in an interview, "relax, it's only decorating."
Have you flipped through Young House Love yet? Share your thoughts in the comments!
(Image: Tara Bellucci)
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Great book. Reads just like the blog. I can't wait to try some of the projects.
Is it sad that I feel like my good friends just wrote the book even though I've never met these folks?
Even though I don't share their taste in decor, I will probably buy this book because they do such a great job of explaining how-to.
I am getting the book for Christmas and cannot wait to get my hands on a copy. Love younghouselove.
I read the book cover-to-cover the day it came in the mail. I just couldn't put it down! Reminds me of the Harry Potter releases. Since then, I've revisited the book for specifics and am planning quite a few projects to personalize my home.
I wish I had this book months ago when I was a novice. So many tricks and rules had to be learned the hard way; sweat, tears, and messy mistakes. All that could've been avoided if only Yough House Love (the book) were available then!
I went to a stop on their book tour in Richmond and heard them speak. They were great! I loved their cute presentation and they were very nice and down to earth when getting my book signed. Great inspiration!
it would be a good idea to follow all former Homies winners and see what they've accomplished since winning.
I pre-ordered the book and I enjoyed leafing through the projects/ideas. The price of the book is also very reasonable. The book is full of fun ideas and I hope to try some myself.
Just went to their book signing in Toronto on monday, They were great to meet even after a solid 3 hours in line, and for them a solid 3 hours of meeting hundreds of random people!