There's an undeniable voyeuristic appeal to British journalist Ellie Tennant's new book, Design Bloggers At Home. Who wouldn't want a peek behind the curtain at the pros' own homes?
But the book is designed with the very practical goal of helping to inspire readers to rethink their own decor, including lots of close-up details "so that people reading it can take ideas away for their homes," Tennant says.
The book features a wide range of styles: the pared-back look favoured by Niki Brantmark, who writes the blog My Scandinavian Home; the retro chic digs of Victoria Smith, the mind behind SF Girl by Bay; and the colourful eclecticism of Justina Blakeney, whose eponymous blog frequently features a peak inside her bungalow, which she's lovingly dubbed the "Junglaow."
Getting bloggers to participate in the book wasn't hard.
"They're not the most private of people," Tennant says. "Everybody was up for it.
"They're all completely obsessed with their houses and that is all they think about," she says.
That obsessiveness leads to frequently mixing up the look of their space. "They change their style so much," Tennant says.
Even if you're only in it for the eye candy, it's impossible not to come away from the book with a few ideas of how to decorate your space. Like adopting some of the small details, such as the painted boxes in Jane Schouten's craft room, which she uses to display all sorts of quirky knick-knacks.
It also helps you see the possibilities for harmonizing wild juxtapositions, like the ranch house in northern California that Maria Carr, who runs the blog Dreamy Whites, has designed in French farmhouse style.
The latter is a perfect example of what Tennant hopes readers take from the book, she says.
"It doesn't matter where you live or what kind of building you live in, you can literally create any kind of interior you like if you use imagination and creativity," Tennant says.
Dave McGinn