Disclosure: Make Yourself at Home comes out on Tuesday, September 26th. Sasquatch Books kindly sent an advance copy for review.

If you’re following me on my Goodreads Challenge, you know I have a very eclectic reading style. I like to balance business and long fiction reads with socio-cultural ones. Moorea Seal’s Make Yourself at Home was a very welcome addition to my bookshelf. I love the intimate look into the journey and spaces of Moorea and some of her favorite ladies, who are all just as fascinating, creative, and stylish as she is.

I could tell you to read this book because it’s full of really great stories from Moorea and other creatives. I could tell you to get it for the really fun DIY projects that actually make me want to get my hands on some power tools in the name of finally decorating my home. 

But what really spoke to me about Make Yourself at Home was how much of the home design philosophies in it were rooted in family, personal and professional growth, memories, and being true to yourself despite what society (read: Pinterest) might want to dictate to you instead.

We bought our townhouse in January, but because of wedding planning, honeymooning, and losing Spike, we have yet to embark on serious attempts to decorate the house into a home. Through a lens of grief + new homeowner, Moorea truly helped inspire new ideas and focus how I want to decorate our home.

One of the hardest things about losing Spike has been coming home. What was once a cozy abode lit up by his deep brown eyes and big, handsome face has felt like a place that’s lost its soul since he passed. In Make Yourself at Home, Moorea speaks openly about how much her family - namely her grandparents - have shaped her life and personal growth. 

Much of Moorea’s design inspirations are mementos that honor her loving family. That really inspired me to think of ways we can honor Spike and our own families in our home. I don’t want to just throw money at a color scheme or whatever’s easy and cute at IKEA.

Slowly but surely, we’ll transform our house back into a home that radiates the warmth of Spike’s love, and also highlights our families, our interests, passions, and style of course. 😃

Home design has always been overwhelming to me. Thanks, Moorea, for showing me how to look at it, not as another home improvement project but a labor of true love!

Pre-order Make Yourself at Home at MooreaSeal.com to get a signed copy, or find it on Amazon on Amazon or your favorite local bookstore!