Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff

Written by Myquillyn Smith

Narrated by Lisa Wright

Go beyond décor trends to make your home beautiful, stylish, and comfortable. . .on any budget.

Writing for the hands-on woman who'd rather move her own furniture than hire a designer, Myquillyn Smith--author of the The Nesting Place--helps you think through every room in your house, one purposeful design decision at a time. With people, priorities, and purpose in mind, you can create a warm, inviting, and timeless home that transcends the latest trends and centers around your personal style.

You'll have the tools to create a home you're proud of in a way that honors your unique priorities, budget, and taste. And best of all, you can completely transform your home starting with furniture and décor that you already have!

In Cozy Minimalist Home, Smith helps you:

• Recognize your role as the curator of your home who makes smart, style-impacting design choices
• Know what to focus on and what not to worry about
• Discover the real secret to finding your unique style
• Find a sofa you won't hate tomorrow
• Deconstruct each room and re-create it step by step
• Create a pretty home with more style and less stuff
• Make your home look the way you've always hoped so you can use it the way you've always dreamed 
• Fall in love with the space you've created

Discover how creating a cozy minimalist home goes beyond pretty and sets the stage for the true connection, relationship, and rest that you deserve.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Oct 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9780310356806

Myquillyn Smith

Myquillyn Smith, also known as "The Nester," is the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Welcome Home and Cozy Minimalist Home. For the past 15 years, she has been encouraging women to embrace their space--imperfections and all--and make it their own. Her home in North Carolina has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal, and Cottages & Bungalows. She's never met a home she didn't love. Find her online at TheNester.com and on Instagram @TheNester.

Reviews for Cozy Minimalist Home

[Jeanne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was very enjoyable and informative. I recommend it.

[Jai Seetal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Even though she was repetitive for the first half of the book and you could just skip all that, the second half was seriously pragmatic and exactly what we needed. She breaks down principle and process very succinctly. Loved it and very happy to have read it!

[ROSALIND GREEN · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Practical suggestions with a method to follow: consider the function of each area according to your family's current and near future needs. It's rather like Marie Condo - take everything out, pause, then put essentials back in and curate the accessories.

[Kelly Strickler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed all the tips and can’t wait to start!

[a b · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Quick and simple beginner's guide to design concepts I personally really enjoyed it gave me a half decent foundation

[Shante Bigelow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book! It really helped me look at decorating in a freeing way.

[keonda · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Some much useful tips especially for some of us non-home people. I have tips I can use and master now that will be used later. Re-reading to write down those tips as well!

[jan hunt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book has lots of great ideas and ways to put it into action.

[Kirsten Giesbrecht · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book a lot! Have some very concrete advise for styling while simplifying life. She does bring up her religion a little bit, which was unexpected and not something I particularly liked, but overall a quick and inspiring read! I’ll read more of her books!

[Heather · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book has no substance. Author repeats herself over and over.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Just started and enjoying the narrative. She seems to be a sweetie and I'd like to be her friend. But imo she still has too much stuff, according to the pix anyway. I don't know if I'll be able to get any advice from her.

But remember, I've been working on this for years. I'm not 'low-hanging fruit' and I don't spend money on decor and I don't hoard. I'm just very well-equipped and want to be able to pare down to two bedrooms when the last kid moves out. We'll see if Smith has any hard-core advice for someone like me, whose home is already clean enough, welcoming enough, calm enough, organized enough.

Anyway, came on because there is a mantra already that I totally can use going forward.
"Cozy is a tool, not a style."
-----
Ok, about halfway. Turns out "Minimalism is a tool, not a style" also.

And she does give specific hard advice about finding your style, including using Pinterest or a similar tool to passionately collect pictures of rooms that speak to you. Then run through her checklist of what you like, dislike, etc. about each room. Lots more work than taking the fun quizzes but lots more personalized and usable, too. Ideally, friends can then take a look and see what they notice. She mentions specific things her friends noticed that she wouldn't have (sort of a forest for the trees, or possibly a blind spot, problem).

CoMis want Function, Abundance, Beauty, and Simplicity. I think I'll pass on the abundance except in the kitchen. So many of these photos still have throw pillows that have to be moved before you can sit down, and extra decor like empty vases or two lamps on one console table. And antlers low above the sofa, so you have to duck to sit down.

Well, if you want 'more style with less stuff' and want more about how to design & decorate, and aren't too worried about the decluttering strategies in other books, blogs, etc., you could do worse than borrow this from you library.

[thewestwing-864351 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the visual aspect of this book. The photos were a great aid to the book. I probably identify with this sort of minimalism over the puritanical minimalism that some preach. A great book if you enjoy interior design.

[libraryhead · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Zondervan is not a publisher that typically does decorating books, and it shows. The photography in this one was a big disappointment: very little of it, and what there was was half filler and half repetitive, overly staged photos of the author's home. The text is fine, if a little obvious. Might be helpful if you share the author's problem of buying too many decor items.

[nrdowner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such a practical book! Smith takes the reader on a journey through one room in your house, any room you want, in order to quiet the space, make it cozy and keep it simple at the same time. Her steps make it easy to think about how your want a room to feel, identify how to get it there, and then make it happen according to your taste and family needs.

[lauraspeter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book! There are a lot of really great concepts and examples that make it very practical.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’m not into interior design, but I love tips on making my home feel cozy with LESS STUFF! The author gives tangible take aways. Start by “quieting” the room by emptying it of stuff. Then figure out where the big furniture pieces go. Next is a rug, then drapes, then paint and artwork; always in that order. Other tips: go big on rugs and artwork instead of using lots of small random items. Accessories: create vignettes. Seasonal: equipment, not decor.

[flying_monkeys_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like that the author empowers minimalists to decorate how they want, to break free from the notion that minimal means cold and sterile and empty, and to embrace one's style as dynamic and fluid -- it's okay to change and evolve over the years.

This lovely hardcover is filled with beautiful color photos.

3.5 stars