Friday Find: Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home

Last week at Wayfair's Heart Home conference, I had the pleasure of hearing Maxwell Ryan (of Apartment Therapy) speak. And the experience was a good reminder of why it's so important to get out and see/meet people (I mean, I know this to be the case but clearly sometimes I forget!). I've known about Apartment Therapy forever, but it wasn't until I heard Maxwell speak that I truly became invested in the brand. Does that make sense?

Anyway, quite generously, all attendees were gifted a copy of Maxwell's new book, Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home. Sort of accidentally, I was first in line at the signing, and I feel the need to apologize to Maxwell for likely kicking off a stream of photo requests, because how could I not get a picture? I asked Maxwell to include the word "unicorn" in his inscription and he wrote "For Christine, I love unicorns!" #unitedbyunicornlove

BUT I DIGRESS. Getting back to the book: Complete and Happy Home is loaded with guiding principles, handy tips, and many pages of gorgeous photography for inspiration. I have pored over the book repeatedly since bringing it home, and there's one specific thing I wanted to share. There's a wonderful mindful current running through the book, and in a call out section on "8 ways to love your home so it loves you back" (p. 213), Ryan and Laban's fifth tip really spoke to me: 

Appreciate its uniqueness. No home is perfect. It's the quirks that give it character and charm. Taking the time to turn a challenging spot (a dark entryway, a supersmall bedroom) into an eye-catching design moment is one of the more satisfying projects you can take on -- and doing so will make you love your space even more.

Despite the wonderful interior work we did last year, lately, I've found myself grumbling a bit about the challenges of our home; for example, the lack of detailing and charm in the new construction, or the fact that by virtue of being a townhouse we completely lose windows (and -- critically -- natural light) on the wall we share with our neighbors. But that simple tip totally shifted my mindset. I started looking around the house to see what I could do and even simple changes such as moving decor elements around or tackling small household projects proved transformative and extremely satisfying!

Amazing, right? I hope you'll grab a copy of Complete and Happy Home. Because figuring our ways to work with -- and appreciate -- what you have is way less expensive and stressful than moving!

Image credits: book via Amazon; Christine Koh