One of my serious weaknesses is design and decor books. They probably make up 75% of my Amazon wish list. I love reading the theories behind different design choices, tips and tricks of seasoned designers, and bookmarking pages for ongoing inspiration.

So it was awesome to get the new Simple Sustainable Style by Randy Florke in the mail to review here on the blog! This is a Country Living Book filled with the same decor style you’d find in Country Living magazine, which I subscribed to for a few years before cutting back to only three magazine subscriptions (it’s an addiction…). Lots of quilts and old farmhouse antiques. I may have a different decorating style in my own home, but I love seeing what creative people do with this look!

The author covers the design choices he made over seven different homes, room by room. While his style stays the same, it was interesting to see how he adapted his choices for the different homes, mostly influenced by architecture. Two of the farmhouses are quite similar, but in a new-construction home, his rustic farmhouse side is toned down and edited to a more elegant look.

I also love to see junk-store finds repurposed into everyday living. The author shares many creative ideas for using old furniture in new ways (such as outfitting a kitchen with storage furniture rather than just cabinets). Other pieces (buckets, ladders, signs, etc) make for unexpected and charming decor.

This book would make a great gift for someone who loves that country farmhouse rustic-elegance look (maybe with a set of tea towels or homemade jam?). There are a lot of ideas and tips for getting that look. Even as someone whose taste is a bit more contemporary, I enjoyed seeing the work of the author in his element (but maybe that’s just because I’m a nerd for design in general!). In any case, I’m happy to add this one to my shelves.

Will you check this book out? Ooh, and while we’re talking books, any recommendations for new decor books I should check out? I’m working on a post about my old stand-by favorites, but I’d love to add some new ones to my Christmas list!