So.....I might not be TOTALLY objective about interior design. In college, I devoured books on the history of art, design and furniture. For the past twenty-four years, I have been an interior designer, and what a dream job! Then, when the work day is done, I go home and watch interior design shows on television, while I sketch ideas for future projects. On the weekends, I read novels that have delicious descriptions of interiors and surroundings. Sick, right?
While my design obsession might not be an exemplary example of work/life balance, it does actually make me intensely qualified to give recommendations on fun, design-related beach reads for your next trip or long weekend.
1. HISSY FIT by Mary Kay Andrews
A southern interior designer finds her world turned upside down in the matter of minutes. She publicly throws the mother of all hissy fits. This book is a melting pot of style, mystery and good, old-fashioned humor. If you like audio books, this one is read with pure, southern style and makes the characters even more vivid.
2. LONDON HOLIDAY by Richard Peck
Three childhood friends have lost touch over the years, and the far-flung friends decide to finally embark on a long-awaited trip to London. Something about the mix of antiques, travel and long lost friends make this tale a total winner.
3. THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET by Karen White
Melanie Middleton hates to admit it, but she sees ghosts. Set in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the most historic cities in the country, there tends to be more than a few ghosts. Melanie inherits a beautiful, historic, money pit of a home and all of its mysteries. As someone that usually has to break the costly, unforeseen news of the expense found in a client's crumbling plaster walls, it was nice to be an innocent bystander in this novel.
4. BLUEPRINTS by Barbara Delinsky
Steeped in the dynamic between mothers and adult daughters, Blueprints has it all! Caroline is a skilled carpenter, and has her own HGTV-styled show. Jamie, her daughter, works in the family business behind the scenes. Loved how this book reminds us that coming-into-your-own happens at all ages.
5. THE FIXER UPPER by Mary Kay Andrews
Okay, I know that Mary Kay is on the list twice, but ..... I kind of feel that we would be BFFs, if she knew me. Fixer Upper came out long before the Chip and Joanna Gaines show of the same name, so don't get confused! This Fixer Upper takes place in Guthrie, Georgia in a dilapidated Southern plantation house after Dempsey Killebrew, a Washington lobbyist lands in her familial home when her career ends up in a similarly dilapidated state.
Now that my recreational AND professional design obsessions have been completely exposed, send me all of your favorite design reads!