Pretty Prudent Home

Your Ultimate Guide to Creating a Beautiful Family Home

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• Publisher: Abrams
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781683355397
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Interior Design

Pretty Prudent Home is part design book, part DIY guidebook, with beautiful photography inviting readers to tackle projects both simple and sophisticated. With images from the authors' homes, as well as those of trendsetters around the world, fans are given an in-depth look into the lives and design sensibilities of a wide spectrum of stylish, aspirational, yet down-to-earth families. With modern projects that include repainting thrift store finds, repurposing vintage heirlooms, creating quick window treatments, sewing your first hand-me-down quilt, and even tips on the easiest ways to throw a last-minute party or host a bake sale, Pretty Prudent Home offers practical projects and a large dose of Boneau and Curtis's trademark banter and whimsy to help you create a truly inspired yet livable home.

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the prudent
home

You live in a place. Maybe it’s a house you own, maybe it’s an apartment you rent, maybe it’s a loft or a tent or a tree house. To you (and to us, if you would just invite us over already), it feels like home. Your family is with you, your routine is established, and all is well in the world. You have everything that you need. Your life is good; it’s actually so good that when you stop to think about it, you can’t help but feel grateful for everything that you have. It’s all so fortuitous, and you are so fortunate. We agree.

Still, sometimes, you think about home improvements or redecorating or making stuff—because it looks like fun, and you need a hobby, and you think your kids might benefit from a new desk on which to do their homework (so why not make them the perfect desk in their favorite shade of aqua?). It’s just a seed of an idea that spills out while searching and pinning in your off-hours, borne of your desire to make actual things and your unspoken, but ever-present, desire to make everything even better for your family in every way possible. But how do you start on that path? And once you open that door, how do you avoid getting swallowed up by all the things you might want and narrow your focus to the things you can really do?

We’re here to help. To begin, we suggest you first take a step back and paint a personal picture of your prudent home. Find practical points and inspirational exercises to focus your planning, and have some fun figuring out where house design and home life intersect in your heart.

peek into prudent homes

It’s so fun to sneak a peek inside the homes of people who inspire you—real people who have given great thought to the elegance and function of their family living spaces. We’ve gathered some of our favorites here. Ranging from sleek modern spaces to cozy antique-filled abodes, these intriguing homes exemplify the principles of prudent decorating.

See FINDING YOUR STYLE quiz on this page to discover your own style profile.

CHRISTINE & STEVEN VISNEAU
Christine and Steven Visneau are the owners of VEECARAVAN, a shop for unique, organized living (veecaravan.bigcartel.com). She’s a stylist and he’s a fashion photographer, and together they share a cozy mid-century-inspired home in Dallas, Texas, with their two young daughters. Creative and eclectic choices in décor mix with everyday necessities presented in a clean and organized way to make their home a comfortable and inspiring space to raise a family in style.

MODERNIST + ECLECTIC ENTHUSIAST

HILARY & DAVID WALKER

Fort Worth, Texas–based photo stylists and bloggers Hilary and David Walker (ourstylestories.com) have built a home brimming with vintage finds, travel treasures, and exquisite fine art. We love how photographer Hilary brings her displays together with casual organization.

THRIFTER + ECLECTIC ENTHUSIAST

ANDREA & STEVE STANFORD

Artisanal touches, from hand-carved beams to curved built-ins, make the home of Andrea Stanford a stunner. She and her husband, Steve, have complemented the architecture of their Beverly Hills, California, abode with a carefully curated selection of antiques, family heirlooms, and rich textures. Their space feels opulent, yet clean and uncluttered. The couple’s furniture selections reflect their modern sensibilities while referencing a sense of history that surely makes their three daughters, Ryan, Brooke, and Jade, feel grounded.

TRADITIONALIST + MODERNIST

NINA & DARYL BERG

Touches of Hollywood Regency style including metallic wallpaper and high-lacquer furniture make this California bungalow a stunning space for entertaining both indoors and out. And no-nonsense elements like a farmhouse sink and bare hardwood floors make Nina and Daryl’s first home family-friendly for their pets and first child, newborn daughter Lennox.

GLAMOURIST + TRADITIONALIST

BRAD BLAKE & ALAN GOVE

When the top story of the renovated mill in Boston, Massachusetts, they call home went up for sale, Brad and Alan made a bold move. The couple purchased the penthouse and busted through its roof to create a two-story dwelling and rooftop deck overlooking the city.

MODERNIST

SARA & ROCKY GARZA

Beautiful sunlight fills the home of photographers Sara and Rocky Garza (ourcozycasa.com). White walls unify the rooms of their Dallas, Texas, bungalow and create the perfect modern base for their carefully curated collection of artisanal finds, iconic furniture, and rustic touches.

MODERNIST + RANCHIST

ÝR KÁRADÓTTIR & ANTHONY BACIGALUPO

Overlooking the forest on one side and the harbor of Hafnarfjörður, Iceland, on the other, this 1896 cottage features original exposed oak beams and beautiful natural light. Ýr and Anthony, owners of Reykjavík Trading Co. (reykjaviktrading.com), also share a small home studio where they can spend some work days away from their workshop and closer to their young daughter. This minimalist home, decorated with a mixture of Scandinavian design and vintage American elements found on trips to Anthony’s native California, makes us want to toss everything we own and start fresh.

MODERNIST + ECLECTIC ENTHUSIAST

LAUREN KELP

The Phoenix, Arizona, home of stylist Lauren Kelp (laurenkelp.com) is dappled with southwestern- and Mexican-inspired treasures, making this otherwise clean space lively and fun. Lauren grew up with two artists as parents, and it shows in her ability to craft a space filled with art, beautiful books, and creative inspiration.

RANCHIST + THRIFTER

MISTY SPENCER

Misty Spencer’s beautiful abode proves that you don’t have to give up sophisticated style when you have kids. Touches like rich navy walls, glamorous lighting, and vintage furniture in rich luxurious fabrics give this home an elegant, yet comfortable, style. We love how Misty uses black and white stripes as a repeating design element throughout the house.

TRADITIONALIST + GLAMOURIST

Seven Principles of Prudent Decorating

The prudent aesthetic is about investing in the right items and projects to make your vision come to life. We’ve found these seven principles can be universally applied to any household on any budget. Use these guidelines as a jumping-off point to decide what to keep, what to buy, and what to DIY.

1 WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

Perhaps it’s a family heirloom like your great-grandfather’s clock, or maybe it’s a couch you don’t love but can’t afford to replace. Take a look at what you have to start with and build up from there. There’s no piece you can’t incorporate into your current style with a little creative thinking.

This blue couch had been lived in and loved, but once a kid came into the picture, it proved too small for ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Introduction What is a Prudent Home?
• 1 the prudent home
• 2 pretty prudent décor
• 3 prudent entertaining
• 4 a prudent family
• Contributors & Photo Credits
• Acknowledgments