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The Bibliophile

These three books are meant for more than display. They will inspire you with ideas on how to decorate your home in time for the holidays. They make great gifts, too.

Inspire: The Art of Living with Nature: 50 Beautiful Projects to Bring the Outside In, by Willow Crossley, 176 pages, CICO Books hardcover, 2023

Create a warm, welcoming festive environment for your home this holiday season. Learn how to make home decorations using flowers, ferns, pinecones, branches, driftwood, seashells and what Mother Nature provides free of charge.

Inspire offers step-by-step instructions for 50 projects. They are divided into five chapters: woodland, flora, fauna, beach and edibles. More than 150 color photographs accompany the text. Each project includes a list of tools such as paints, brushes and fabric. At the back, you’ll find online shopping websites to purchase them.

Willow Crossley, who lives in the Cotswolds in the British countryside, has been called the UK Queen of Flowers. She is the author of four books.

In 2022, Harper’s Bazaar reported, “It’s important to Crossley that her house is comfortable and inviting. [S]ince having three boys…she no longer allows herself to get too emotionally attached to objects.” Grandparents can relate to that sentiment.

Country Living Farmhouse Style: Warm and Welcoming Rustic Homes, by Caroline McKenzie, 160 pages, Hearst Home hardcover, 2023

Do you want to live in surroundings that are stylish yet welcoming and comfortable? Many of us would like pointers on how to properly display our personal mementos and flea-market finds.

Country farmhouse style is the answer. It’s home décor that passes the no-coaster test, a term coined by author Caroline McKenzie, former editor of Country Living.

The terms country and farmhouse are quite broad in interpretation and encompass an informal, casual style incorporating traditional furnishings. In August, Axios.com reported, “Modern farmhouse style dominates [the] DMV suburbs. Modern farmhouses have dethroned McMansions as the suburban dream home.”

The book illustrates 20 homes. Find inspiration browsing the more than 140 color illustrations, over half of which are full-page.

Half of the projects show the interiors of newly built homes; the rest are renovations. See how Tennessee empty-nesters transformed a dilapidated barn into their retirement home.

Nearby homes featured are in Hollywood, Maryland; St. Mary’s County, Maryland; Loudoun County, Virginia; Virginia’s village of Waterford, and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Lived-In Style: The Art of Creating a Feel-Good Home, by Ki Nassauer, photographed by Edmund Barr, 160 pages, CICO Books hardcover, 2023

Does living in a home inspired by glossy magazines make you recoil? Do you cringe at the thought of hiring an interior designer to stage a museum-like setting for your private living space?

For those of you who would like to live in a comfortable home inspired by your travels and personal taste, Lived-In Style is a book you’ll treasure.

More than 180 lavish color photographs in this large-format book explore the Lived-In style look. Alongside each pictorial essay is a list of pointers on how to replicate this concept in your own home.

The book includes a dozen homes that embody this design. They run the gamut from suburban and country to urban and loft spaces.

The homes’ owners cover every demographic: retirees, young families with children, singles and couples. They explain, in sidebar comments, specifics of the Lived-In style. Their Instagram handles are provided so you can continue to follow their design projects.

Vintage objects can be incorporated into every room. Discover these treasures at estate sales, neighborhood sidewalk castoffs, flea markets, Etsy, Ebay and Facebook Marketplace. Learn how to refurbish and transform them into fashionable home furnishings.

At the back of the book, you’ll find 95 resources, including information on 11 major flea markets and prominent antique shows, as well as lists of brick-and-mortar and online stores.

Los Angeles-based Ki Nassauer is founder and editor of the online magazine Lived-In Style. She has been called the Martha Stewart of vintage.