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Books Provide Budget Decorating Inspiration

© L.C. Dumke

As a little girl, I loved surrounding myself with books. My love of books grew so much over the years that by the time I was in college, I spent hours each day in the library. It was at that time that a roommate who shared my passion for books told me about a magical place. It was in one of the campus libraries, several floors above the busy, crowded "social" atmosphere on the two main levels. The place was called "the stacks". Here rested the books that most people didn't care about, some so old the pages were beginning to disintegrate. I loved walking around in those dark, silent aisles, smelling and touching the books that no one seemed to care about.

Today, 15 years later, I love books just as much as ever. And I have found that in my never-ending quest to decorate my home beautifully on a budget, some books are indispensable sources of inspiration. Here are a few I've found particularly useful in decorating on a budget:

Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting & Decorating Guide, by Rachel Ashwell -- This is the follow-up to Ashwell's enormously popular decorating book, Shabby Chic. While reading this book, I felt like I was peeking into her private world and watching how created such magic with flea market finds. This wonderful book is packed with before and after shots of rescued items, cleaning suggestions, flea market listings and many other resources. A great addition to any budget decorator's library.

Quick Decorating, by Mary Emmerling -- Leave it to the queen of American country decorating to create the most usable decorating book I've ever owed. Who else can place a bucket of lemons or a paper bag full of white beans so artfully in a home that these items become part of the room's decor? What I love most is the way this book is organized; Emmerling presents ideas of decorating in different increments of time - 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes and one hour. From cover to cover, this book is brilliant.

Flea Market Style, by Emelie Tolley & Chris Mead - If you're lucky enough to have great fleas markets near you and you enjoy hunting for unusual treasures, you'll definitely enjoy this book. The author provides creative examples on how to take flea market finds (many look almost ready for the trash when she finds them) and turn them into wonderful pieces for your home. Lots of kitchen and garden items are featured in this book's beautiful photography.

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