The Perfectly Imperfect Home

Book excerpt: The Perfectly Imperfect Home is a must-have guide to choosing the 80 essential items you need for furnishing and decorating your home, expertly written by Deborah Needham, founder of Domino magazine. Featuring original watercolour illustrations of decorators' own homes, the book sets out how to select everything from the big stuff (a doted-on bed, a couch that will last generations) to quirky accents (an interesting-looking chair, a mix of textiles on a table). It is often the individual pieces, from chairs to china, mirrors to vases, that help you to express your personality, add style and beauty to a home and make everyone in it feel comfortable, glamorous and well-cared for. The inspiring design and approachable tone of The Perfectly Imperfect Home puts it a cut above the competition. Witty and wonderful essays and quick-reference sidebars highlight each of the 80 essentials, offering histories, offbeat uses and really useful styling tips. Decorating a home can be intimidating, but here are 80 essentials that make it manageable and fun.