A review of The Comforts of Home appeared in New Zealand House & Garden magazine February issue.
The rising cost of living is a subject on many of our minds so it’s apt that this book encourages making the most of what you have, and refreshing your interiors without splashing about too much cash. It enters the spirit of how we want to live now at a time when excess is no longer desirable by showing how you can create a home that’s comfortable and welcoming rather than showy. It’s full of practical advice and tips on how to reuse, recycle and refresh. At times
it has a slightly quaint “good housekeeper” tone, extolling the virtues of a tidy home and how to use borax as a cleaner – like your older aunt recalling the measures they took to survive wartime shortages. But being thrifty is fashionable, using fewer chemicals is appealing and a home that wraps around your senses – feels warm, looks inviting and smells good – is irresistible. It’s also a beautiful coffee-table book rich with images of charming interiors of that particularly English style: pastel colours, whitewashed surfaces, botanical prints and quirky
antiques. A book of the moment that will make you feel uplifted in these gloomy financial times. Review by Sharon Newey