I feature books I’m reading each week in my Four Things series, but every once in a while, I come across a book that needs its own blog post.  Such is the case with Interiors of a Storyteller by Stephanie Sabbe.  The official book release is tomorrow, but my friends at Gibbs Smith, who know my love of their decorating and design books, sent me an advanced copy.  (You can purchase it HERE on Amazon.)  I have followed Stephanie on her Instagram page @sabbeinteriordesign, but I didn’t put two-and-two together that this was her book until I started flipping through it and the style felt familiar.

Stephanie’s decorating style is right up my alley.  It’s classic and sophisticated yet each room feels like a real, lived-in space.  It’s beautiful while not being overly starched and fussy.  None of the rooms feel like they should be roped off or just had their plastic removed for the photos.  It feels more like a kid or a cat will come strolling through at any moment.

The styling is restrained, simple, elegant, but not boring.  And I love the way she mixes color and patterns.  It never feels overly done or forced.  It looks like a collection of things that always belonged together.

And, I appreciate so much, that the sources for each home are listed in detail in the back of the book.  You don’t have to wonder about wall colors and wallpaper.  It’s all listed for you, which makes bringing elements of these designs into your own home a little bit easier.

Yesterday on Instagram, Stephanie shared this about the book,

“I read something recently that said a writer re-reading their own published work is like a dog returning to its vomit to eat it. And man, that felt accurate.

Tomorrow my book will officially be a book out in the real world. I’ve been asked a million times over the past several months why I wanted to write a book and I do not have a good answer outside of the fact that it added something different to my often routine life. And I want my children to have it; the stories, the photos, all of it and know that even though most of the homes belong to other people—their little lives were beautifully entertained in the creation of them all.”

I think this is one reason why this book is so good.  It came out of a desire to step outside of her routine and it was made for people she loved.  She wasn’t writing it for the algorithms, SEO, or analytics.  It was for creative fulfillment and her kids and you really feel that.  It’s a book that was made with a lot of intention and joy.

I had to laugh at her quote about how a writer feels reading their own work.  I think all people who make things go through stages of loving and hating their work.  It’s the best idea ever and then it’s the worst and then it’s not so bad and then it feels pretty good again.  It’s just all a part of the process and sharing your vulnerable creative work with the world.

I haven’t read all of the essays in the book, but I look forward to.  Right now, I’m just eating up all of the gorgeous interiors and thinking about my own rooms that still need to be renovated.

As a little added bonus, I love the watercolors of homes and people sprinkled through the book.  It’s a cherry on top of an already yummy book.

If you’re a decor-lover as I am, you’ll want to add Interiors of a Storyteller to your coffee table or bookshelf.