Audiobook Sample
Listen to the sample to experience the story.
Please wait while we verify your browser...
- Title: House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style, and Budget
- Author: Myquillyn Smith
- Narrator: Myquillyn Smith
- Length: 04:33:32
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 23/04/2024
- Publisher: Christianaudio.com
- Genre: Non-Fiction, Hobbies & Games, Home & Garden
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
There’s something profoundly intimate about listening to an author read their own work. It reminds me of those evenings in Oaxaca, where stories weren’t just told but lived through the narrator’s inflections. Myquillyn Smith’s “House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style, and Budget” delivers that same warmth and authenticity in audio form, making this decorating guide feel like a conversation with a wise friend who just happens to have an incredible eye for design.
As someone who’s lived out of suitcases in more countries than I can count, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for spaces that feel like home regardless of their zip code. Smith’s philosophy of ‘doing what you know, using what you have, and finishing what you started’ resonates powerfully with my nomadic experiences. I remember once in Lisbon, transforming a sparse Airbnb into a cozy haven simply by rearranging furniture and using my colorful scarves as wall art – a perfect example of Smith’s principle that good design isn’t about money but about vision.
The audiobook’s structure as ‘one hundred decorating truths’ makes for perfect bite-sized listening. Each rule unfolds like discovering hidden treasures in a global marketplace – some immediately practical (‘Rule 23: Every room needs something black’), others more philosophical (‘Rule 67: Your home should tell your story’). Smith’s narration brings these to life with the enthusiasm of someone sharing hard-won wisdom, her voice alternating between confiding and cheerleading.
What makes this audiobook special is how Smith’s vocal performance enhances her written words. You can hear her smile when discussing the joy of thrift store finds, and the subtle pauses before delivering key insights create that same anticipatory magic as my Oaxacan grandmother’s storytelling. The production quality is excellent – crisp enough to hear the texture in her voice, yet warm enough to feel like she’s sitting across from you with a cup of coffee.
Smith’s approach transcends typical design advice by focusing on mindset rather than prescriptions. Her chapter on ‘confidence to make rewarding decisions that feel risky’ particularly struck me. It reminded me of the time I painted a rental kitchen in Buenos Aires bright turquoise – a ‘risk’ that brought me joy every morning. The audiobook format makes these lessons more impactful, as you’re not just absorbing information but experiencing Smith’s conviction through her tone and pacing.
Compared to other home design audiobooks I’ve sampled, “House Rules” stands out for its lack of pretension. Where some decorators speak in intimidating technical terms, Smith’s language is as accessible as her concepts. The closest comparison might be Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, but where Kondo focuses on elimination, Smith emphasizes creative expression within constraints.
The only slight limitation is that some visual concepts might benefit from accompanying PDF materials (though the vivid descriptions mostly compensate). Also, listeners looking for strict how-tos might need to supplement with more technical resources. But these are minor quibbles for what’s ultimately a masterclass in developing design intuition.
Whether you’re decorating your first apartment or refreshing a lifelong home, this audiobook offers something valuable. It’s particularly perfect for:
– Frequent movers wanting to create instant coziness
– Budget-conscious creatives
– Anyone who feels ‘stuck’ in their spaces
– Those who prefer intuitive design over rigid rules
As I write this from my current temporary home in Marrakech, I’m looking around at how I’ve unconsciously applied many of Smith’s principles – the layered textiles, the mix of local crafts with personal mementos, the strategic use of empty space. “House Rules” has given me the vocabulary to understand why these choices work, and more importantly, the confidence to keep making them.
Wishing you many happy hours of listening and decorating,
Marcus
Marcus Rivera
