Favorite Books for a Peaceful Home

Something about winter makes me want to curl up with more and more books. I know I’m not alone in that craving. January is a good time to take stock of what is and isn’t working in our lives, and what habits are beneficial versus doing us harm. This is the time I reach for books to inspire me to create a peaceful home setting. I’d love to share my favorites with you for various categories that invoke peace…

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Decluttering/Assessing Possessions

Not long ago I shared a post with a peaceful guide to a house purge. I think the key to making a successful purge of belongings is to truly assess if you will ever need, use, love or wear an item. Too often there are emotional or obligatory reasons why we believe we must keep something. If we tackle those reasons and keep them at bay, we’ll be able to say goodbye to things that weigh us down. Some great books I use to help with those decisions are:

Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff edited by Lori Baird

Make Room for What you Love by Melissa Michaels

Defining Your Home’s Purpose

Even when our homes look peaceful, clean, and serene they may betray what’s really going on in the family life. If loved ones aren’t our priority or chaos is running our lives, then we may need help remembering what our homes are meant for. The following books help to define the purpose of our homes and what hospitality is all about. They’re treasures of mine:

Hallowed Be This House by Dr. Thomas Howard

“Within these four walls, under this roof, the lamps are lighted…All the eating and drinking, and the working and playing, and the discipline and serving and loving that go on here – they are all holy.”
– Thomas Howard

A Catholic Table by Emily Stimpson Chapman (although this book isn’t necessarily focused on the home, it provides great wisdom in regard to hospitality. Bonus – it’s got a gorgeous cover that makes me want to set a table just like it!)

“(Hospitality)…is simply opening the doors of our homes and inviting others in – giving the lonely, the lost, the weak, the hungry, the struggling, the searching, the stranger, and the friend an opportunity to experience the love of God through the love we show to them.”
– Emily Stimpson Chapman

Peaceful and Hygge Décor

These decorating books give me such a sense of peace just by looking through the beautiful photos! They’re filled with simple and natural décor, and lots of light. Neutrals and texture are key to the serene feeling they evoke.

Life/Style: Elegant Simplicity at Home by Tricia Foley