I’m a visual person. Beautiful pictures calm me, inspire me and teach me.

I recently received a copy of Southern Living’s new publication Southern Living Style and boy, does it contain pictures that can calm, inspire and teach all at once.

I suppose you expect a design book to contain photos of beautiful rooms. We often see pictures of inspiring rooms and have no idea how to recreate them in our own homes. Style strives to provide inspiration with plenty of information for implementation. In addition to providing details for using various elements such as wicker, flea market finds, painted floors and more in your own designs, the book addresses each room in your home. The book is divided into three sections addressing design, room and how-to topics. “Defining Southern Style” addresses the wildly varying techniques and looks that make a room uniquely Southern. Color and pattern, slipcovers, monograms, portraits and antiques are just some of the elements discussed. For example, did you know that slipcovers are a Southern tradition?

Before air-conditioning, Southerners traditionally slip-covered their upholstered pieces in summer when the windows were open in an attempt to cool the house. Slipcovers protected furnishings from dust and dirt that sneaked in with bugs and breezes and could be easily removed and laundered. Mahogany legs and arms were often left exposed for a stylish contrast with the conventional cotton muslin covers.

Southern Living Style – Advice & How-to’s

“Living Southern in Every Room” provides inspiration and tips for each room in the house. Because so much living is done in our kitchens, they receive a great deal of attention in this book. In the South and elsewhere, kitchens have evolved the most over the past 200 years. Once located in separate buildings due to fire concerns, kitchens are now the center of the American home and lifestyle. From islands to tile to accessories, Style addresses many of the conundrums facing home owners when planning a kitchen design and give tips and step-by-step suggestions for pulling it all together. One of my favorite sections is “Kids’ Rooms,” which is jam-packed with ideas for creating rooms that will grow with our children…and therefore, save us money!

One of the most popular additions to modern design, ironically, is looking to the past. In an effort to reduce, reuse and recycle, more and more folks are turning to antique stores, thrift stores, salvage yards and their own attics for key furnishings and inspiration. “Reinventing the Old” gives information and inspiration for furniture face-lifts. This section isn’t meant to and doesn’t provide specific instructions for, say, reupholstering. Rather, it gives you information for choosing fabrics and suggestions such as painting a chair’s arms and legs before applying fabric.

Finally, Style provides room-by-room style sheets for you to record and detail your own rooms and selections as well as a “black book” for favorite designers and sources, including retailers. The style sheets record dimensions, colors, and styles so that you have that information available to aid other decisions throughout the room or the rest of your home.

In addition to inspiring pictures and design sense, practical tips for implementing the designs are also provided provided throughout the book. For example, readers are reminded to “use a polyurethane seal as the last step in painting a wooden…floor to protect it from water and steam…”

Our Home Style

My husband and I recently (three weeks ago), relocated to Georgia. I am from the South and we currently live in the South. To say that I plan to make use of the design tips and inspiration in this book is a huge understatement. Specifically, I’m going to use the discussion on tile to guide our choice for kitchen backsplash. The former owners of this house had a “tin ceiling” installed as a backsplash. It was dark and impossible to clean (and they did not…ewwww!). We’ve removed the tin, painted and are now planning our backsplash with consideration for the style of the kitchen.

The mud room. I’ve never had one of these before and I’m super excited! Does preschool girl still leave her shoes right in the middle of the kitchen? You betcha. However, as soon as we organize this room and reinstall the bottom drawers beneath the bench (removed for new hardwood installation), I’m hoping to train her otherwise. Fabric and bead board suggestions in Style have given me inspiration… now to implement.

The blank wall. I wish I could say I’ve never had one of these before. This is our only real dining room wall. The rest of the room is open to the entryway and living room. This wall haunts me with its scale. None of my pictures, mirrors or wall hangings are “right.” However, with practical suggestions from Style, I’m pondering a way to group these things together for a wall with impact. Keep your fingers crossed for me?

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Southern Living’s Style is a comprehensive style guide for designing homes with warmth and eclectic charm, whether you are in the South or not. The photographs are abundant, well planned and visually inspiring. In addition to designer and practical tips, Style contains methodology for planning classically great spaces that will wear well with time. If you are currently planning a space and looking for inspiration, this book is worth the investment of its retail $29.95.

Not to Buy… If you are are a fan of super modern design, stick with Dwell.

Shop! Southern Living’s Style is available in most book retailers as well as online and retails for $29.95. It is currently available on Amazon for $19.77.

Win! A Copy of Southern Living Style: Easy Updates, Room-by-Room Guide, Inspired Design Ideas.

How to Enter: Just leave a comment telling us one area of your home you need style advice.

Giveaway ends October 26. Open to US mailing addresses only.

We received a sample to facilitate this review. The company is providing the giveaway prize.