Carley Roney’s The Nest Home Design Handbook: Simple Ways to decorate, organize, and personalize your place is a home design book that’s equally helpful and aspirational.  I don’t frequent The Nest, but I found the solutions in this book to be much more realistic and doable than even sites I really enjoy, like those of Apartment Therapy and Domino.

I think lots of design books give the impression that you need a lot of money, time, or expertise to create a look, though that is not always the intention.  The Nest caters to young, recently married couples who probably don’t have a lot of any of those things.  Furthermore, the book seems to have an overall style that jives with mine.  There’s not too much clutter.  Nothing outrageous or chintzy.  Lots of clean, modern lines.  A good mix of colors and neutrals.  This is the kind of book that makes you think, “You know, I could try doing this right now.”  Then you stub your toe attempting to move the couch.

All kidding aside, I really like this book.  It has a nice reference section, talks about color schemes, and gives great tips supplemented with pictures.  You can find it for as little as $15 at your nearest bookstore or at the library.