Rarely does a book come out that makes my heart beat as fast as it did when I turned the pages of Patina Style. Written beautifully by Brooke Giannetti, the creator of the beautiful blog Velvet & Linen, and her husband Steve, an artist and furniture designer, the book is a love letter to all things antique and imperfect using a subtle, elegant palette.

The pages are filled with soothing colors: earth tones, creamy whites, gray-greens and soft-colored blues. You’ll start to feel more and more relaxed as you turn each page. Never have  I seen a book where every single page captivated me and took my breath away. Brooke and I share a very similar style, and I’ve had similar things both at my home and my shop. The stunning baker’s cabinet of recycled wood, the worn French chairs, the pale grey Swedish Mora clock, seashells, white coral, antique vellum books. It’s all magical.

Decorating your home shouldn’t be ridiculously expensive. I get frustrated when I flip through magazines and every item in a home is expensive and custom-made. The expensive pillows match the custom rug and the custom sofa and the custom drapes. Yes, of course you should splurge on some things, and certainly this book has a lot of beautiful things that are very high end, but I love how Brooke pairs an expensive Swedish antique settee with the flea market prints hanging over it. A large antique cabinet is adorned with inexpensive dried hydrangeas. Sea shells aren’t expensive, but when you put a few of them on a gorgeous coffee table, they become a showpiece. Lots of industrial pieces and architectural salvage make the rooms more unique and special. And the sofa might be custom-made, but you’re not afraid to curl up on it with a cup of coffee.

Brooke and Steve know how to make a small cottage look chic and elegant, and a large home cozy and inviting. The mix of stunning furnishings and their choice of soothing Farrow & Ball paints make each room serene and breathtaking.

You’ll get a lot of wonderful ideas, no matter what your budget. The back of the book lists some wonderful resources like Kymberley Fraser’s gorgeous store A Beautiful Mess Antiques and the wonderful Agoura Antique Mart, which I just discovered last week. Enjoy!