{Giveaway is Closed}
The Winner is: #134 – Elizabeth!
Have you sat down and pondered the furniture you bring into your home and have you wondered exactly which pieces you should be looking for that are both stylish and useful. Those pieces that can move from apartment to house, working in each space equally well?
Mother/daughter duo, Suzanne and Lauren McGrath have a background in interior design and fashion design. Mom, Suzanne hails from Martha Stewart Living as Style Editor and Producer and daughter, Lauren, spent time at Teen Vogue, where where she worked in the fashion features department. Their philosophy is that the right combination of pieces can flow through a home, moving from room to room and still working well for years down the road.
Making a house a home is a lifelong pursuit, but this team has written a fun new book to help the process. Good Bones, Great Pieces is chock full of beautiful photography, rooms designed by interior designer, Suzanne, along with beautiful and stylish rooms from many top designers out there today.
Written from personal experience and a lifelong love of buying thriftstore treasures, as well as new pieces, they have compiled those top 7 pieces of furniture that can be so beneficial in building those good bones of a home we are all pursuing.
Suzanne and Lauren also blog at Good Bones, Great Pieces and share inspiring stories of designing and decorating spaces. I was fortunate to get a copy of my very own to add to my decorating book arsenal and I loved reading through this book and seeing all the great ideas.
What are those 7 pieces?
I’ll give you a couple of them and psst, they are all listed on the blog linked above. Most of these pieces you probably already have in your home too, but this book will give you some fresh new ideas on how to incorporate them in a little different way than you might have thought of before.
I had to stop and think about it, but I do believe I have all 7 pieces in my collection too.
Demilune from Ballard Designs
Loveseat from Amazon
Occasional chair from Overstock
From loveseats, to occasional chairs, to side tables, these 7 pieces are workhorses in the home. Move them, paint them, reupholster them and love them. That’s the message I got from Good Bones, Great Pieces.
The great news is that I got an extra copy to give away to one of my readers, so leave a comment for a chance to win ONE copy of Good Bones, Great Pieces for yourself!
What is your favorite “workhorse” piece of furniture in your house that you just can’t live without?
I’d have to say mine is the antique French buffet piece I had in my old kitchen. That piece has served as clothes storage, a breakfast buffet, and a TV entertainment center. I’d say that is quite the workhorse. It is going to end up in my den this time around holding the TV.
So, leave a comment and I’ll choose a winner in a few days!
You can also order the book at the links listed here at Good Bones, Great Pieces.
NOTE: I received a free copy of the book and one to give away to one of my readers.
This book looks like it is full of inspiration. My workhorse pieces are my vintage suitcases and hat boxes I use them to store everything and they can be used to decorate any room.
I have a buffet that has been used in my dining room for it’s intended purpose, my living room as a t.v. stand, my laundry room as storage/folding area, and in my guest room to hold extra items for guests. I love this piece and it looks great in every room, which is probably why it’s moved around so much! 😉
Love the buffet and you have to tell me what color green that is on the walls…I LOVE IT!!!!
I love the demilune table you featured. I am starting the second half of my life with a new career – thrifting for vintage decor. I would love to have this book for my personal education.
Just so happens I am redecorating a beach-side condo and am trying to go from “rental condo” furniture (which is very nice for it’s purpose) to a Cottage Chic look, using Vintage finds. I know that this book would help me make good investments when I purchase new (to me) furniture.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to win.
Jeannie-JB
My workhorse piece is a small dresser that was at one time my little sister’s changing table. It was painted 8 different colors and it was the first piece I ever stripped! I was 15 years old and it’s been in every home I’ve had since my very first apartment and now holds our television in our living room. Its not and expensive antique and I’ve painted the inside of the outside doors black and the insides of the doors are covered with cork. It hides the cable box quite nicely and the drawer above has held wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper and ribbon for 24 years! I love it and have never even actually thought about it until your blog today!
I am anxious to read this book whether or not I win it. My biggest flub was the sofa in my living room. One of my best pieces – an hour glass shaped accent chest of drawers. Every drawer is a different color. It has been in 2 kitchens, a living room, foyer and a hall.
I love to thrift and yard sale. I have seen so many pieces and thought they might be good to redo – but this book will be a huge help to know which pieces to look for.
By the way – I love – love – love watching your house renovations. I am learning and you have inspired me to take on projects that I have been timid about doing. One I am planning – to paint my steps and really look forward to seeing how yours turn out! Thanks for inspiring us all with your blog :}
I just found your blog about a week ago and I am just in love with it. My husband and I just bought out first house in February and I am trying to decorate it on a shoestring budget. I love reading through your past posts and getting ideas from them!
I would also say mine is an antique buffet that I’ve had for about 25 years. We only have one eating area, off the kitchen. It sits there as a decorative piece, but also holds dishes and table linens. Two of the drawers also serve as filing cabinets for bills, etc. The top is used as a buffet server when family comes for meals.
Large ‘secretary’ desk/cabinet is currently kitchen storage and ‘in-a-pinch’ drinks bar, breakfast bar. Love that it could be used, someday, as originally intended! Would love to win book–needing fresh ideas!
We have a small old secretary that we bought from a 90 year old man. It has been so versatile in our home. Right now it holds phone books and photo albums in a stylish way. Would love the book. Thanks!
Looks like a fabulous book! I would love to win it!
Looks like a great book.
Would LOVE to see which of their recommended pieces I have in my own collection!
Looks like a great book to have.
I love decorating books with lots of pictures for inspiration. I live in a house built is 1941 so having smaller scale versatile pieces from other houses sure helps. I also have a buffet that has had so many lives. I also recovered a horse hair sofa from the 1930s that is perfect from my smaller size living room. Thanks so much for sharing.
The little peek we got of this book looks amazing! I would love to have a copy!
My pieces are special to me because they belonged to my grandfather.
I don’t have all the pieces, but do have some. Would love to have the book to help strengthen my resolve to obtain the other pieces.
This book looks awesome. I also have all the pieces listed in my home. Great giveaway, thanks!
Mary L