Building Your Nest

For those of us who, in the past year, have become increasingly recession-minded, but still can’t resist the occasion bout of retail therapy, it seems to make sense to focus our efforts on sprucing up our home (you know, instead of our wardrobes). It’s the place where we spend time with family and escape the chaos of life (hopefully). But decorating a home is also incredibly intimidating, and many people either give up out of fear or go way overboard, thinking that the more stuff they cram in there, the cozier it will be.

Thankfully, I’ve just come across a new book by design geniuses Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams that addresses all these issues and then some. “The Comfortable Home” takes readers room by room, offering layout ideas that are both functional and stunning. And it’s chock full of pictures, so if worse comes to worse, you can just completely rip off one of their designs and call it a day. Still confused? The design duo will be at Butterfield in Providence on December 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. signing copies and answering your most pressing décor questions.