Life Unstyled, the book!

There hasn’t been a whole lot of action here on the blog lately, but I have a good reason, I swear. I’ve been travelling and busily scribbling away for my most exciting project to date: Life Unstyled in it’s rather gorgeous printed book version (if I say so myself).

Following on the success of Modern Rustic and Bohemian Modern, the lovely ladies at my publisher Ryland, Peters & Small (RPS) finally let me loose on my idea for Life Unstyled the book, where I get to totally indulge my unending passion for beautifully imperfect interiors. With the magnificent Debi Treloar behind the camera, I have curated, styled, and written what I hope is a book that inspires you all to love your own homes, with all their lumps, bumps and unfinished jobs, just a little bit more.

Just like this blog, Life Unstyled the book came about as a form of rebellion against the impossibly high standards set in magazines and social media, where very often we’re only shown a moment in time when a room has been styled to look it’s very best. Never mind that just out of frame there is usually chaos and mess – we don’t see that, we just see the spotless and clutter-free shot that often makes us feel bad about our own less than perfect homes.Now don’t expect photos of overflowing dirty laundry hampers and sinks filled with dishes – this is still an interiors book meant to inspire, not repulse, and even the most generous homeowners usually aren’t comfortable literally airing their dirty washing. But do expect stories of inspiring homeowners who favour creativity over perfection.

Some homes in the book are more cluttered than others, one is borderline minimalist; there are big warehouse spaces in Brooklyn, Belgium and London, but also a tiny ex-council flat in Brixton and a modest Victorian terraced house in East London; there are people who have a bit of money and others who perhaps don’t – but what they all share is this desire to express themselves through their homes and allow them to evolve over time, and of course the courage to thumb their nose at tradition and rules and simply do things their own way.

I really hope you like it – it’s a nerve-wracking process to put a book out there in the world that you believe in so much. There will be critics of course, there will be people who write nasty reviews on Amazon (I read them when my first book came out but now I refrain), there will be readers who were expecting the homes to be really unstyled (trust me, most people just won’t let you do this!), and some who just don’t get it. But what I really hope is that for many readers it can inspire them to create an authentic home that tells the world a little bit about who they are without worrying if it’s perfect or done or Instagram ready.  Much love. xx

The release date is October 11th in the UK and US, but you can pre-order on Amazon UK and Amazon USA and have it delivered right to your door as soon as it’s out. Stay tuned also for news about the upcoming launch event in London..

Life Unstyled by Emily Henson, published by Ryland Peters & Small. Photography by Debi Treloar © Ryland Peters & Small. Life Unstyled is a registered trademark of Emily Henson.