as much as i’d love to own my own little one bed flat in london, i’m pretty much resigned to the fact that i’ll be renting all my life. the astronomical rise in property prices over the past decade, coupled with the colossal deposit you need to secure that elusive first foot on the property ladder, mean i’m very unlikely to ever be able to afford my dream home in my city. which means i pretty much just have to make do with what i can achieve in my little rental space, albeit a nice victorian mansion flat, but one which frankly needs quite a bit of tlc.

enter stage left: my good friend joanna thornhill’s new home for now book, a handy guide to making your rented space or first home beautiful – on a budget, of course!

jo and i first met on a styling assignment for a brand that now escapes my memory, but whilst the shoot might not have been memorable jo certainly is, for her bubbly happy-go-lucky personality and her innate ability to craft something wonderful out of virtually nothing. her debut book provides all the inspiration you could possibly need for turning a mere house into a home that you are happy to return to every night, through illustrated make-your-own projects and creative how-to’s, all achievable without requiring specialist tools or in-depth DIY skills.

with chapters dedicated to every room in the house (including home offices, craft rooms and outdoor areas), the book contains a plethora of do-able decorating and styling ideas, from colourful art displays and furniture upcycling, to creating storage units from simple fruit crates and several ingenious wardrobe solutions for small bedrooms.

jo’s passion for interiors and knowledge of creative crafting techniques oozes out of every page, accompanied by stunning visuals from the homes of many of my fellow bloggers and interior stylists – all of which are rental properties or first time buys. it’s hard not to be inspired by some of the radical ways in which these once-bland spaces have been transformed into vibrant homes, with minimal outlay and a huge amount of imagination, and you’d be hard pressed to read this book and not take a fresh look at your own short-term stop-gap home.

i know i’ve certainly been inspired!

home for now by joanna thornhill (published by CICO books) is available from amazon.co.uk now.