Pretty, practical, and personal. What more can you ask for in a home decor book? This manual of how-to and DIY advice is full of ways to make your house a home - and your own home, at that.

Barker gives reasons as well as advice for living in spaces that please as well as serve you well. Accompanied by beautiful photographs, you'll enjoy this one.

So many housekeeping type books make it feel unachievable so I was really pleased when I started this one and she said that she has an ordinary sized house and she had long term health conditions that made it difficult to stay on top of the mess, and her cupboards weren't Instagrammable works of art. So far, so approachable. Then she listed the equipment she had to keep a tidy house. Three hoovers, a steam mop and a normal mop. Love, I don't even have a cupboard for one hoover, where do you think I'm putting all of that?!! So, while it does have some suggestions for keeping on top of the tidying and cleaning, it's still fairly aspirational. The photos look gorgeous though and give me house envy.

Book Review: The Home Reset by Karissa Barker

Rating: 4 Stars

Hey there, fellow book lovers! I recently had the pleasure of reviewing The Home Reset by Karissa Barker, and it’s a total game-changer for anyone looking to bring a bit more order (and calm) into their home life.

So, here’s the deal: Life can get pretty chaotic, right? Between work, kids, and everything in between, the last thing we need is to stress about having a perfectly Instagrammable closet. Karissa totally gets that! She dives into the reality of home organization with a refreshing perspective. Instead of just throwing pretty pictures and motivational quotes at you, she actually provides practical tools and strategies that genuinely help.

In The Home Reset, Karissa takes us through essential resets for every room in our homes. She covers everything from quick kitchen hacks (hello, clean sink club!) to clever ways to manage toys in the living room. Each chapter is packed with actionable tips that fit seamlessly into even the busiest family routines. I loved how she focuses on creating systems that make life easier rather than just pushing for perfection.

What I really loved were her quick tips, three-step cleaning, and those handy lists. And I have to mention the aesthetics of the book itself. It’s not just filled with valuable info; it’s also visually stunning! The layout is beautiful, and the photography is top-notch. It’s definitely a book that would look great on your coffee table while also being a fantastic resource when you need it. If you’re on the lookout for a solid cleaning book to help you get organized, The Home Reset is an absolute must-have. Karissa Barker has knocked it out of the park with this one!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Thank you to NetGalley & Quarto Publishing Group - Fair Winds Press for this advanced reader copy to review!

The Home Reset is not only a good book to have on your coffee table, but it also has some helpful cleaning hacks that make everyday life less cluttered! I appreciated Karissa's lists, quick tips, 3 step cleaning processes, and details to make my new house more of a home. I cannot wait to try some of the tips she gave in our bedroom, bathroom and living room. The laundry tips will also be such a timesaver for me. Beyond that, the book is beautiful. Great layout, stunning photography and great storytelling between the tips. Happy I got to read this ahead of its publication on October 1st, and if you are looking for a great housewarming gift or a cleaning book to keep on hand - this is a great book to grab!

Out of the three books I read on this topic this week, this one was clearly the best. Direct, practical advice to help you get your **** together and make (and keep!) your house clean again. I loved the inclusion of ready-to-use lists you can just apply to your own space, for every room of the house - and I'm definitely going to be using them all right away!
This book would make a very nice gift for a new university student who just moved out of their parents house, or a young couple overwhelmed with the cleaning necessities of a brand new home.

This had so many great ideas and tips on how to keep your home organized. I'm a huge fan of keeping things tidy and clean. Karissa had so many good points on how to keep your space welcoming. I definitely had notes throughout the book and have tried some of these.

"The Home Reset" is just what I needed with my favourite time of year—Autumn and Christmas—around the corner. It’s filled with inspiration and motivation to help get the house in order. The book is organised by room, so it's easy to pick where you want to start, and each section is split into four useful parts: reset, habits, systems, and tutorials. There are lots of actionable tips, along with advice on building and maintaining habits that suit your lifestyle. The checklists are a great bonus and will definitely come in handy!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. The pictures are beautiful and the book is filled with great ideas for how to better manage a home so as to not get overwhelmed.

A beautiful and comprehensive book I would recommend to anyone who is overwhelmed by their space! It was well set up and had clear and detailed steps on how to clean, care for, and set up your space for optimized enjoyment. It felt like an empowering tool!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was well organized and easy to follow, but it didn’t provide much new information from what I typically do already. I was hoping for some new ideas and structures for organization and cleaning!

I loved the way this was written and could really relate to the author as I also have a chronic illness that means looking after a home can feel overwhelming. I must admit that I already do most of the tips mentioned but it did make me want to go and clean which is why this book is worth its weight in gold!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Loved it! I thought it was so well organized and practical. I loved the author’s voice and how she didn’t pretend like she was perfect and had it all together. It was a very human approach. I loved the checklists and how she broke it down into habits.

Let me start with saying: I don't want to brag (I do really!) but I already do most of the things in The Home Reset. And let me tell you: it works!

I'm always on the lookout for tips for improving the way my home works. So it's not surprising I've learnt a few good habits already (I'm OLD!). So although I didn't learn much that was new to me, I really enjoyed The Home Reset. And that's saying a lot, because I was afraid it might be heavy on the nice photos but light on the practical advice. In fact, you get plenty of both. It's pretty, practical and doable.

I also love the way it's written:

"Life happens. Clutter happens. Have an emergency plan system in place: when you begin to notice a chair party [note: i.e. a chair piling up with discarded clothes] in the corner, aim to tackle it before it turns into an abstract art piece. Notice and acknowledge it, and plan a time (that day) to tackle it. Set a reminder on your phone or an alarm if you have to. If your executive function just isn't executive-ing, listen to a podcast or watch a show while you make yourself do it."

You can definitely say this is aspirational; few people have the time or bandwidth to keep their homes perfect all the time. But The Home Reset makes it feel doable. More importantly, it focuses on small habits to build on. I've had my own home for over 35 years, and now I'm retired, so I've had the time. I recommend this for anyone earlier on their life path who wants to set up good habits to live in a warm, cosy and functional home.

I like how realistic it is, and how applicable the advice is for just about anybody. The cleaning products recommended are basic products available worldwide, not brand products only available in a few countries. It recognises that not everything can be controlled (for example, if you have a teenager who won't fold clothes and is happy to dig their clothes out of a hamper, accept it!) And it details cleaning systems that make cleaning each room a step by step process that is not overwhelming.

In other words, it's realistic and practical. For example, it goes beyond the usual organising tips. I've only recently figured this one out myself: you can organise both by category AND by usage (see p. 103). In my case, I've long been organising my bathroom by category. I have a unit where I store everything in [labeled] containers, by category (for example, all pills in one container, ointments in another, tooth-cleaning products in another, hairbrushes in another, etc.) Yet the counter was always full, because I'd leave out the products I use every day (the pills I take before bed, favourite hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste, the coconut oil I slather on my face every night, etc...) rather than rooting through all the different containers where they 'live'. Then I realised what I needed was to clear out one shelf, in the unit above the sink, for all the 'currently-using-every-day' items that usually gather on the countertop. I open it when I come into the bathroom before bed, go through my routine putting everything back on the shelf after using it, then close the door. Clean counter! Yes, you can do this with a caddy or tray, but those just get full up with things you're no longer using every day, and they still make the counter look messy.

I've had decades to hone my systems, through trial and error. Take a shortcut with The Home Reset. It's PACKED with good tips! It's largely about repeating things until they become an ingrained habit. Let me paraphrase the most important ones that I have lived by for a long time, that really make life at home more pleasant.

1) Always tidy your kitchen and wipe down the counters before going to bed. Always. Yes, Always.

2) Always go through the living room before going to bed and pick up stray glasses, cups and random stuff that has gathered during the day. (I'm currently working on '... Also, fluff up the cushions on the sofa and fold any throws left lying around'.)

That's it. Of course there's more, but these two things are transformative. You'll get up to a tidy(ish) living and kitchen area, making the start of your day way more pleasant.

So I highly recommend The Home Reset. It would make a great gift for someone starting out in their own place for the first time.

My thanks to the publisher, the author and @NetGalley_UK for providing an ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

NetGalley_UK #bookreview #TheHomeReset

I adored the writing in this book, it was like talking to a friend. She was very real about how life can be and gives just some great suggestions that I hope to implement in my life. It wasn't anything super groundbreaking but had some really easy to implement ideas. She also talks about making the space work for you not the other way around. You have to live in your home so what do you need from your home. I feel like I could totally be friends with this Karissa Barker in fact I would love that!

This was very helpful for thinking about ways to make my own cleaner for cheap and stay somewhat sustainable. I liked how she provides different options for keeping your home clean and organized, but with different options based on how much time you have and how deep you want to clean.

4.5 stars rounded up

As autumn approaching, The Home Reset is exactly what I need. I love how the sections are organized by room and provide info on how to 1) reset, 2) build habits, and 3) create a system. I also really enjoyed how the book approached kid spaces - a very easy way to handle some of the most chaotic places in the (my) home. Thanks to NetGalley, Karissa Barker, and Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds for the advanced copy.

Nicely organized with pretty pictures for every room in your home. Useful checklists and some good cleaning hacks. Not earth shattering but practical.

Who isn’t in need of tips for decluttering and organizing?! The Home Reset is divided into chapters by the type of room (e.g. living room, kitchen/dining room, bathroom, kids’ spaces, etc) + each chapter is subdivided into 4 sections: reset, habits, systems, tutorials.

The book had a lot of great actionable tips as well as advice on how to start/maintain new habits + find out what works best for you. I like her idea of making different cleaning caddies so everything you need is all in a portable bucket/container as you go. The checklists will be really helpful too!

A great guide for keeping your home cleaner and well-organized. Loved the serene presentation and beautiful photos. Recommended!

Thanks, NetGalley for the chance to read The Home Reset. Let me start by saying I love magazines, books, online articles, etc. that motivate me to clean and organize. I love the way this one is organized with tips, tricks and cleaning recipes, as well as checklists room-by-room to simplify the organization process.
I would write more, but I've got an urge to go clean my laundry room now.