At a glance
Pages352
First published2015
Audienceadult
M
About the Author
Maxwell Ryan, Janel Laban1 book reviewed · 3.8 avg
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Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home by Maxwell Ryan and Janel Laban is a visually rich home design guide that roots decorating decisions in wellness and function rather than pure aesthetics — earning a solid 3.8/5. It shines brightest for beginners and small-space dwellers thanks to practical, step-by-step frameworks and photography of real, lived-in homes. Readers seeking deep technical guidance on specific design problems may need to supplement it with more focused resources.
- Summarize this book
- Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home is a comprehensive home design guide co-authored by Maxwell Ryan and Janel Laban that blends practical decorating frameworks with a philosophy grounded in wellness and how spaces affect daily life. It covers a broad range of topics — from room arrangement to small-space strategy — and is illustrated with photography of real, lived-in homes rather than staged showrooms. The breadth occasionally trades depth for coverage, but the accessible, non-condescending tone makes it one of the more welcoming entry points into home design.
- Is it worth reading?
- At a 3.8/5, Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home is a worthwhile read for anyone who wants a structured, beginner-friendly introduction to home design that goes beyond surface-level decorating tips. The wellness-grounded philosophy and practical frameworks give it a genuine point of difference. However, readers with specific technical design challenges or experienced decorators looking for advanced guidance may find the broad coverage too shallow and will likely need supplementary resources.
- About Maxwell Ryan, Janel Laban
- Maxwell Ryan is the founder of Apartment Therapy, the influential home and lifestyle media brand, and is known as the 'Apartment Therapist' for his philosophy that homes should actively support their inhabitants' wellbeing. Janel Laban is a longtime editor at Apartment Therapy who brings editorial depth to the brand's practical, accessible voice. Together they write with clarity and warmth, avoiding the intimidating tone common in design publishing. Ryan's earlier solo work, Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure, laid the groundwork for the structured, process-driven approach expanded in this volume.
- Similar books
- If Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home resonates with you, several similar titles are worth exploring. Joanna Gaines's Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave shares the warm, personal approach to making a house feel like home. For small-space living specifically, Small Space Style by Whitney Leigh Morris is a natural companion. Myquillyn Smith's The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful echoes the book's democratic, imperfection-embracing philosophy. And if you want to start with Ryan's original framework, Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure is the direct precursor to this volume. Marie Kondō's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up pairs well if the wellness-and-function angle appealed to you.
- Who should read this?
- This book is best suited to beginners and small-space dwellers — particularly renters and urban apartment dwellers who want a structured, approachable guide to making their space work harder and feel better. The accessible writing tone and practical frameworks also make it ideal for anyone who finds traditional design books intimidating. Experienced decorators or readers seeking technical depth on specific design challenges will likely find it too broad and should look for more specialized resources.
- What makes this book different from other design guides?
- The reviewer identifies the book's wellness-first philosophy as its most genuinely differentiated quality — the premise that a home should support its inhabitants' health and happiness, not just look impressive. Most design guides lead with aesthetics; Ryan and Laban lead with function and feeling. The use of real, lived-in homes in the photography rather than staged showrooms reinforces this democratic, practical ethos throughout.
- How does this compare to The Eight-Step Home Cure?
- Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure was Maxwell Ryan's original book and introduced his signature room-by-room, eight-step methodology for improving a home. Complete and Happy Home expands that foundation considerably in both scope and visual richness, covering more ground and featuring more photography. If you want a tighter, more focused version of Ryan's core framework, the earlier book is the more disciplined read; if you want the full, visually comprehensive treatment, Complete and Happy Home is the upgrade.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
About Maxwell Ryan, Janel Laban
Who should read this?
What makes this book different from other design guides?
How does this compare to The Eight-Step Home Cure?
Summarize this book
Apartment Therapy Complete and Happy Home is a comprehensive home design guide co-authored by Maxwell Ryan and Janel Laban that blends practical decorating frameworks with a philosophy grounded in wellness and how spaces affect daily life. It covers a broad range of topics — from room arrangement to small-space strategy — and is illustrated with photography of real, lived-in homes rather than staged showrooms. The breadth occasionally trades depth for coverage, but the accessible, non-condescending tone makes it one of the more welcoming entry points into home design.
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Editorial Review
A visually rich and philosophically grounded home design guide that balances practical frameworks with accessible writing, though its broad coverage occasionally sacrifices depth. Best suited to beginners and small-space dwellers looking for a structured approach to home improvement.
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