Simplicity at Home: Japanese Rituals, Recipes, and Arrangements for Thoughtful Living

Sekine, creator of the lifestyle brand Fog Linen Work, debuts with an inspiring take on her “joyfully minimalist” approach to decorating, entertaining, and organizing. She encourages readers to make use of what they already have, and her tips are organized by season: summer’s advice includes organizing trinkets (and purging them, when necessary), lightening up the color palette of one’s home, and making cold noodles with tempura. Autumn brings instructions for piecing together leftover fabric to make curtains, tips on selecting plants for a garden, and instructions for drying vegetables. Winter’s program includes closet organization, a wreath project, and a recipe for vegetable sushi, while spring shows readers how to make scarves, dye old clothes, and arrange flowers. Sekine’s approach to repurposing old objects—which she applies to linens and broken dishes—are great for the green-minded, and she frames projects in easy-to-follow instructions that will appeal to even the least crafty of readers. Vivid photographs spotlight the author’s spare aesthetic, complemented by heartfelt prose: “It gives me such pleasure to find a new life for a beloved object.” Perfect for fans of Marie Kondo, these tips will delight readers with a less-is-more mindset. Agent: Michele Crim, MBG Literary. (Feb.)