Local author pens 'Authentic Home' book

Designer and color consultant Kathy Banak of Coeur d'Alene has released her first book, "5 Easy Steps to Create Your Own Authentic Home.”

Drawing on two decades of experience, Banak distilled her expertise into a simple, actionable guide for individuals seeking to transform their living spaces into authentic reflections of themselves. The book offers practical advice, spiritual insights and designer secrets to guide readers in transforming their homes into havens of beauty, harmony and authenticity.

"I'm excited to share these insights and trade secrets that can breathe new life into tired decorating approaches," Banak said in a July 24 news release. "These steps are tools to help you see and feel your home in a new light and inspire you to transform it into your own authentic home. Creating a home is about more than just aesthetics; it's about creating a space that truly resonates with who you are."

The book's approach revolves around five key steps, beginning with discovering the soul of one's home and decluttering to make way for a new way of living. Banak then delves into the importance of establishing a strong foundation of color, which serves as a launchpad for understanding transformative elements such as interior furnishings, window coverings, lighting and the house's exterior.

Banak’s guide was published by Newman Springs Publishing. "5 Easy Steps to Create Your Own Authentic Home" can be found in local bookstores as well as online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Apple iBooks Store.

Since founding her interior design consulting and home decor retail store Authentic Home in 2003 in Seattle, Banak has transformed hundreds of homes in the Pacific Northwest and New England.