Gutted: How an Old House Remodeled Me

Spreading joy and reinventing yourself while turning a house into a home (Woodstock, Illinois; 2004 to present day): Joy is the reading mood I’m searching for these days. Maida Korte walks the talk, “showcasing joy” by writing lovingly and exuberantly about a major life change in her memoir Gutted: How an Old House Remodeled Me.” A cup-running-over mental attitude and conviction that “words matter” shines through. The award-winning interior designer combines her love of designing uplifting spaces with prioritizing the needs of her large family as the “hub of a well-functioning wheel.” A “We are here. This is Now.” zest for life seen on every page, in spite of the formidable challenges unexpectedly faced buying a Victorian house in the country built in 1903. “We want to be near and pulled toward each other by the sounds of our hugs and kisses and greetings. It is a centrifugal force of love, and reveling in its powers to each member of the family.” For the self-described Midwestern…