5 comments about Domino: The Book of Decorating: A Room-by-Room Guide to Creating a Home That Makes You Happy.

1. I got Domino Mag for awhile and thought I'd get this book. It is just as impressive as the mag. Great book for anyone starting to do their own space or a interior designer reference.



2. This book finally made decorating fun and accessible for me. I was in total anguish before, and buy it as a gift for friends all the time. I especially love all the listings and resources in the back.



3. "Domino: The Book of Decorating" contains sensible, practical advice on how to create a room that matches *your* style. When it first came out a lot of people reviewed it poorly because it was a "rehash" of images previously shown in Domino magazine. Now that Domino is dead, I only wish the book had contained even more images so that I'd have them to refer back to.



4. Since I got this book at Christmas, I have read it cover to cover, put it away for a few days, picked it up again, re-read a chapter, put it away, picked it up, browsed through pictures, put it on the kitchen table, re-read another section...you get the picture. I cannot recall having EVER looked at the same book so many times. Thank you Deborah Needleman - may the gods strike down Conde Nast for cancelling Domino. It was a GEM!



5. I actually got this book and passed it along to my daughter. This book has great decorating ideas. My daughter has been pouring over the book ever since I gave it to her. She is sad that Domino Magazine is not longer being published.

3 comments about Suzanne Kasler: Inspired Interiors.

1. I purchased several design books this year, and this is by far the best. The style of Inspired Interiors is fresh, classic, timeless and never stuffy or overdone. The commentary is very easy-to-read, and offers straightforward, pragmatic advice. Whether you are looking for a gift, or want a good guide for yourself that looks lovely on the coffee table, you can't go wrong with this book.



2. I've been a fan of Suzanne Kasler for years. Her work is polished and refined, yet casual, relaxed and effortless. I had the privilage of working with her as a rep when I managed a trade-only showroom in Atlanta. She has phenomenal taste and her style is unique. Her work is definitely worthy of it's own book. Great job Suzanne, you've always inspired me!



3. I would recommend this one, especially if you have a transitional style of decorating. Very glamorous rooms with a good balance of femininity and splashes of color mixed with neutral tones.

5 comments about Style and Substance: The Best of Elle Decor.

1. WHAT IS BRILLIANT ABOUT THIS BOOK-- THE BEST OF A SUPERB MAGAZINE -- IS NOT JUST THE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHY AND INVENTIVE INTERIORS BUT RATHER THE IDEA LIVING IN A PLACE THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT HOW WE USE OUR PERSONAL SPACES.
   
   "STYLE AND SUBSTANCE" HELPED ME DECONSTRUCT THE BEAUTY OF SPACE AND MY CONNECTION TO IT.
   
   BENEATH THE GLORIOUS BEAUTY OF THE BOOK, THERE ARE DEEP IDEAS THAT TAP INTO HOW ALL US HUMANS NEED A COMFORT SPACE -- INSTEAD OF CRAWLING INTO BED, PAINT THE ROOM AND BUY A RUG -- IT TRULY CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE -- BE BOLD
   
   BRAVO MARGARET RUSSELL --



2. Where on earth can a person with a keen eye for excellent home décor find libraries with rolling ladders, living rooms covered in sumptuous chinoiserie fabric, monochromatic bedrooms with spiral staircases, and dining room walls lacquered in persimmon red paint, all gathered together in one immensely stylish book? The answer, of course, is Style and Substance: The Best of Elle Décor.
   
   Style and Substance features hundreds of beautifully rendered photographs of the homes of designers, architects, antiques buyers, celebrities, and fashion executives. The contents is divided into public spaces and personal spaces, and further divided down by rooms. It is luxurious and makes no apologies for it, and whether a reader's taste in interior design is clean and modern or cozy and careworn, there is something here to inspire everyone. For the former there is Will Kopelman's home office on page 72, with its crisp white walls, glass-topped desk, and Bertoia wire chairs. For the latter, Julie Greenwood's kitchen on pages 116 and 117 will make even the most anti-materialistic of souls covetous, and it's no small wonder as to why: the antique French furniture and Italian chandelier are a sight to behold when contrasted with the exposed stone walls and floor.
   
   The title is in no way misleading. This is truly the best of Elle Decor. This book is a marvel and a wonder, and should be considered a must read for anyone interested in interior design.



3. Loved the pictures of the rooms in the book with the helpful design tips. I teamteach interior design in Connecticut through adult education to women and men who love design and don't know what to do with their homes. It's great to have Elle's editors select rooms from their magazine which they think are most stylish. This book is a good survey of recent design.
   
   However, I'd love to see Elle do at least two or three other books: one on rooms such as living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms which have common elements: furniture, rugs, window treatments and then another book on kitchen and bathrooms that have more cabinetry, countertops, appliances.
   
   What my students and I would find most useful is a book solely on livingrooms with tips by interior designers and Elle's editors with gorgeous photography like this book has. Maybe your favorite livingrooms from the past 3 to 5 years from your magazine. I can't find enough beautiful design books with gorgeous stylish livingrooms. Livingrooms are arguably the room which is most public in a home and which utilize the most intensive interior design principles. The living room is the room above all others, I think, which is the most complex and challenging for our students to decorate. A book by Elle Decor focusing on livingrooms alone in various styles with tips would be marvelous to have in the future.



4. This really is the best of the best examples of style and substance. There are many different styles, but all of them have great flavor. There is a lot you can draw from in this book...or just enjoy it because it is FUN!



5. I bought this book to be given to a friend of mine for her birthday; unfortunately handling of the book during the shipping process was not as good as i would have hoped and the corners of the book arrived dented and squashed.

1 comments about American Modern.

1. Refreshing and inspirational. Does not disappointment. One of the best I have purchased in a while.

5 comments about House Beautiful Colors for Your Home: 300 Designer Favorites (House Beautiful Series).

1. I saw this book at a friend's house and came right home & ordered it. It's great because it actually tells you what colors are used in the pictures (what a concept!) and even though images in print are much different than the real color, it gives you a good idea.
   I love the designer's descriptions of the colors too! I've already used 2 of the colors that were shown & described & they're both great!



2. I absolutely love this book and have made far fewer color mistakes with its help! It has paid for itself many times over. I agree with the other reviewers who said that the chips in the book weren't a reliable guide, however, that's true with the chips from the paint store as well.
   
   I think the designers descriptions are a much more reliable guide. They often make comments such as:
   
   "Works in any light"
   "Brings light into dark rooms"
   "My favorite 'go to' neutral"
   "Has red undertones"
   "Has green undertones"
   
   House beautiful also has a great color tool on their website. Don't worry if it takes several tries to get the right color. Designers do the same thing! Don't give up until it feels just right to YOU!



3. I love HB and this book is exactly what I expected it to be. A compilation of the magazine feature of favorite colors. The book is a smaller size and contains page after page of paint swatches with the designer's description of the color. If you spend the time to read all the descriptions, be prepared to read the word "depth" a lot!



4. Choosing paint colors can be overwhelming and can feel like a full time job, so I LOVE this book because it has really helped me narrow down the field. I had ideas of what shade I wanted but just needed help sifting through the hundreds of shades available, this book has been really helpful in doing this. For example, I knew I wanted to paint my room a pale bluish-grey, and this book helped me determine which actual shade would be the best. I feel like I can trust that the decorators and designers have experience with which paint colors really seem to work the best and stand the test of time. I would not use the swatches printed on the pages of this book exclusively though- I don't believe it is intended to replace the real paint swatches you get from the paint store. You really need to go out and get the actual swatch of what you see in the book because it will look slightly different in paint than how it's printed on the page of a book. The book is more of a means to an end rather than trying to be the actual paint fan deck, if you know what I mean. It gives you ideas and the names of the colors, and then it's your job to go out, get the swatches, and paint swatches on your wall before committing to buying gallons of paint.



5. I love color. I am inspired by color. I love House Beautiful magazine, but this book is nothing like the magazine. I liked looking at different color chips in the book, but that's about it.
   
   Pictures of rooms were few and far between, mostly pictures of color chips. All the rooms illustrated are very traditional looking, no modern looking rooms at all.
   
   Also I was particularly interested in suggestions on how to combine colors. I have an open floor plan and would love to use paint as a visual (but harmonious) separator. There was nothing in the book to address color schemes.
   
   Hugely disappointing. The only reason I gave the book 2 stars instead of 1 is the "by room" color inspirations.

1 comments about More Not So Big Solutions for Your Home.

1. I was recently sent More Not SO Big Solutions for Your Home to review and I must say - I'm pleasantly surprised! As I typically review fiction, this was something new for me to read. Author Susanka knows what she's talking about, and has great suggestions for most people. Granted, since I don't own my small apartment, I can't heed some advice (such as adding windows, creating space and garage tips), but overall it offered some decent advice I'll try to use within my apartment.
   
   The first chapter, By Design, gives the basics of designing a house for those who actually own a house. Since I don't, we'll skip to section two. Room by Room gives new ideas for many basic rooms - such as rethinking a formal feel and designing the, so called, heart of the home. Attention to Detail again didn't help me much, as it focused on rooms that are too tall (apartments don't have that problem usually), fireplaces and more. Make it Personal was more my style, which featured color hints and how to make a house feel welcoming. Practical Matters answers a lot of my questions, such as how to deal with small bathrooms, where to put a TV, and getting creative with a small amount of space. The last chapter, Living in the Real World, gives hints of living with others, meeting neighbors and more.
   
   As mentioned, a lot of the advice I can't use, but I could see it being great for those who really wish to remodel a house. A lot of the advice is pricey, but more than likely worth it in the long run. Along with a load of advice, the book offers neat drawings and visuals for each technique. More Not So Big Solutions for Your Home is great for new home owners who wish to make the house their own.

No comments about Perfect Porches: Designing Welcoming Spaces for Outdoor Living.

3 comments about The Finishing Touch: Details That Make a Room Beautiful (House Beautiful).

1. This book contains beautiful pictures. It's really "contemporary meets traditional", in the sense that it's not totally uniform in style, and there are different styles that hint at either direction, all in very good taste.
   
   I used this book to get a feel for accessories and colors. Someone else might want more particular advice within the book about the color they used, names of companies, and other more direct advices. In my view, the "practical" aspect is scarce in the book. However, if you want inspiring beautiful pictures to show you how colors, textures and furnitures can be combined, this is a great source.



2. For many of us, finishing a room and transforming it from ordinary to wow takes a lot of skill and artistry. What's the magic behind the rooms we love? This book analyzes rooms that have appeared in House Beautiful in recent years and explains what elements make them stylish. It deconstructs their individual style so in the rooms you see that you love, you can utilize the design principles and finishing touches the room's designer used in your own home and rooms. This is a great reference book for those who want to know what designers know: what are the finishing details that make rooms uniquely beautiful.



3. A great book full of very interesting ideas and brilliant details that you could take and make it work for your own space and/or house. I usually bookmark the details and patterns and use them when creating a bigger scale picture. It works wonderfully!

No comments about The Home Within Us: Romantic Houses, Evocative Rooms.

5 comments about Candice Olson on Design: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Home.

1. My wife has just started reading it but she likes it so far and is reading it whenever she gets a chance.



2. My husband and I bought this as a Christmas gift for my in-laws. They loved it! They are big fans of Candice Olson's decorating ideas. Good buy, great gift.



3. I love the show on HGTV and it is nice to see the rooms in the book. the book of course is of all the older shows but gives you some ideas.



4. I don't think this woman can make a mistake decorating a room. She is amazing. I saw this book at Loews but painfully put it back on the shelf, as it was too pricey. By chance, I looked it up on Amazon.com and found this perfect condition book. I am thrilled with my "steal". i just love getting lost in her rooms and have taken(used)many of her ideas. You go girl!!!



5. This book is a great compilation of a small amount of Candice's immaculately designed rooms. You get to learn more about her quirky personality, and you get a small glimpse into her life before her design fame. The pictures are great and the rooms featured have detailed descriptions of what she did and why, which are very helpful. If you love Candice on TV you will love Candice on paper!