3 comments about The Smart Approach to Home Decorating, 3rd Edition (Smart Approach).

1. For someone who is doing this for the first time, this book is a good place to start.



2. I already own a shelf full of decorating books, but this one ranks in the top three for good organization and good information. It has a lot of smallish color pictures, but more importantly, it has specific measurements and structural information that will help you make rooms and furniture more useful and more attractive. It is very user-friendly. I bought it for my daughter, but I sat down to read it completely before I gave it to her, and I learned some things!



3. I picked up a copy of this book while waiting for an appointment, and found SO many ideas that I had to come home and order it immediately! It is FILLED from cover to cover with wonderful, creative ideas to spruce up your home! The pictures are gorgeous and this is an ALL around perfect book for the person who doesn't know where to start! It shows different room settings, color choices, etc. etc. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed!

4 comments about Super Potato Design: The Complete Works of Takashi Sugimoto: Japan's Leading Interior Designer.

1. This is the most interesting and valuable book to our design office that we've received in a long time. It's very avante guard and has encouraged us to be more creative in our design.



2. I got this purely based upon the caption that he was Japan's best interior designer. I think for material usage in traditional design sense he is, and this book shows it. Althought it doesnt cover his most interesting interiors( at the back there is a list of his complete works and some seem neglected not to be included in the main part). Restaurants are his main station and in the book it it shows a willingness to experiment and push the boundries as to what or bar, partition or ceiling can be made from. It contains text explaining materiality, overall space photos, detail photos and floor plans. His interiors are a good representation of how modern japanese interiors have developed from the traditonal approach. I would recommend this book to fans of japanese design, desingers looking to use manmade / natural / recycled materials and desingers trying to get their brains past the its all plasterboard dilema



3. Super Potato design work is amazing, exquisitely beautiful, original, inventive and very Japanese. Top photography, excellent text and unusually incisive captions here are icing on the cake. I strongly recommend this wonderful book to anybody interested in beauty and creativity, the level of genius on display transcends the architecture/design field. You will be drawn back to it again and again.



4. Incredible design work. Every interior and industrial design student should own this. Very inspering work

4 comments about The Elements of Style: An Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Detail.

1. This book is an invaluable resource for restoration work and new construction, where clients want something that 'authentic' to a particular era.



2. This book contains many beautiful pictures, which are key to defining period style furniture adn architecture. The chapters are clearly defined and arranged in a logical, easy to use manner. It is a must for anyone seeking a career in Historical Preservation.



3. i am taking this oppurtunity to let you know that i never recieved this book. i have emailed amazon several times but have heard nothing back, maybe you can help me
   thank you
   
   john robinson



4. Great historical reference book detailing period styles of everything from windows to fireplace mantels. Lots of photos - many of them in color. Also includes useful drawings. I found this book to be EXTREMELY helpful, and I reference it often; worth every penny!

5 comments about Entertaining is Fun!: How to Be A Popular Hostess.

1. Some people will buy this for the camp value, but there is a surprisingly large amount of tips and info that are perfectly current, in fact timeless. Like this book.



2. What a wonderful book. I enjoy looking at it again and again. Great ideas from years ago that can still be used today!



3. Dorothy Draper was known for her sense of style in both decorating and entertaining. Although this book was written in the mid-1900s the entertaining suggestions are timeless. The book itself is fun with its typical 1950s illustrations and speech. This is a book that is fun to use to while away an afternoon.



4. This book is wonderful. I just love Draper's tone and conversational way of writing. She offers ideas for all budgets and lifestyles. Charmingly retro, with plenty of good advice for today's hostesses. I could not put it down.



5. Not as important or famous as Draper's "Decorating is Fun," but her 1941 "Entertaining" book is still amusing, deserving a spot on your coffee table next to an old 1940s Emily Post Etiquette book (when is somone gonna get wise and issue reprints of THOSE?).
   
   Among the highlights is a full list of what every well-appointed home cannot do without, just in case an unexpected guest drops by ("a charming tea set," "a good hall mirror," and "a big metal bell with a lovely tone, to call people in from the garden for games or meals..."), and how to throw a dinner party--1940s style.
   
   Fascinating book. In no time you'll be providing crisp stationery, fresh flowers, 700-thread-count sheets and a luggage stand for your weekend guests...and really, aren't those the "family values" that matter most?

5 comments about Good Green Kitchens: Ultimate Resource for Creating a Beautiful, Healthy, Eco-Friendly Kitchen.

1. Planning a kitchen remodel is overwhelming--there are thousands of choices you have to make about every little detail. And on top of that, you have to worry about whether the products you use will destroy forests, contribute to our fuel dependency, pollute, off-gas, etc.
   
   This book does an excellent job of making the decisions simpler. During a time when every company is marketing themselves as green, this book provides a neutral resource for assessing the environmental impact of each of the items you purchase. It also covers the even greener option of re-using and re-purposing items for your kitchen, saving money and reducing your footprint. The pictures of the kitchens prove that a green kitchen can be beautiful and a joy to work in.
   
   A reviewer claimed that this book is "greenwashing" but that word has clearly been misapplied. This book sticks to the subject at hand and doesn't get off topic telling you how to cook and eat and live your life--that's a plus.



2. ... and so is this book. It's packed with beautiful kitchens and guidelines on choosing the greenest items for your reno or build. Green includes considering the manufacture, transport, durability, recyclability and health effects of the materials or appliances.
   There are 5 sections: an overview lays down general principles and considerations for affordability. Ch. 2 considers Flooring, Ch 3.is Storage (cabinets etc.), Ch. 4 is Counters and Walls. For each there is a table summarizing the pros and cons of the options, as well as more detailed text that will explain how it's made, if it can be recycled, whether it presents health concerns, etc. I found this text to be quite comprehensive. The final section considers energy use by major appliances (fridge, freezer, cookers, hood ventilation), water use (dishwashers, sinks, water heating, filtration and gray water), and cleaning (recycling, garbage, compost, and cleaners). There are sources listed in each section.
   The only annoying thing was that a few brands seemed to be "pushed" -- mentioned with great frequency in picture captions and text. Perhaps that reflects the lack of competing green brands, however.
   Bottom line: definitely worth getting if you are doing a kitchen reno or building a new house.



3. I found Good Green Kitchens to be an excellent resource. The information is comprehensive, unbiased, and clearly presented. It's also a great read and beautifully put together. The mix of reference information, case studies, and design tips works very well. I think that the quality of content is far better than most other home design books.



4. Anyone planning a "green" kitchen remodel will find this book very helpful.



5. This book is not worth much of a review. Far from being "green" it's what I'd call "greenwash". It's for people with a spare $20,000 - $50,000 who want to feel good by what they BUY, but there is precious little to indicate that the kitchens pictured actually lead to living a green life. You can't buy more stuff to become green - that's an oxymoron. The first thing to DO to have a green kitchen is to reduce your ecological footprint by what you do and then build a kitchen around your genuinely green lifestyle. This book is based on the unstated assumption that you first dream of living a green life, then you drool over plans and then you buy lots of stuff and that somehow makes you green. Sorry - this might fool your friends, it might even fool yoursdelf, but it won't fool the planet. Almost anyone can reduce their ecological footprint by a change in behaviour far more than they could by following the examples here. Any book on green design that features pictures of buildings, rooms and kitchens without people in them living a green lifestyle is - by my reckoning - just another example of greenwash. I give it two stars rather than one because there are a few ideas here that you might be able to adapt to support a green life. But you'll need to go elsewhere to learn about ecological footprint, environmental load and living green. There is one-third of a page on "environmental costs" when such a book should feature this at its core and the rest of the book should be about building a life and a kitchen around this principle.

3 comments about Mediterranean Inspiration: 125 Home Plans Inspired by Southern European Style (Inspiration (Homeplanners)).

1. Title should be "Mediterranean Lack of Inspiration".
   This book will appeal to those with too much money, too few brains and absolutly no taste
   Although America, rightly so, lays claim to some of the finest examples of Mediterranean Revival in the world, this book does nothing to bring the reader into the understated elegance created by those homes. Instead it continues the trite and tasteless habit of ostentatious behavior we Yanks have become known for the world over. The designs are thinly vieled examples of the MacMansions found on converted corn fields, complete with corn fed owners, throughout America. Bigger is better and gaudy is better still.
   The book should not be used for reference material or even a coffee table book unless you need something on which you may rest your Bud while watching Monster Truck episodes.
   Using this book for reference will not supply any insight into the Mediterreanean style, but it will demonstrate just how good we are at commandeering a style that has been perfected over hundreds of years and "fixing" or "improving" it.
   If you are interested in the Mediterranean style in America, try "Red Tile Style" by Aroll Gellner or "Santa Barbara Style" by Kathryn Masson.
   There are also many books covering he work of Addison Mizner and George Washington Smith in Florida and giants such as Julia Morgan in the West.
   This book MIGHT be good to line the cat's litter box, but be forwarned, the cat may object.



2. .
   gauche: Lacking social polish; tactless
   
   gauche --Synonyms inept, clumsy, maladroit; coarse, gross, uncouth
   
   This offers the reader All of the above and more.
   
   Several issues are immediately apparent. First, is the lack of congruity it seems, of a philosophy (or budget) that would purchase plans from a mass-marketed stylebook on the cheap, only to have designs embellished with an excess of budget-busting ornamentation, inordinate angles, appliqué, unnecessary fictitious details, fatuous decoration and curves upon curves.
   
   Anyone expecting to save money on this type of approach to building is setting himself or herself up for a HUGE awakening. One is well advised to consult a designer, building designer, or architect prior to purchasing such plans and proceeding with wise professional counsels.
   
   Essentially what the reader is purchasing is a catalog of 125 cookie-cutter, in your face track home plans, from which they can select the one design on which to spend another thousand dollars (give or take depending on the plan) to secure the foundation plans, detailed floor plans, cross sections, structural plans, exterior elevations, and electricals.
   
   These ersatz, eclectic "Mediterranean Inspiration" designs "steal and borrow" (the word begins with a "B" and will not pass the filter although a legitimate clean word) from Neoclassical, Story Book Style, Norman, Gothic, Tudor, doghouse. They brim with ostentatious details that betray the very fundamental standards of taste and refinement that the purchaser hopes to transmit.
   
   The designs are a miscellany of plans intended to impress; yet lack the grace, elegance, and fundamental standards of good taste.
   
   The reader should recognize that they will need to float their furniture on all those curves that are so beguiling on paper. The reader needs to identify 12-foot living room space as too small, or a 10-foot circular breakfast room that looks better on paper than the Gestalt of its reality. Consider all those eyebrow, and Palladian curved windows that look great on the exterior elevations will also require window treatments. Curved arches, arch-over-standard, circles, octagons, hexagons, trapezoids, angled top or bottom, and cutout shades are all going to require custom solutions that are not only far more costly than standard windows, but they also frequently detract from the interior surroundings they are supposed to enhance.
   
   This book might be useful to free up creative blocks for those persons collecting ideas for their building projects. Nonetheless spare yourself the troubles of buying the actual plans without professional counsels.



3. This book has beautiful photos and sketched home plans for luxurious living. If you are looking for ideas to build an estate or a waterfront home, this is a good choice. It has home plans from designers like Sater.

5 comments about At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries.

1. My husband is an English professor and our house is filled with books. I read about this one in the Chronicle of Higher Education and knew he would love it. We always try to purchase unusual Valentine's gifts, so it seemed a perfect time to add it to our collection. He loves the book and has taken it to work to share with colleagues.



2. Everything you need to know about creating and caring for your home library is in here. A must read/"must-have" for book-lovers.



3. I went to Amazon intending to buy a newer book, Decorating with Books, but the reviews of both books led me to buy this one instead. This book will make you feel much more comfortable with having excessive numbers of books, if that is your situation. You know who you are.



4. This book is a must-have for all booklovers. The photographs of personal libraries are amazing and are supplemented with brief bios of the owners. It's a great compilation of collectors and designers. But most useful were the chapters on creating and maintaining a book collection. And the book is concluded with a great comprehensive resource guide (although I wish they had included website addresses with the contact information). Like other reviewers, I found myself scanning the shelves in the photographs to see if these world famous collectors had the same taste in books as me.



5. I am not alone! Many share my enthusiasm and love for books!
   
   This book will take you into the homes of many bibliophiles, and you'll most likely find many pieces of yourself in each of their homes. If you are a bibliophile, no one home or person in this book will seem alien to you.
   
   One bibliophile had a copy of Homer's work done in rubber so he could read it in his bathtub. I also love reading in my bathtub, and damaged many books in the process. It never occurred to me to actually have a book printed in rubber. This gave me the idea of downloading an e-book from the internet, and printing the chapters to read in the bathtub. Getting the papers wet would not matter in this case since they can be re-printed at any given time.
   
   This book is fully illustrated with some amazing libraries. Some libraries are well organized, while others are not, but all are unique. By organized I mean neatly arranged on the bookshelves. You'll find some homes in this book where the books seem to be haphazardly arranged, with some on floors, desks, chairs, tables etc... Not all bibliophiles in this book had a dedicated room for their books; some placed their books all over their homes, even on stairwells and corridors. Many had libraries in their bedrooms too. I used to have my library in my bedroom until I designed a dedicated room in my house for books only. I now only keep the books I have not read in my bedroom.
   
   One thing I noticed though is that not a single library in this book had its books arranged according to subject and author. This was quite surprising to me, for some of the homes had thousands of books, and I would imagine it would be very difficult to find specific books. I have my books arranged according to sections, such as philosophy, politics, fiction, religion, economics...and of course a section labeled bibliomania! I also have my books arranged alphabetically according to the author's name. My library is pretty much arranged like a bookstore. It is easy this way to find books, especially when I am discussing a book with a friend and need to quickly refer to it. I will include a video of my library in this review (if I figure out how to do it).
   
   There is something magical sitting in a room surrounded by books. Imagine being surrounded by knowledge spanning thousands of years! What a wonderful and unique feeling that is!
   
   Each book has a story to tell. I am not referring to the story within the pages of the book, but by the book itself. Is the book worn out? How did it get worn out? In whose home was it before? Who touched that book before? Could it have been somebody famous maybe? Are there notes on the margins of the book? If so, who wrote them and what do the notes say about the previous reader? How is the book binding? How was it designed? There are always two fascinating stories in every book you hold: the story read within the pages, and the story told by just holding the book.
   
   For those wanting to design their own libraries, this book will give you many ideas through its many pictures and advice. There are sections in this book about how to organize your library; how to start a collection; all about library lighting; the art of the bookshelf (how thick and of what material should the shelves be to carry the weight of the books); the enemies of books (fire, water, light, dust); and library ladders. You'll find all the inspiration you need in this book to start or renovate your own library.
   
   I also enjoyed learning about the psychology of the different bibliophiles. For example, some collect books just for their cover design, and not necessary to read them. The message is not `read this book' but `see this book.' Some bibliophiles derive pleasure from the thrill of finding old books, not necessary reading them. Some don't keep all their books, but often give them out to charities, libraries, and to prisons. I personally keep all my books for they all have a story to tell me. Again, not the story within the pages, but the story of how I acquired the book and what it meant to me when I first held it in my hands. Some books remind me of my youth for that is when I first held them. I have a very special attachment to my books, and parting with them is very difficult.
   
   There are also some very nice quotations from the bibliophiles in this book. Here are a few:
   
   "You can't want to be a collector, you're born that way. Driven."
   
   "I could spend a lifetime in this room and not be bored."
   
   "Books, like wine, need to be kept at a regular, unfluctuating temperature."
   
   "The book collector must take extraordinary steps to gain the pleasures so easily afforded the art collector."
   
   "A room filled with memories of the past."
   
   "The library as theatre"
   
   "Books are like works of art. You enjoy them, you're their guardians for a while, you're aware that other people have owned and enjoyed them for a short time, and then they are passed on."
   
   "I would never have a room without books. They're a transforming element."
   
   "I like a project that never ends, and a library is that."
   
   "When people ask me, `Do you collect books?' I always say, `No. Books collect me.' "
   
   "Books make better wall decorations than paintings."
   
   "Your books are your personal history. You are what you read."
   
   "It is a terrible thing to have educated eyes but a depleted bank account."
   
   Interestingly, there is a town in the UK, Hay-on-Wye, dedicated only to books. On my next visit to the UK I will surely pass by this town. Its creator is now establishing similar towns across Europe.
   
   I have often been asked why I keep books when they are so easily available electronically through the internet. Electronic books, or eBooks, are also easily stored, requiring only the space of a hard drive, and not a fully dedicated room! My answer is simple. Remember movies on U-matic? If you have U-matic movies today, you'd probably be unable to play them, for their format is no longer supported by the new players and TVs. Similarly, Betamax and VHS have now been replaced by DVD. DVD is now being replaced by Blu-ray. And none of those players are backward compatible. For example, a Blu-ray player cannot play Betamax or VHS. So what will happen to your eBooks collection in a few years from now when no players would support their format? The beauty of a library is that bookshelves are backward compatible, and printed books are here to stay forever, regardless of how fast or what direction technology evolves.
   
   Books change people's lives. This book will give you a glimpse at libraries that will also change your life.
   
   Enjoy your journey. I certainly have!

1 comments about Paradise by Design: Tropical Resorts and Residences by Bensley Design Studios.

1. This is a fabulous book! I just finished reading it cover to cover and I am amazed at the quality of design and how great the photos are! Well worth the money as this Mr Bensley is a true artist. The designs are inspirational and truely maxamilist....minimalisism is boring!

5 comments about The Art of Faux: The Complete Sourcebook of Decorative Painted Finishes (Crafts Highlights).

1. The most in-depth reference book I could have asked for. Exactly what I wanted and needed.



2. I purchased this for my daughter who is a faux painter. She loves the book. She says there are many techniques in here that are new to her and she is enjoying doing them.



3. Pierre's book is considered the bible of Faux and is a must have reference guide for the experienced faux finisher!
   
   A great example of the marbles he is so famous for can be found in the Morrocan mural he co-painted with Sean Crosby in the hot new book benefiting charity "The House that Faux Built" Transform Your Home with Paint, Plaster and Creativity The House That Faux Built check out the search inside feature.



4. This book contains excellent descritions of equipment and techniques used for decorative painting. It is well inllustrated and easy to read.
   
   GM



5. Great resource book. Cool techniques...a bit intimidating for a beginner but full of information.

5 comments about The New Eighteenth-Century Style: Rediscovering a French Décor.

1. An absolutely smashing book, full of details. After all, it is the details that make the room finishesd and unique. This is a classic look in my way of thinking, but then again, it is my style! A decorator by trade, I am always open to new concepts, and I found the book to offer many different perspectives on the same style, pages after pages of them. Excellent book layout and design, and wonderful photography.



2. I'm an artist & antique collector and not an interior designer by trade, so I am totally enjoying this book. I find it to be a lovely book full of great photography and many interesting details to spark one's imagination. Regardless of the fact that all the styles are not necessarily my own taste, the book as a whole is great fun to look at and I found it inspiring. Each time I looked at a room, I found some new little detail that I'd missed the first time around. It made me itch to re-vamp a room, stat, and I consider anything that inspires me or makes me feel creative money well spent.



3. This is a pretty, pretty book with lots of great stuff to look it, lots of interesting vignettes. It's French shabby, chippy _hit, uh, I mean chic. This was a great trend in the mid 1990's here in the USA before Rachel A. made shabby and chic a brand. Big style on a budget using detrius no one wanted. And it was cheap back then. Just took a can of white paint to chic up everything.
   These French 18th century and 18th century inspired objets in this book, are not cheap. They are shabby and they are beautiful. The vignettes look like the Broadway stage set for the play Dangerous Liasons - decay, messy, artful, romantic, monochromatic and mad.
   Like many decor books, the vignettes are impossible to see as life like - like does anyone really live in these vignettes. Still, they are beautiful to look at. The new 18th century style is a little like the new emperor's clothes. Smoke and mirrors to the highest degree of accomplishment. Get this book for the fun of it.



4. If you're style is that of a Paris flea market, the bazaar in Bombay or a eclectic old shop somewhere in Eastern Europe, you'll love this book. Great photography; the individualism of each space comes through with color and texture. My new favorite. The highlight is more photos of the Stockholm attic apartment, which is a true style icon.



5. More like Madame Pompadour is probably rolling over in her grave. I hope to goodness gracious that this isn't the new 18th century style. If you like 18th century style on a seriously tight budget then you may enjoy this book. It's full of pages of colorless 'schemes', seriously abused furniture and icy cold lighting. Was it all photographed in rooms with Northern exposure? The editors of Veranda will love this book. I am an interior designer who collects period 18th century furniture and art. I have truly studied 18th century furniture, decorative arts and customs for years and this is a popular look although I find it horribly depressing. On the positive side - the photography in this book is very well done. If you like French flea market 'junk' then you'll love this. I gave it a 4 vs. a 2 because the quality of the book is excellent and the photography is excellent but much of my disdain for this book is from this horrendous & prevalent style that I wish would go away.