3 comments about French Island Elegance.

1. Having read Dr. Connors' previous books, Caribbean Elegance and Cuban Elegance, I looked forward to French Island Elegance. I was not dissapointed.
   
   Once again Dr.Connors has provided us with a well-researched and easily readable narrative accompanied by Bruce Buck's sumptuous photographs. The two of them have developed into a winning team.
   
   French Island Elegance will not only look great on anyone's coffee table, but is a wonderful resource on a subject that heretofore has had none.



2. Sure this could be seen as another stylish table topper where we imagine ourselves sipping bellinis while overlooking fishermen--but what's rare in French Island Elegance when compared to the other three inch thick coasters, is that the author and photographer really did their homework. This is not an embellishment. It's not an ambiance bound between covers either. Connors discusses the rare qualities of Martinique, Guadaloupe, Marie-Galante, and Saint Martin in their own histories of sugar plantations and tobacco dynasties. He examines, quite aesthetically, how the cross section of economic and social histories compose a unique archicture and style not yet lost to the modern world--no, it's not just a pretty book for the coffee table after all.



3. This is a lovely book - suitable on any coffee table.
   I had been looking for a book on Caribbean architecture - historic and contemporary, but had come up short and this book too, did not fit the bill. I found it is mostly about the FURNITURE of the French Caribbean islands. As such, it does an excellent job and in that way, it is fairly similar to the author's other book `Caribbean Elegance'. It certainly has the same look and I think some of the examples may be the same. The pictures are lovely, the furniture is quite unusual and the text proved interesting, though I could have had more.
   The closest I have come to finding a book on Caribbean architecture is `Caribbean Style'.

5 comments about Sunset Ideas for Great Baby Rooms (Ideas for Great).

1. I was looking for something to give me nursery decorating ideas. This book has pictures, but most are dated. You'd do better looking at the Pottery Barn Kids catalog.



2. Some great ideas and good information. I would have liked them to include some actual tips or instructions on how to do some of what they demonstrated, though they do have a decent "DESIGN CREDITS" section.
   
   One thing I enjoyed was seeing some of the items we had collected on our own, turn up used in different ways than we had planned- that was fun and inspiring!



3. Although this book has many cute ideas, it has a resource guide in the back that gives the website or name of only a fraction of the products. I wanted to be able to find the brand and paint color names used as well as a specific bumper and sheet set in a bedroom that would have gone perfectly in the room I'm designing and none of that information was not listed. Very frustrating. I'll keep looking for a better book.



4. I bought this book (although I think of it more like a cataloge with just over 100 pgs.& soft cover)in search of unique ideas for painting a baby nursery and I found a few. The book contains several themes and decor as well as useful ideas for furniture in children's and babies rooms alike.



5. Pictures are very nice and will give you good ideas whether you use painted walls or wallpaper.

2 comments about La Maison de Verre.

1. I just received the book and had no time to read the text. The NY Times article in the summer covered the history of the house up until its current restoration. The photographs look a little as if they were from the "modern" era. Perfect perspective correction, focus on the details, rendering the home's atmosphere remarkably well. I especially like the color balance of the images. I disagree with the previous reviewer about the pictures. I can not imagine any different way to introduce this spectacular building. The black and white Polaroids (?) are a bit distracting. They may serve as spacers.
   
   The "modern" is an important stage of the Western culture and deserves our attention.
   
   Akos Szilvasi (Cambridge, Massachusetts)



2. This book simultaneously (and half-heartedly) documents the owner, the architect, and the building. The text is boring, the pictures are less than spectacular, and there is an extremely limited set of drawings placed in the back of the book as an after thought.
   Overall I am extremely dissapointed with my purchase, and if you are an architect or student of architecture chances are you will be too.

5 comments about Interior Desecrations: Hideous Homes from the Horrible '70s.

1. A certain picture of a rotating spit in the middle of a kitchen had me in stitches, i mean i ask you! only truly demented people would want to barbecue several chickens in the middle of their kitchen, must play havoc with the smoke alarm! Good fun though, buy the book ,feast your eyes on the hideous decor and laugh your socks off.



2. overall, i'm a big fan of lileks, but this is not his greatest book. it got really boring after a while and it felt like he wasn't even trying. the gallery of regrettable food and mommy knows worst are hysterical. definitely check out his website too.



3. "Sweet smokin' Jesus" just about sums up the only reaction you can have to this stuff. I absolutely hated the seventies and this book illustrates some of the reasons why. What disco music was to the ear these interiors are to the eye.
   I love James Lileks books!



4. 
   This is a very unique book because it compiles examples of the MOD ERA furnishing styles, and the very "fashionable" furniture & accessories from the early to late 1970's! LOL! ....Most photos will make you laugh out loud!
   
   As you flip through the pages, you'll be dumbfounded as to how people actually lived in those decorated 1970's homes! Example: the colors were so jarring,...just like some of the clothes were.... (Eg: flourescent orange and hot flourescent pinks throughout some our wardrobes and walls!! Ugh! ).
   
   Anyhow, you will find at least one example of a home that you may have lived in, or visited ,---- sometime in the 1970's.
   
   Also, the "cheapness" of some of the accessories truly comes through in this book's photos. You almost have to see the photos to believe them!
   
   Though some younger kids may be enjoying the "RETRO look" right now,however, in seeing the actual accessories (and WALLPAPERS) in this book, the younger generation may possibly understand why the 1970's style lasted such a short time & was forgotten for almost 20 years!!
   
   Lets' face it, the 1970s' were not known to be ultra-inspiring times in either the Fashion World nor the Decorating World. (Maybe the previous 1960's Fashions were indeed actually inspiring to many, --- but once Mary Quant and Biba closed it's doors in London, the quality went slowly down hill!... The Economic times, being a contributor to that downward spiral [Fashion] problem).
   
   So when you look at this book, you'll be reminded as to why we were so eager to FORGET those Autumn Golds,Hot Pinks, and Avocado Green colors of yesterday!
   
   RECAP: They way I look at this book, though, is that this book is indeed part of America's history!...It tells part of the story. Therefore, I'm glad I own it.



5. I've read this book several times and I laugh so hard I cry - every time! I'm a mid-century modern aficionado, but this stuff is all wrong. James' writing is all right!

5 comments about Pottery Barn Living Rooms (Pottery Barn Design Library).

1. I am rather insecure when it comes to interior design, yet I have the desire to have a beautiful home on a budget. This book helped me not only identify a color palate for my living room, but gave me ideas to easily change the look for the change of seasons. It helped my husband and I create our own casual, yet polished look that we are proud to call home!



2. I really have enjoyed this book. Though I have not found every page useful, there are enough ideas to make it worth the purchase. The chapters cover many important design aspects in a living room: your style, space, color, texture, furnishings, lighting, windows, storage, accessories and display. Be aware that it is naturally focused to the Pottery Barn style of decorating - which can be somewhat generic. But there are enough inspirational ideas that you can interpret and make them work for you whether you shop at Pottery Barn or not.



3. GREAT book and great series (all the Pottery Barn Design Library books)! I have an interior design background, and this series is the best I've ever read --- great design and storage ideas that are easy to do and the ideas are multi-faceted, so you could use in another room, etc.



4. I have read/used three of the Pottery Barn books listed in order of my opinion of them: Baths, Living Rooms, and Bedrooms. Baths was very good, with beautiful photographs, interesting and innovative ideas, and some useful design advice. Most of the book provided a several page showcase for an individual bath with discussion of what made it special.
   
   Living rooms was OK. It's content was more canned, but it still had some inspiration and enough ideas that were useful that although I would not put it amongst the best such books, it was worth an hour or two to browse.
   
   Bedrooms hit the bottom of the list for me. The content seemed especially canned. The ideas were not fully developed and most of them appeared to me more appropriate to someone's first apartment than an established home (so it just needs the right audience?). Lot's of the pictures involved just using eclectic pieces and did not involve actually developing a decorative theme.



5. I think Pottery Barn livingrooms gives clear, memorable design ideas that all point to achieving a sense of calm in your nest. Beyond that they show you how to mix textures, periods and shapes to make your space interesting. And maybe best of all they give us rooms that are nicely edited so that every special detail, or object's qualities can be appreciated. It's a very good guide to good taste.

5 comments about The French Chateau: Life, Style, Tradition.

1. ok book,not one of my best picks,several out there that are better as far as decorating goes!



2. An unusual and beautifully published book that profiles privately-owned chateaux, inside and out. It gives you an intimate view of life within the rooms, formal and informal, utility and casual, garden and forest. Family and friends are included from a respectable distance, showing weekend sporting activities and day to day life. Snobbish? Unapproachable? Not really. Think of it as a personable Architectural Digest a la Francaise, with much more panache.



3. See how the other side lives in this fascinating book on private French chateaux. Their residences as well as their lifestyles are revealed in this book packed with gorgeous photos dripping with color and layers of texture. What's also interesting about this book is the history behind each property as well as its past owners. One can only dream...



4. Christiane De Nicolay-Mazery is a fabulous author with fabulous connections. I'm an interior designer & I find Christiane De Nicolay-Mazery's books to be the most inspirational decorating books that I own. One of her other books, 'Private Houses of Paris', is my favorite book on the topic of decorating and I own almost every significant book published on this topic. I do wish that this book was available in hardback, as I prefer hardback books, but this fact should not dissuade you in purchasing it because inspirational design is absolutely on every page of this book!



5. If you love French history, art, decoration and life style; if you have ever dreamed of living in a beautiful French chateau, you must get this book. Each time I open this book I am enchanted. What makes this book especially interesting is that people still live in these chateaus, these dreamscapes of tall Mansart roofs, formal French gardens and rooms filled with 18th century furniture. Forget about the text, it's the ravishingly photographed gardens and interiors that inspire one to dream. Beyond the sheer fantasy of it, this book showed me how I could create a little of the "French Chateau Style" in my own humble living space.

1 comments about Mini House Now.

1. Made me feel like a glutton after buying an 1200 sq. foot condo... what a waste of space! An excellent book showing you don't need an 8,000 square foot mansion to live comfortably. The book is also great for anyone interested in minimalism interior design as many of the homes don't allow for much clutter or adornment.

No comments about Classic Kitchen Style: The Essential Handbook for a Timeless Design.

5 comments about Prefab.

1. I am using PREFAB to help me define differences in prefabrication techniques and this book didn't really help me. There is even a disclaimer attached to the book that states, "We admit to playing fast and loose with the concept of prefabrication here. Many of the houses presented in this book are not prefabricated in the strictest sense of the word. Not all were factory built and assembled. Some houses were built with prefabricated materials like aluminum siding." This gives some illegitimacy to the book. If a building featured in this book has aluminum siding as the only prefabricated piece, then brick suburban homes should be featured as well - at least for consistency.
   
   Saying that aluminum siding is prefab is like saying bricks or CMUs or door frames or sunscreens are all prefab as well. I personally think this statement is untrue. These items are merely standardized pieces to the puzzle - sunscreens put together do not make a building. Prefab is the process of assembling all these things into volumetric modules or panels (SIPs) offsite in a factory.
   
   I do however think the introduction and history were quite informative. Pretty pictures too.



2. The book is wel written and very beautifully photographed. The history is interesting, but would have liked to see more current info.



3. In PREFAB, author Allison Arieff presents an interesting overview of "prefabricated" buildings, past, present, and future. Yet, I would not recommend this book to average modular home consumers, as many of the projects described in PREFAB are highly customized, somewhat eccentric, and generally impractical for those looking to save time and money by utilizing prefab construction as opposed to regular, stick-built construction. Some of the buildings aren't even single-family dwellings, but apartment buildings. Nonetheless, PREFAB is a helpful resource for those who'd like to learn more about the history of prefabricated buildings, as well as the current state of affairs, and in which unusual directions the industry will be headed in the future.
   
   Arieff begins PREFAB with a lengthy (29-page) discussion of the history of prefabricated homes, starting with panelized wood homes in England and the US in 1624, through the American mobile home boom after WWII, and ending with the current state of the industry. The next three sections of the book are devoted to various modern prefab projects. The first, titled "Production," presents "a diverse group of well-designed houses and multi-family dwellings that are either in production, or poised to be." Of the three groups, "Production" is perhaps most relevant to the average consumer; it illustrates the sheer diversity of prefab homes that are available around the world. It also reflects how beautiful prefab homes can be, both inside and out. Next up is "Custom," an eclectic mix of "unique homes by architects less interested in the mass production of houses than in the aesthetic, environmental, and economic benefits of prefabrication." The buildings in this section are stunning - the Penthouse at Albert Court, which sells for $4 to $5 million, is my favorite. Finally, "Concept" features the strangest buildings of the bunch. According the Arieff, the concept buildings represent "a diverse array of virtual and conceptual prefab projects that employ everything from websites to neoprene in order to create the next generation of prefabricated housing." Experimental to the extreme, these plans seem geared towards architects, artists, and other design/construction professionals.
   
   For the beginner, PREFAB is an interesting and engaging introduction to the history of prefabricated housing. As my knowledge of construction and architecture is limited, I can't say whether students or professionals will find PREFAB especially enlightening. I found the author's writing to be crisp and captivating, and I thought there was a good balance of pictures and text. I would definitely recommend PREFAB to newbies who would like to know more about prefab housing; yet, I would direct those looking for a consumer or how-to guide to go elsewhere. Overall, an interesting read, but probably not for everyone (for example, I can see how pros might want additional pictures, larger graphics, and more detailed floor/elevation plans, especially given the book's high price tag).
   
   - Kelly Garbato



4. ok, if you're looking for more of a coffee table book than a serious research source. arieff does provide a brief history of some selected prefabricated ventures, but the other 3/4 of the book is of more modern attempts, all of which are not described or displayed as thoroughly as i had hoped. most of the designs are also of doubtful marketability, and the pompous attitudes of some of the designers is off-putting. some pretty pictures, however.



5. Let me make a simple observation, people by these type of books for the pictures. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words right? But flipping through this book gave me the impression that the authors wanted to explain in words rather than with pictures. It was "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah" when a few more photos would have been much better. Why describe with words???
   
   I liked "Prefab Modern" by Jill Herbers better because it has more designs. It actually had many of the same designers in Prefab but with more pictures, less words, and a floor plan which really helps you to conceptualize the designs. Not only that but the book by Jill Herbers is cheaper too...

5 comments about Christopher Lowell's You Can Do It! Small Spaces: Decorating to Make Every Inch Count.

1. Fortunately I bought this for $5. I will take it back today for a refund!
   
   Here are the good points:
   --he uses his trademark 7 layers of design. There is a chart at the back, on a couple of pages explaining this concept. Good concept, nice short description. Now I don't have to bother with his other books.
   
   --he discusses decluttering oh so briefly (but then spectacularly doesn't follow his own advice)
   
   -- and he explains the poverty attitude where people hang onto stuff out of fear of the future instead of making use of what they like and letting go of the excess stuff.
   
   --he breifly explains the Japanese method of using layers of foreground, middle and background to create depth in small spaces. Not how to do it though. Just that you use layers, that you can see bits thru, like a city skyline (his analogy, and a good one) where the skyscapers are all differing heights and you see vignettes of the city thru the gaps creating a sense of depth.
   
   --he uses colour in a rich way. With less clutter in the photos, the blends of deep rich colour would be stunning instead of overwhelming. Reminds me of shopping at Pier One.
   ----------------------------------------------
   
   
   NOW as to WHY NOT TO BOTHER:
   
   ----The amount of clutter is overwhelming. The man layers on top of layers with no sense of open space to let a person breathe. None of the objects show to advantage when they are as jammed and cluttered as a dime store clearance rack.
   
   -----The man wastes a LOT of space in the book with cutsey pictures of himself with a yellowish box in all sorts of poses. Less than attractive and a real slam to the poor buyer who might actually have been hoping for more pictures or more explanations in those same spaces. Another reviewer counted 43!!!! of these self portraits. Obviously he thinks he did it all himself since the staff weren't worthy to include in any of the pictures showing the projects halfway. That would be ok if the rest of the book was worthwhile.
   
   -----The text is confused and jumpy. He bounces around like he is on some kind of speed drug or something.
   
   -----He invents language. It took me half way thru the book before I figured out what HE meant by the term "merchandising". Hint--it isn't about selling stuff which is the normal definition.
   
   -----He uses dated hardware on the cabinets in the kitchens, even when he changes them out. That bright brass went out in the late eighties, and brushed nickel was a nineties look. This decade is going thru oil rubbed bronze and the newest hint of any type of gilding is a weatherd gold look. Anything but bright shiny brassy "gold".
   
   -----He CONFUSES OPEN DISPLAY SPACE with true STORAGE WHICH IS CLOSED (to hide stuff that is less than visually appealing).
   
   eg *** Nowhere is that worse than the master bedroom with the huge pillars. He is so delighted with his "storage" shelves in the massive headboard unit, that he decides the room won't need a dresser of any kind. A few towels, a basket or two and some books are what he stores in this master bedroom.
   
   Most normal people might want some hidden storage for underwear and the like but not him. I presume that the cramped closet space will be sacrificed for more drawer type storage as a result.
   
   And WHY???
   
   so he can display a few more mismatched towels and create a straight walkway thru the bedroom to another area of the house.
   
   Somebody tell him bedrooms are not hallways, and somebody tell that mobile home company to mke the door to the sun room off the kitchen area.
   
   Problem solved, without creating a runway thru a private space.
   
   THE CONFUSION between storage space and display space IS COMMON to a lot of designers but this one goes over the top. He keeps claiming that he has added tons of storage to these trailers but in fact there is very little storage added, that wasn't already there in kitchen cupboards and closets.
   
   WHAT HE CALLS STORAGE IS REALLY DISPLAY SPACE and he does do a nice job styling the shelves full of useless but pretty stuff. Too much of it, but that seems to be his trademark design.
   
   IF YOU TRY THIS AT HOME please remember storage space is CLOSED space, while display space is open to view and is only intended for a few spare items of great beauty. Display items are focal points, and too many simply means visual clutter.
   
   ---In every possible corner he crams fake plants, visual clutter, junk and trivia. He discusses the necessity of being able to move thru a space but then ignores such practicalities as vacuuming room. In order to clean these heavily dust collecting spaces, you need to get in there to dust, and to vacuum.
   
   It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that running a vacuum thru these spaces is an obstacle course that would take days of effort.
   
   MY CONCLUSION?
   People don't live like that normally unless they have a Molly Maid who can help them clean every week and a storage unit out back where they can park the real necessities of life, that you don't want out on display such as underwear, or spare rolls of toilet paper or that truly ugly but effective shampoo bottle.
   
   This man should do store displays for Pier One and similar home decor stores. He has the rich colour sense that is so attractive in these places, but he should leave the design of small spaces to people who truly understand them.
   
   A good place to start is the magazine Style at Home which will give you all the richness and colour and design, without the clutter or dated combinations. I suggest a subscription to that magazine instead of the cost of this book. Their annual small space issue in in the spring, but the rest of the year they include tips for smaller spaces with each issue.



2. If you have small spaces (and who doesn't!) this is the book for you. I devoured every page. Christopher's designs are impeccable, classy and you WILL be able to douplicate them yourself.



3. I don't watch cable tv and Christopher Lowell isn't familiar to me, but I was eager to read this book as I have a number of small rooms. I was extremely disappointed to find that all the rooms in the book were comparatively huge. I was hoping for decorating tips for rooms 12 x12 and smaller. Oh, well. Some of my friends who have bigger rooms have been happy to borrow it.



4. This was a bit of a let down, as I'd loved Lowell's Dream Decor On A Budget. This one is choppy and hard to follow. Reading his descriptions and then trying to find what he's talking about in the photos is tough.
   Some of the rooms are delightful and there's quite a few do-it-yourself projects included (mission style table, settee-divider, island bed).
   They included too many photos of Lowell, making it seem like a fan club book rather than a serious decorating guide.



5. My chief complaint is the photographs used to illustrate how Lowell's ideas and sketches were carried out DO NOT at all compare to the photos of the empty original rooms. It is extremely hard for the eye to determine the angle and placement. Several photos I couldn't even figure out what area of the room I was looking at. The AFTER photos are too close up and it's impossible to use them as a reference or anything more than a vague idea. BAD PHOTOGRAPHY.
   
   I did get a few ideas for small spaces. I found a lot of use of the same colors over and over again, same plush fabrics and lawrence-of-arabia style draping. A bit lush and overdone for the typical home perhaps? I like his ideas very much though about clutter and making the most of your surroundings. But please re-issue with better photographs of the results of his ideas and works! What a disappointment in that regard.