5 comments about 1,000 Garden Ideas: The Best of Everything in a Visual Sourcebook.

1. I love the quantity of photo's in the book. It's not a 'how-to-do' book. It is a book that provides you with a variety of options for a specific part of a garden. Enough to get our creative juices flowing.



2. I bought this book on a whim and surely regret it. I do a lot of gardening and have visited a great many gardens in our country, some famous & some not. I am currently building new gardens, again, and this book was recommended. This is a picture book w/no details regarding the gardens and/or plantings. Put it on your coffee table for friends to see. Or if like me you don't subscribe to the coffee table/coffee table book idea I will probably try to pass this off as a gift for someone who aspires to garden but doesn't. Do not buy this book. Look at the pictures at the library or bookstore. It just takes a few minutes.



3. This book contains maybe 1000 pictures... all relatively small. This in no way gave me any ideas whatsoever. If you are looking for ideas for a backyard, patio, garden shed, flowers, pergolas. etc.. I suggest Lee Ann White's "Backyard Ideas".



4. The photos are beautiful. But it is just a series of photos, almost like inventory from a catalog. Containers without plant material, seating without any a setting, ancient stone statues that cannot be purchased, it has no application to a new garden. I would stick to a standard Sunset book, you would get a much bigger picture, application and complete ideas.



5. I checked this book out from the library, and was thoroughly impressed! I have since put it on my wish list. Tons of ideas for every aspect of your garden--WOW!

5 comments about Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature.

1. Finally, I had purchased a few Vastu books to enhance our home as well as to plan designs for a new home in the future. This book answers all the questions in a sensible, practical and logical format.
   There are many resources as well. The photos are beautiful and it seems to put it all together.
   Highly recommended.



2. Sherri Silverman's VASTU book is not only erudite but also practical - and absolutely gorgeous.



3. Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature is an exquisite work of art from the front cover to the very end. Extremely informative in conveying ancient knowledge, yet easy to read and understand. A "must have" for those of us seeking to create beauty, balance, and harmony in our everyday life and surroundings.



4. This is a well written book that offers the lay person a great deal of knowledge about Vastu. It is concise and easy to understand and provides tools to create a more harmonious home. Sherri Silverman did a superb job!!!



5. This book is stunningly beautiful! I want to move right into the rooms, homes, and gardens featured in this book. The photographs alone would make this book worth owning. But on top of the great beauty, the book is filled with helpful information on how to improve our homes so we can feel more grounded, serene, and joyful. I have used some feng shui techniques in the past, which is why I was interested in this title. I made a few changes recommended in the book and have experienced an enhanced feeling of well being. The biggest change has been in our bedroom. My husband, who has historically been a poor sleeper, and I changed the direction of our bed. He is now sleeping much better and sometimes even sleeps through the night, rather than waking up 3 or 4 times as he used to. I also moved the extra books out of our bedside table, which makes the bedroom feel more peaceful even though the books could not be seen where they were. Next, I plan to investigate "yantras," which the author recommends for making our homes more sacred and correcting problems that we cannot correct because of the limitations of our homes or budgets. In summary, I highly recommend this book and recommend that you use some of the Vatsu principles. You will definitely feel the benefits!

1 comments about Country Living 500 Quick & Easy Decorating Projects & Ideas.

1. I have a passion for design books that are practical and fun. This one fits the bill. The suggestions would fit any casual comfort filled home.
   The use of color is great and appeals to the relaxation of the eye.

5 comments about Interior Design with Feng Shui: New and Expanded.

1. This book is wonderful for those that would like to know the setup of Feng Shui. It's well written and easy to understand. It doesnt really tell you about placement within the bague, however it gives you understanding of feng shui in a different light. It's very informative and helps you understand how the placement of your home effects your energy. All in all, a good choice.



2. 
   This book on Feng Shui covers only topics related to interior design, but is a must have reference, since is filled with practical information, and detailed description with examples of different possible room shapes that you most certainly will encounter at home. Each case scenario is accompanied with diagrams and figures to help understand even better how the placement of a mirror, a bed, or a fish tank can affect the mood, luck, prosperity, or even the health of each family member.
   
   "Interior Design with Feng Shui" teaches how to re-arrange your home to be in complete harmony with nature and with the surrounding environment, optimizing the energy flowing through your house.
   
   This book is for everyone, not only for interior designers or architects, since it is written in a readable and clear way, including fundamental concepts of Feng Shui, and a glossary for the beginner.



3. Another great book by Sarah Rossbach; extremely informative and well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to improve their lot in life with Feng Shui. Also check out her other book regarding Feng Shui and colour, co-written with Master Lin Yun.



4. I've read a number of Feng Shui books, so when this one was recommended and sent to me by a good friend, everything fell into place!!! all the missing information, the little details, everything I read before was fully understood once I had this marvel in my hand.
   
   After reading 18 books of Feng Shui I can totally recommend this one...Thank You Sarah!!!



5. I'd had this book recommended to me as a good one with which to begin to understand Feng Shui. While I will agree that aspects of it were clear and full of practical application (the examples of room layouts, etc.), in general I found the book to be poorly organized and certainly not enough in and of itself to gain a basic understanding of Feng Shui.

   I found that I learned enough to be interested further, and got some practical advice about furniture placement. Not where I would send a beginner, however.

4 comments about Vintage Cottages.

1. I had high expectations for this book. Had I realized it was written by the same author as Camps and Cottages, I may have thought twice before I bought it.
   
   Just like its sister book, Camps and Cottages, Vintage Cottages features California cottages exclusively. That should have been reflected in the title or subtitle.
   
   Secondly, the photography disappointed. Too many little heavily styled micro views of bookcases and table tops. I longed for wider shots to get a better sense of the whole house.
   
   And last, the spaces feel artificial to me. A heavy stylist's hand is evident in many of the photos. There is even an obvious product placement of the author's other book, Camps and Cottages.
   
   If you are interested in real vintage cottages, spaces where people really live, the book to get is The Cottage Book: Living Simple and Easy.



2. I HATE THIS BOOK!! THIS WAS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT--IT SHOULD BE CALLED VINTAGE CABINS. WHEN I THINK OF " VINTAGE COTTAGES " I THINK OF QUAINT VICTORIAN TYPE DWELLINGS. THE MAJORITY OF PHOTOS IN THIS BOOK DEPICT RUSTIC, BACK WOODS, NORTHERN CABIN TYPE HOMES. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS BOOK. THE BEST PART OF THIS BOOK IS THE COVER.



3. We love this book. So many excellent ideas. Our family being animal people, absolutely love that this book is dedicated to Buddy who happened to be at the right place at the right time. The cottages are beautiful as well as the landscapes and the celebration of four-legged friends is a beautiful plus!
   
   This is an item we accidentally happened upon due to recommendation from previous purchases. We will certainly integrate some of the ideas in our tiny cottage as well with much enthusiasm. Very nice reading indeed and beautiful photography. It sits with pride on our coffee table for when the need for inspiration hits.



4. She did it again. Worth the wait...terrific new book.
   Job well done Molly and Tom!
   Love that they included the dogs.

1 comments about The Cabin Book.

1. I just received this book in the mail from Amazon. It is wonderful, it is art. It is everything and much, much more. If you want to get design ideas for a crafted cabin of quality, THIS IS THE BOOK!

No comments about Spas (Architectural Interiors).

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.

2 comments about The Decoration of Houses.

1. Amidst today's seemingly endless supply of domestic guides and treatises on interior decoration, Edith Wharton might be surprised that her The Decoration of Houses (co-authored with architect Ogden Codman, Jr.) would still be as relevant and necessary as it is a century after its first publication. Long before "simplicity" and "classic" became catchwords for branding, Wharton took a public stand against the bland, trite excesses of Victorian décor in America. Favoring the considered, informed and complex processes of design rooted in architectural principles, her graceful humility was matched only by her assertive plea against the contemporary dominance of thoughtless, conspicuous consumption visible in New York society. As she determinately decreed: "According to the creed of the modern manufacturer, you have only to combine certain `good' to obtain a certain style."
   
   Often associated with the frivolity connected to historical descriptions of femininity, this volume might be a surprise for those who prefer to view Wharton as a New York literary powerhouse. While her 40 books in 40 years (many of which were devoted to travels through European residences and gardens) are a testament to the force of her pen, it's the themes of beauty, pleasure, societal indulgence, cultural education and cosmopolitanism in America's modernity that make her analysis, and eventual ruling on the importance of design and space, a necessary extension of her literary thought. As she aptly begins her historical and aesthetic analysis, "Rooms may be decorated in two ways: by a superficial application of ornament totally dependent of structure, or by means of those architectural features which are part of the organism of every house, inside as well as out." And it's through these sixteen chapters that reflect on everything from the front door to the dining room to bric-a-brac that she offers readers a glimpse at the historic function of furnishings, as well as her claims about taste, beauty and the impact of residential design.
   
   The Italian, French and British capacity for decorating in accord with the Grecian edict of "wise moderation," so admired by Wharton, is illustrated by black and white plates. The illustrations also reveal that the author's penchant for "classic" beauty wasn't about recreating kitschy historic facades or stoic sparseness. Rather, a considered pleasure seems to be her goal as she concludes, "There is no absolute perfection, there is no communicable ideal; but much that is empiric, much that is confused and extravagant, will give way before the application of principles based on common sense and regulated by the laws of harmony and proportion." True to her appreciation for sincerity in the application of decorative principles, readers can see the realization of her rules if they visit the Mount, a 113-acre Lenox estate designed by Wharton in 1902.
   
   Recreated by Rizzoli using photographs of the original 1897 pressing, the only change made by the publishers in this edition is the use of the original interior dust jacket as the model for the printed design that now covers the book. But I don't think Wharton would mind, as she truly believed that design was about the external reflection and illumination of what's on the inside.



2. The "Decoration of Houses" allows a comparison of styles from antique to modern, with variations for each time period. I own it, but gave it to my daughter too, since she does set design in New York. The only one tht is better, is one that is out of print. My father used as a decorator in Boston.

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!