No comments about From Fiorucci to the Guerrilla Stores: Shop Displays in Architecture, Marketing and Communications (Mode).

No comments about Practical Ideas for Home Decoration.

1 comments about The New Moderns: Architecture and Design for Living.

1. Various aspects of contemporary living are discussed here such as the mastery of space & light; functionalism of kitchen & bathroom; the usage of stair as a piece of art, decorative tool & as a functional equipment to get people from one place to the other; the significance of furniture & fitting; the usage of colour & texture rather than resorting to white colour all the time (the book even went into such a trouble of elaborating to the readers why white is still rendered as the timeless colour in a modern living setting); modern house as a gallery & how it's transformed into a jewel piece in the nite time; how to blend past with the present; outdoor assimilating with indoor. I would not categorise this book as a must have in understanding the concept of modern living but it's indeed a valuable book to reinforce our view of what modern living is all about. The authors could have used MORE examples of prominent architects from diverse background & cultures but more emphasis is put upon modern living in England, USA, & Japan. In other words, when discussing modern living, we should discuss it in context of its universal appeal which this book fails to address. Many quality pictures are included in this offering but I couldn't help noticing the pictures are taken from the same setting but simply from different angles, something like selling sizzles but no steak. Otherwise, this is a user friendly reading book to have especially on a cold & wet nite. Some readers might find the directory of architects, shops, galleries, & suppliers at the end of the book handy for their usage though.

No comments about Loretto and the Miraculous Staircase.

2 comments about Charlotte Perriand -- Livre de Bord.

1. The book is big with a lot of drawings and pictures, with many comments or notes from the author herself. The book was what I expected, information and drawings. My book arrived sealed in plastic which I loved because no one else before me had open the book. It was very clean. I would love all books from Amazon to be sent like this. I am looking for another book with her drawings of what she did afterwards in the fifties.



2. I had to return this book because it was dirty. It was probably a return itself.

No comments about Kollhoff & Timmermann Architects: Hans Kollhoff.

No comments about Chicago Interiors.

4 comments about Real Life Decorating: Your Life, Your Style, Your Home (Better Homes and Gardens(R)).

1. There are so many decorating books out there that you can spend a fortune buying them. My mode of operatus is to check the book out of the library and if it is a "keeper" I purchase it. I am ordering this book today. Even though not all the styles are like mine, the glorious pictures and variety of decorating options represented definitely provide a great jumping off point. I would actually have given this book a 4.5 stars if that option was available, but felt it was better than 4 stars.
   
   The book addresses several "styles" of decor and includes the actual homeowners and their comments about their decorating tastes. The pictures are beautiful and each section includes "real life lessons." These "lessons" are tips and secrets for incorporating each type of style into your decor. My one complaint - I do think there was often too much of the homeowner's "stories" and would prefer more tips and lessons. One great things included is the Sources & Resources section in the back of the book.



2. Here are what I think are the pluses and minuses of this book:

   Pluses: The "style primer" section gives tips on color and paint, proportion and scale, furniture and floor plans, art and arranging, patterns and fabric, accessories and collections, lighting and lamps, storage and display, and sources and resources. This section alone will probably be worth the cost of the book to most people. Most of these tips can be generalized to different styles. Also the tips at the end of each case study can be useful to many people.

   Minuses: However, the case studies themselves leave something to be desired. Even though the book supposedly shows the homes of a cross section of people, the style is the same through out the book. What I call "modern country." It has a country feel, but more choices of color than traditional country and some unusual eye catching design-elements.

   If your style is modern country, or if you like a wide variety of styles and want a book representative of this type of style for your book colletion, like I did, then you will enjoy this book. Everyone else might want to pass.




3. I found this book to be fun and completely accessible. I enjoyed the stories about the 10 Real Life Decorators in the book and how their styles evolved. I found Real Life Decorating to be practical, creative and filled with timeless ideas and tips from people who actually "live" in the houses they decorate. This is a great book for all and I have already recommended it to many friends as a "must have" for the home design library.



4. I found this book to be fun, accessible and full of great ideas for people in all stages of life. I have already recommended it to many friends and suggest it as a "must have" for the home design library. The ideas are timeless and creative and the sources given are practical and fit the average homeowners budget.

No comments about Early Medieval Rome and the Christian West: Essays in Honour of Donald A. Bullough (Medieval Mediterranean).

No comments about Hip Entertaining Bars & Restaurants.