1 comments about Italian Designers at Home.

1. This book is packed with good taste and eclectic décor. If you like modernism with a passion for history this is for you. It features older and established designers who use their homes/studios as working laboratories. The spaces are multi-layered and housed in residences that may have been homes to royalty, or clergy. The book is filled with fabulously designed furniture, art, and architecture. A privilege to have a glimpse into places I would never otherwise be allowed. This is time travel, but I am not sure if it is past, present or future. Good Lighting and photography, informative and well written.
   
   A true keeper for your library or coffee table.

No comments about A Place in the Country: Country Home Collection.

2 comments about English Country Cottage: Interiors, Details & Gardens.

1. u can feel the charisma with each breathtaking picture of charming cottages and gardens.it makes u want to jump in and get warm and cozy.even from across the room this book relaxes u.a 100% certifiable coffee table legend.



2. This truly delightful book shows cottage interiors that reflect the pasttimes, habits, and way of living that one likes to believe are essentially "English". These homes look as if they are actually lived in and all exhibit that special British propensity for comfort blended with eccentricity. The ubiquitous Aga is featured in a number of the kitchens, but there are also enough 'jolts' in the form of colour use and collections to make this book memorable and somehow fresh. A book I refer to again and again and well worth adding to your collection - almost a reference on English cottage style. Very good value.

2 comments about Affordable Home Design: Innovations and Renovations.

1. This book says almost nothing about affordable home design. In fact, it says almost nothing at all. Most of the book is dedicated to large photos, some of which are grainy in quality. The written descriptions of the houses include, at most, a sentence or two about some "affordable" feature, while most of the noteworthy features of the houses look quite expensive. It's as if the publisher decided to make another book about mostly modern houses, then put the word "affordable" in the title just to sell more books. If you want a book on this subject, buy another one instead.



2. Affordable Home Design; Innovations And Renovations is packed with solutions to appeal to designers on a budget who want to keep quality without high expense. Here are projects which focus on budget-saving ideas and sustainable designs, covering both new construction and renovation projects from single family homes to apartments. Energy saving ideas are a big part of Affordable Home Design, with discussions revolving around originally commissioned idea versus finished project considerations. Martha Torres received a degree in architecture in Venezuela and has coordinated a number of design projects: her expertise lends to a fine set of ideas.

No comments about Working: 20 Projects in Process.

No comments about Ideas: Weekend Homes.

1 comments about Stores of the Year No. 16.

1. I think it was a great buy since it's complete my collection on visual merchandising books.

1 comments about Furniture and Interiors of the 1960s.

1. During the 1960's there was an explosion in the creation of furnishings for the mass market especially items made from plastic. Anti-materialist youth consumers desired items that were expendable, impermanent, and fun. Furniture and Interiors of the 1960's is a colorful and exciting look at the creative endeavors of designers during this time.

   Not a punch list of must have pieces needed to attain a "look", Furniture and Interiors of the 1960's puts chairs, lighting fixtures, tables into historical context and fleshes them out with the ideas that surrounded their creation. The biggest names are included: Ray and Charles Eames, Joe Colombo, Verner Panton, and David Hicks. Happily, there is also a significant emphasis on lesser-known designers and their products from France, Italy, and Japan.

   Furniture and Interiors features more than 300 images, many in color, including: original photos, magazine layouts, catalogs, advertisements as well as contemporary photographs. The text is thoughtful, very informative and a pleasure to read. It also features a thorough index, well-identified photos, interesting captions, and designer bios.

   Time has passed and many throwaway items have attained the highest regard, and are now on display in major museums and sought after by collectors. This book too will withstand the test of time and I strongly recommend it and the other volumes available in this series.

3 comments about Tuscany Interiors/Interieurs De Toscane/Toskana Interieurs: Interieurs De Toscane = Toskana Interieurs (Interiors (Taschen)).

1. This book is a feast for the eyes as it captures the elegance and romance of the Tuscany region. My own preference for more simple decor became obvious as much of the interiors are very lavish.However, if you like the gilded and the opulent looks, you won't be disappointed. The exterior photos of these homes were my favorites and captured the ageless beauty of this region.



2. Another lovely book from Angelica Taschen! Like the ''Seaside Interiors'' this one is a ''must have'' book also. Lovely pictures, cozy and quality home interiors. Beautiful coffee table book. Makes you think that it is a result of hard work and quality time spend to do this book. Enjoy it!



3. This wonderful book is a true inspiration and also a type of travelogue. A chance to see inside some of those mysterious buildings that fill Siena and Florence and the hillsides of Tuscany. See the guys with the good plumbing and what they do with really seriously old timbers and architecture.

5 comments about Let's Ask Michael : 100 Practical Solutions for Interior Design Challenges.

1. The book is a list of problems and solutions. I enjoyed reading it.



2. whoever gives this a so-so review is downright silly.
   This book is absolutely wonderful! for people who know nothing
   about design as well as design students. There are loads of
   wonderful ideas.



3. Our TV fav host and ID does a neat thing: he answers emails and the publishes them with his answers and graphics.

   The show is really Michael's wonderful personality and design flexibility. Here it shows in advice on all rooms from kitchen to bath to living room to bedroom to dining room to family room and all others. His adept touch is in them all, such as this suggestion in regards to breathing new life into stale furniture on a tight budget: "have it professionally painted." It's answers like this that endure this guy to us in HGTV's audience.

   The index here is critical, since it cross-sections his answers not just by room, but by style, by topic e.g. wall color, by furniture piece, etc.

   100 of them with good color shots and sketches and Michael. Only thing wish he'd included was a recommended bibliography for us who would like to go deeper.




4. At last an easy to understand interior design book offering a lot of worthwile information. Michael Payne delivers the same informative solutions "Designing For The Sexes" offers. This book walks the reader through design projects in such a way everything becomes possible.



5. I read most of the reviews here before purchasing this book but had to see it for myself. I liked that the pictures and emails were from his show or private clients because it's a great point of reference. I'm a graphic designer, so he always made sense to me about color selections. Michael really listens to his clients and comes up with wonderful solutions, especially for couples with different tastes. I also don't think that you have to be a millionaire to incorporate his ideas, just smart about your budget and creative.