No comments about Hotel Spaces.

5 comments about New Cottage Style (Better Homes & Gardens).

1. I found this book very inspiration in helping me decorate my home. It helped define my love for the new cottage style.



2. This is a terrific book! It is the perfect companion to the original Cottage Book by Better Homes and Gardens. I highly recommend it!



3. I loved this book, and keep going back to it again and again, for comfy and yet clean looks for a more modern interpretation of cottage. I'm not that much into white, and like a spare but not modern look, and this book had enough examples of ways to do that to be really helpful. yarrow_m



4. I truely enjoy this book. The photography and ideas are very current and create a mix of style, comfort & ideas I personally delight in. However, I was so disappointed there was no resource guide...at all. :(
   I have spent days trying resource the botanical prints and have come up empty.
   oh, well.



5. Not my favorite cottage book, and I own many. There was just nothing special about it. It didn't inspire me as I had expected. I didn't enjoy the reading - didn't hold my interest. It does have some nice pictures.

2 comments about Peace at Home: Simple Solutions for Relaxing Rooms.

1. When I read the inside back flap of the dust jacket and read that the author is a designer as well as a devotee of Tibetan Buddhism, and teaches yoga I senses I might like the book and I was not the least bit disappointed.
   
   To many books on simplicity of design that I have checked out recently are void of true simplicity and or are to 'cute,' which suggested to me that the author thought he/she knew what simplicity of design was, but really did not.
   
   There is nothing 'cute' about this book or its superb photographs. On page 27 the author notes 'Light and Dark. In addition to color, the balance and interplay of light and dark are instrumental in shaping our visual experience of our environment. To promote harmony and well being within our homes, it is essential to create a balance of light and shade in each interior that is appropriate to the room's function at different times of the day. Light has an energizing effect on the body, promoting activity and mental alterness; an abundance of light is therefore desirable in rooms that are used for active daytime pursuits.' Notice she realizes the power sunlight, natural light plays in our overall health. When we changed the colors in the cottage to brighter hues we noticed even occasional depression lifted. Because we felt both energized and destressed.
   
   Now I readily admit that those people who prefer Levitz furniture style wont like this book, because this book and its photos are devoid of clutter that all to many American homes have an abundance of. Especially cookie cutter look alike suburban homes.
   
   Also like as she shows on page 69, her example of how a blend of brick, tile wood and metal in clean lines can work well together. Or how on page 73 she notes that sensual stimulation is important especially at mealtime when one should strive to present food on colourful dishes. Makes me so happy I have a nice collection of Fiestaware in various colours with place settings for four in at least six colours since we entertain a lot.
   
   Her examples of calming restful bathrooms is a feast for the eyes and one can see how using examples she shows can make soaking in a hot bath a spiritual and renewing experience. Clean crisp lines and no cluttered or overdone ceramic tile, shower curtains or matching rugs, toilet tank and toilet seat covers!
   
   She even has a wonderful section on gardens and outdoor dining beginning on page 147 titled Gardens, Balconies and Decks. Where she shows examples of each that will fit in city, suburb or rural spaces.
   
   A wonderful book for the person looking to plan well before they build or even buy a fixer upper. One of my favorite books on peaceful abodes and it lives up 100% to its title Peace At Home.



2. Unlike most design books, I felt a strong emotional attachment to the succinctly conveyed advice, demonstrated in inspirational, calming pictures. I actually find it calming to review after a long day as well. I recommend taking your time and thoughtfully trying to digest its messages, as oppose to glossing over the pretty pictures.

4 comments about Mexican Tiles: Color, Style, Design.

1. I'm in the process of building on the Maya Riviera so this isn't a book read for fun. This is real research looking for real ideas. Building in Spanish Colonial style can't be done without some incorporation of Mexican Tiles. This book is basically 90% pictures and 10% background and history of Mexican Tiles. The background write-up is excellent and gives good history of Talavera and Talavera-Style Tiles. Then it's on to different uses, floors, kitchens, bathrooms, walls and stairs, and patios and gardens.
   
   I'm very simple in the colors I like in homes so these tiles can be "over the top". This book has a lot of these type pictures. It has more tile usage than I've ever seen on exteriors. The kitchen section has huge tile usage but I've seen more attractive usage in other books.
   
   Overall, I did not get any ideas I will definitely use but I did get a different perspective on tile usage. There are definitely pictures I will take back to discuss with my architect and designer which may be incorporated. This book can be consumed in an hour. But it may take many hours of review going over the pictures again and again.



2. I love Mexican tiles but I felt the book was a bit of a let down. The pictures were a bit small and there wasn't enough information about tilemaking in the book. I think the book would have been much more effective in a larger format where the tiles would have been more impressive. There are some wonderful talavera tile websites on the net for anyone who wants a better overview.



3. Book has great ideas. Wish it had been hardback. Book binding, does not want to hold together, considering the wear and tear it shall receive. This is also a great book.



4. After I bought Masako Takahasi and her husband Tony Cohen's book "Mexicolor", I thought no other book I purchased would EVER compare to that experience. When I discovered "Mexican Tiles", I opened it with fear and trepidation, hoping against all hope, yet hardly daring to believe that it could be even half as good as their first.

   But this book is AWESOME!! I think I finally figured out why, after reading Tony Cohen's book "On Mexican Time": these people simply ADORE Mexico, and it comes through in everything they do. All of the wonder and breathless anticipation and teary-eyed beauty that I feel and am so hopelessly unqualified to express when I am either in Mexico or adding to my collection of artesania, Tony vividly portrays in his prose and Masako captures with her camera.

   As for subject matter, I LOVE Talavera tiles, Talavera pottery, Talavera ANYTHING, because they are so INCREDIBLY Mexican, and this book is simply PAGE after GORGEOUS PAGE of Talavera-lined kitchens, bathrooms, stairs, floors...you name it, it's tiled. If you at all appreciate ethnic interior design or Mexican handicrafts, this is an AWESOME book!!!

1 comments about Greece Style: Exteriors, Interiors, Details (Icons S.).

1. Marvelous pictures with some helpful hint on technique painting and achieving the looks presented in the pictures. I would have liked more information on where to obtain some of the accent items. If you like photo journal books, you will enjoy this publication.

4 comments about New Color Schemes Made Easy (Better Homes & Gardens).

1. If you are one of those people who go to a paint store and stare helplessly at the five billion color samples in front of you, zoned out, in a panic over what to decide, then this book is for you.
   
   It runs through such useful categories as starting points--choosing maybe your favorite color or a favorite color from a rug. And then, and this is what really helps, the book goes through all the colors, such as yellow, or red, and shows different hues, different tones, and what other colors go well together with them. Every set of colors shows you a photo of a room using those colors.
   
   There is also a section at the back that includes many neutrals, and shows you how to blend them. If you are terrified of painting everything in your living room blood red, then this part of the book, with its soothing blend of neutral shades, will really help.



2. I'm taking a color class in an interior design program. I have a textbook and various color-related books that I purchased by myself on Amazon. This is one of my favorite of all.
   
   It does introduce some very basic yet important concepts about color in such an understandable language first. Then, it gets into the color application part, explaining how to combine colors to create a certain kind of ambience or impact, in a very easy-to-understand way again.
   
   It is really well written, although it's not written by any certified designers. For beginners who like colors and would like to understand colors, this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.



3. Clear, concise guide to choosing and co-ordinating colors in the home. Lots of helpful pointers, such as how to unify rooms in the home with the baseboard color. Often I flip through interior design books looking at the photos, but this one was interesting to read as well as look at.



4. I have purchased my first house and will soon be tackling the job of painting it. I bought this book to get ideas on how to paint without using neutral colors in every room. This book has opened my eyes to the various color schemes and how to use them. It has a painting wheel inside. It tells you how to use colors and even has a question/answer page in the very back. It gives you a lot of pictures with furnishings and talks about how to tie the color on the walls with the furnishings and vice versa. I really liked how the author explained what the colors draw out, for example, "Yellow. Happiness and good cheer circle the room when you invite yellow inside. Bright citrus and pistachio yellows wake you up while the softer tones of vanilla, cream, and honey warm you like sunshine. Yellow-greens add brightness, golds glow with richness. Whatever your pick--buttercup, mustard, bamboo, or lemon sherbert-- yellow is sure to improve your outlook on life." I had some ideas of how I wanted to paint my house and this book helped me to figure out if I was headed in a good direction. By allowing me to pick a trait I wanted to draw out, for example my living room I would like to draw on conversation, while the bedroom relaxation; this book helped guide me into the correct colors to draw on those attributes. The author speaks in a basic level so the average person can comprehend what they are saying at a basic level. I would recommend this book for beginners, but would also recommend purchasing another book to go with it that may give more ideas.

3 comments about Key West: A Tropical Lifestyle.

1. This book gives the true eclectic style of Key West. The photos are wonderful and give an accurate insight into the private homes and life style of this laid back, creative, elegant, charming community.....It gives one a look at the gracious stately old homes as well as the most impressive renovations of cottages in "old town". Book is filled with gorgeous full page photographs, beautifully, uniquely, Key West!



2. I think Key West had an appeal that you don't find in other parts of the country. It's the southern most point in America and there is the same feeling that you get in other special towns in the US, such as New Orleans, and SanFrancisco. Each has something unique about it.
   
   This was a great book for capturing that feeling. It's also nice to see beyond the street view. I found the text interesting and very readable.
   
   I hope if you decided to buy this book you will enjoy it as well.



3. It's hard to imagine how the natives, or the locals, live in places like Key West or New Orleans. These tropical outposts seem less mainstream than other parts of the USA; unique people put down roots in both of these sister cities. This lovely book gives a glimpse into homes of the poeple who live and work in Key West. It is just beautiful to see gracious living that is for real and not manufactured, but imagined and realized. Starting with the cover photo of the home of Michael Pelkey (and the ten pages of his home, and the ending photo of his kitchen countertop), you will be transported. The author writes with knowingness and sensitivity and respect for the inhabitants of, the history, and of present time Key West. This is a great inspiration book for your own lifestyle and decor, and a lovely arm chair vacation too. I would love the author Leslie Linsley, and the photographer Terry Pommett to come to New Orleans and do a sister book for us here (and bring Michael Pelkey along to lend his expert eye to the whole project).

No comments about New York Style: Exteriors, Interiors, Details (Icons).

No comments about Cool Restaurants Top of the World (Cool Restaurants).

No comments about The Not So Big House: Home by Design (Susanka).