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.

5 comments about Sensual Home.

1. I have owned this book for about 3 years now and it by far the most helpful home book I have ever owned. I think this is a book for people that are very aware of their five senses and want a home that is intimate, simple, nurturing and pleasurable. Crawford cover the five senses, examining how to enhance your home experience with fabrics, textures, smells, sights, sounds, tastes and sights. She focuses on using natural materials rather than chemical ones. Cotton, silk, cashmere, natural stone, aromatherapy, flowers, etc. are all discussed. There is a great directory towards the end on what businesses she recommends finding the best, natural materals discussed in the book. I also love that the cover of the book itself is textured. I always ome back to this book for guidance on what I really need in my home to make it a warm, intimate, senual, pared down and happy place.



2. i have many, many home decor books and this one by far and away is my most favorite and has the best philosophy. and the cover is fuzzy and pleasant to handle AND nice to look at.



3. And the text makes you think about things that you are probably never going to think about in today's madcap and rushed society, simple things like natural lighting, linen textures, plants for detoxifying your environment, etc. There is just one thing that frustrated me about this book. On pages 54 and 55 there is the most amazing sofa I have ever seen, but there is no mention of where it came from or how to get one like it. Some of the references are clearly European and cannot be found in the States. But the overall philosophy is simple- we are animals and we need to slow down and rediscover our sensual being. And once you have found this simple mindset, you will see ways to make it happen all around you.



4. I love this book. I found it on a small interior design store in Italy,and It was love at first sight.I judged it by it's cover(and thought the idea of the velvet cover was great) but when I read it I was transported by its contents.Its absolutly great! Everyone should have it!



5. This book teaches us how to feel calm and organized, how to embelish and refine our senses with the best home arrangements. I loved it!

No comments about Pools & Gardens (Evergreen Series).

2 comments about India: Decoration, Interiors, Design.

1. I love the book. Shows a modern view of India with strong traditions in the past. I always enjoy seeing how others live. I would strongly recommend the book for paople who are interested in our world and how we liveon it.



2. Detailed photographs capture the beauty and diversity of India.
   
   Inspiring mix of design styles: from the intricate carvings of a merchant's haveli in Ahmedabad to the tasteful remodeling of a 15th century fortified palace transformed into a modernist hotel, every page delights.
   
   There are elements of tribal origins and nods to colonial history. Bold, colorful decorated patterns of the tribal people contrast with the formal colonial influences of British raj. An adventurous soul will revel in the beauty and sense of place this book brings. It blends colors, textures, and light in a thousand ways.

2 comments about Bridges of the World: Their Design and Construction.

1. this is an excellent book for people with an intrest in the history of bridge construction and their design from the roman times to the modern bridge with lots of black and white illustrations.anybody who likes bridges will like this book.



2. This reprints a 1929 classic in an unabridged presentation covering the design and construction of spans around the world, from wooden landmarks and classic restored medieval structures to covered bridges, stone structures, and modern (up to early 1900s, that is) creations. Chapters pack in many vintage black and white photos and diagrams to accompany a technical survey of bridge advancements and construction.

No comments about Universal Design Ideas for Style, Comfort & Safety.

No comments about Cool Shops Los Angeles (Cool Shops).

5 comments about Art Deco House Style: An Architectural and Interior Design Source Book.

1. This is a lovely book, but I bought it for the interior part and it really is mostly external architecture.



2. I ordered this book for a friend who has an Art Deco house and is planning an extension with a new kitchen. It sounded ideal but proved less than useful. It is really a historical reference for Art Deco elements which may be interesting to some but is not so useful if you want to use your house in a more modern way. The average 1930's kitchen just does not cut it these days. This book showed original Art Deco kitchens but no new kitchens in Art Deco style. I would recommend this book to design students and ardent enthusiasts of the style but not to someone who is not so fanatical. There are better books for integrating old and new such as "Old House, New Home: Stylish Modern Living In A Period Setting".



3. This book is exactly what I was looking for! The reviews I read on amazon.com convinced me to buy it because they said it was great for someone who owned an art deco style house and they were right. I would recommend it.



4. Many of the Art Deco reference books are very high quality "coffee table" productions that highlite museum quality Art Deco creations. They are fantastic books but as the owner of middle class Art Deco home, I know that objects presented in these books are way beyond my economic means. I can admire them but never afford these iconic art pieces. The beauty of Ingrid Cranfield's "Art Deco House Style" is that it concentrates on more modest homes and interiors. Nearly every page is filled with period photographs of house exteriors, furniture and other household objects. At $16 new or $10 used, this is a very reasonably priced reference book more suitable for the book shelf than the coffee table. A good value and highly recommended for the regular person with a 1930's home.



5. I really like this book a lot of pictures, it is helping my to decorate my thirties house. I surely recomend it.

No comments about Mini Loft Bible.

4 comments about The New Step-by-Step Home Decorating Projects (Singer Sewing Reference Library).

1. This is a very clearly demostrated how-to book. It offers great ideas and the directions to accomplish the projects. I find it invaluable. I have several how-to books and this is the best by far.



2. I liked the examples and the layout of the products. The easy step by step guide for a novice like me that is understandable



3. There are tips on window treatments I didn't find in any other books, that alone was worth the money for me. However a lot of the color choices are a little dated, and the instructions are sparser than in other books. Still there is a lot of inspiration here.



4. most of the book is helpful and well illustrated.however, i needed information about calculating drapery pleats and the book says to use pleater tape. no help there. Also, i needed information about sewing a swag and jabot and this Singer sewing book tells me a no-sew method on throwing a swag over a curtain rod. no help there. the rest of the book seems to be well thought out. they surely missed badly on the 2 items I needed information about.