Reviews (8)

Essential gift book
We have had this book for years and it is still such a pleasure to go through it! The Essential House Book is a wellspring of ideas on how to make your house a home....with taste, humor and a grounded, down to earth approach. We have given it so many times as a present and are about to do so again. It's an easy choice for a great gift.

THE ESSENTIAL HOUSE BOOK lives up to its name
The Essential House Book:Getting Back to Basics is a must have for anyone that ever wanted to live in a home and make it all your own.Once again, the reigning champion of good design and master of style, Sir Terence Conran delivers the cr�me de la cr�me of home d�cor books. the very best of its kind
This is the best design book in existence.Conran's ideas come off as modern/contemporary, but without the usual coldness or starkness.Think of his designs as simply functional, and without airs or pretense.This is the way we live today.And it's fun! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decoration & Ornament    3. General    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration    8. Home furnishing & decoration    9. House & Home / General   

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Reviews (8)

Small Spaces
I browsed this book first at my local bookstore and wasn't interested at first but then just decided to buy it and i've been very satisfied. It's not your "usual" interior design book with just lots of beautiful photos - this one offers case studies with actual floor plans as well plus good information about the projects.
#3 out of 7 "Small decor" books rated
I place this 3rd among the 7 "decorating small spaces" books I bought.This is the only exception to my objections about those focusing on European dwellings. Conran features London & Paris apts (plus Hong Kong & an Italian stable!), but unlike others, some ideas are adaptable in America. Most units are 300-400 sq. ft.; the largest is 1000. Photos are helpful, except for a few so arty they require a double take to figure out what you're actually supposed to be seeing. Charming Intro portrays creative "expansion" of tiny areas-everything from a 1940s mobile van to a treehouse.

I expected more creativity
Banal works. This book is not what I was expecting. Poor creativity to deal with small spaces. Don't spend money with this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Residential Interior Design    10. House & Home / Decorating    11. Bargain   

Reviews (6)

Easy Living by Terry Conran
Purchase this book if your objective is to get good ideas on the An easy book from the master
Easy Living is another masterpiece of the master. What can I say? It seems that, as he gets older, he turns more and more easy living himself. Beautifully written
This book was marvelous. I enjoyed the fact that the book had no strict guidelines about decorating, just a kind of common sense approach. Now, if you are looking for step by step, (which I was) this may not be for you. But give it a try anyway. It may surprise you! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Residential Interior Design    10. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (4)

Great Garden Designs with Excellant Information
This is, without a doubt, one of the finest gardening design books I have come across. It shows many different styles of gardens with distinct flair. If you want to be inspired by innovative ideas, buy it. It is one of my two favorite gardening books---and I have many.

Excellent Resource
This book is a beautifully photographed, well written book about landscaping. It is like owning a pictoral encyclopedia for gardeners.

Inspirational Garden Book
One of the most useful and innovative garden books.If you are looking for inspiration, this is a good one to buy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design    2. Garden Design    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Gardens    7. Reference    8. Gardening / Garden Design   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Design - General    4. Graphic Arts - General    5. Industrial Design - General    6. Art / Design / General   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. 21st century    3. Architectural & Industrial    4. Architecture    5. Art    6. Commercial buildings    7. History    8. Interior architecture    9. International Architecture - Asian    10. Japan    11. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    12. Techniques - Airbrush    13. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc   

Reviews (1)

The Ultimate House Book by Conran et al.
This book is an excellent reference for decorating a private
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Design & Construction    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House Plans    5. Real Estate - Buying/Selling Homes    6. COMPUTERS - WEB DESIGN TRD PB    7. Home furnishing & decoration    8. House & Home / Design & Construction   

Subjects:  1. Decorating - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Remodeling & Renovation - General    7. BG-KITS - BG-MIND & BODY KITS    8. Home furnishing & decoration    9. House & Home / Decorating   

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Non-Classifiable    3. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. House & Home   

Subjects:  1. Bargain Books    2. Sale Books - Adult    3. Sale Books   

Reviews (1)

3.5 stars! Bathroom Design Book not for Prudes
Author really takes reader on a behind-the-scenes tour of HOW we live in our habitats... Conran won't just ask, what color scheme do you want, but instead makes reader think about true functionality of beds & baths and all the accoutrements.If you use this book to remodel or build, you'll be making some informed choices!Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (1)

Journey into the mind of a successful restauranter
Not as comprehensive as I would have liked, nevertheless a good insight into the working mind of Terrence Conran, which makes it amust read for any restauranter. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. Decorating    3. Hospitality industry    4. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    5. Methods - Professional    6. Reference    7. Restaurants    8. Business & Economics / Entrepreneurship    9. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (1)

The Essence of Provence: colors, design & gardens
I bought this book for ideas on paint colors for my 1920s Spanish Colonial home.It is beautifully done, full of design details and the gorgeous colors of Provence, the south of France, that derive from the paint colors,the food, the gardens, pottery and the surrounding dry, burnishedmediterranean landscape. It is the perfectinspiration for any Californiahome or a richly hued coffee table book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Decorating    3. Decoration and ornament    4. France    5. History    6. Interior decoration    7. Interior design    8. Provence    9. Themes, motives    10. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (1)

Simple but thrilling cuisine from a culinary superstar
There are two things which make this book different. First, the food is abrilliant example of the new style of 'fusion' food of which John Torode,as I understand it, was one of the pioneers. And second, it is beautifullywritten by Sarah Francis: witty, informative, enticing and clear. I buy alot of cookbooks and I would rate this one easily in my top 5. The othergreat thing is that these recipes actually work, which is a major plus fora cookbook, and far from the norm. Torode combines classic ingredients fromeast and west to create fantastic dishes which seem completely unforced,and yet wonderfully original. One last note, the photos are beautiful, andgive a vivd sense of Torode's food. A couple of months ago, the book wonthe James Beard award. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. General    5. History    6. Mezzo (Restaurant)    7. Regional & Ethnic - English, Scottish & Welsh    8. General cookery   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Home furnishing & decoration    3. Interior design   

Editorial Review

Edward Hopper, Frida Kahlo, Larry Rivers, and Pablo Picasso are just a few of the diverse artists represented in this elegant little volume who have portrayed the cigar in their paintings and drawings. Each artwork is paired with a clever, relevant quote from the likes of such luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Bertolt Brecht, and Mark Twain. The quintessential art book for the cigar lover, this memorable book should be relished in the same spirit as the artwork--and the subject matter--that it celebrates. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fun with art and cigars
An original and amusing combination of art, cigars and quotes from famous people about cigars.Truly fun to own and display. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Cigars in art    4. Clip Art    5. History - General    6. Special Subjects In Art    7. Man-made objects depicted in art (architectural, mechanical, etc)    8. Social Science / Popular Culture    9. The Arts: General Issues   

Reviews (1)

great ideas for contemporary kitchens
I am design professional and found this book to be very inspirational when looking for contemporary kitchen ideas for my personal kitchen. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Kitchens    2. Home Improvement / Construction    3. Remodeling & Renovation - Kitchens    4. Interior Design - General    5. House & Home / Decorating    6. Decorating - General    7. House & Home    8. Do-It-Yourself    9. Interior decoration   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (5)

The Essential Cook Book: The Back-To-Basics Guide to Selecti
A very thorough and dependable guide to foods and spices, complete with preparation how-to's and recipes.A greatsystem of cross referencing saves time and beautifully detailed photos make this a must-have book.

Starters' encyclopedia to cooking
This book is a complete compilation of ingredients and food we eat. I borrowed this book from the library with the intention of knowing names of food I usually purchased but do not want what it's called. The pictures in this book allow you to acknowledge them. It is a good resource to help me in using recipes that I read from magazines & cookbooks. This book does not delve into the nutritional aspect of the food but focus on how each food is usually prepared. The glossary on every page brings you to related pages of the food. The book is well organized and the pictures are clear and sharp. I bought this book eventually after returning the library's copy.

Great for a Learning Chef Student!
My Girlfriend gave this book to me as a gift and i can't thank her enough. I'm doing a Chef Course here in Venezuela and it's a great help in classes because it talks about everything you need to know on picking any kind offood and how to cook it. This type of books are really hard to findSimplyGreat! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. General    5. General cookery