Reviews (5)

Worst ever
We just bought a house and I bought many interior design/home decorating books recently and screened through a bunch in a book store. I bought this one because I saw it was named as a best seller, and I seriously do not understand how could this become a best seller, maybe best seller 5 tears ago? When the book arrived from Amzon, both my husband and I were shocked: Who would want to design like that? The pictures are simply ugly!!! Both the pictures and text are so dated, and the text type is the smallest I have ever seen. I could not bare to read two paragraphs because my eyes were too strained.

Dated
Too much fluff. Typeface is very small and hard to read. Pictures have a yellowish cast and the room scenes look dated.

A terrific book.
If your mind has been on other things, and you suddenly need to know all the basics, this is the book for you.All subjects are covered in a comprehensive way.This was a great help to me since I have needed to decorate a new house from scratch, and really never was acquainted with the basic ideas.If you need a really good start (and even middle and finish) try this book.I think it was well worth the price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Design    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design   

Reviews (1)

Less than Alluring!
When this title first popped up on Amazon, I was thrilled to bits. I had pretty much bought up 90% of all Amazon's *Traditional Decorating* titles, besides mistakenly buying trifles like DOMESTICITIES, which is just about as traditional as Quentin Tarantino's bathroom.
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. House & Home    5. Residential Interior Design    6. House & Home / Decorating    7. Interior design   

Reviews (1)

If The Sea Calls You
This beautiful book will transport you to the sea of your dreams. The photographs are evocative and dreamlike. Whatever your sea dreams are, you will find them in this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design - Style Books    6. Interior decoration    7. Seaside architecture    8. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (2)

A Pretty Good Book
This book has some really good ideas for special holiday touches throughout the home.It includes autumn decorating as well as Christmas.I used several of her ideas in my own home.

Simply Beautiful
I do not watch QVC and was not familiar with Valerie Parr Hill prior to buying the book.But, I bought it because Iwas so captivated by the great cover.The photos are beautiful and the ideas inspiring, yet simple.Do not let the Christmas tree on the cover fool you.The book takes you from Thanksgiving through the holiday season.A great little find to add to my book collection. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas cookery    2. Christmas decorations    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Decorating - General    6. Handicraft    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Seasonal   

Reviews (4)

This book has the answers
I like this book very much. Not only does it answer color questions for inside my house, but it gives me color guidance and inspiration for the outside of my house (which is in dire need of a paint job). The photography in the book is lovely . The detailed instruction for choosing colors makes it easier than I thought it would be. This beautiful book is a useful tool.

Very good resource
My wife and I found this book very helpful in determining colors for the outside of our house.I learned what was needed to prep and paint the house as well.My wife enjoyed the information on color for our rooms and is planning a color scheme. This book is worth the investment.

Quick and Easy Paint Color Solutions
I gave this book to several friends as house warming and wedding gifts.Both friends said they loved the book, but more than that, they were able to get use out of it.One friend found a beautiful putty paint color for the outside of her house.Her house looks amazing with charcoal colored shutters.She is so happy with the result.My other friend chose a color scheme for her living room, dining room and family room.She said the book made it easy.I have since purchased a copy for myself.I'm reading it now and am getting very inspired to make changes in my own home. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Do-It-Yourself - General    5. Furniture painting    6. General    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. House painting    10. Painting    11. Sale Books   

Reviews (1)

Expected more..
I was sorta disappointed with this book. I expected more wide-angled shots, instead i get endless queues of close-ups. Monochrome Home makes a nice coffee-table book nevertheless, but if you're seeking pages and pages of pretty examples with varied shots..then forget this..browse on. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design - Style Books    6. Residential Interior Design    7. Architecture / Interior Design    8. Art / Design / Decorative   

Reviews (14)

Great approach, with a bit of everything
This book pulls together a variety of spiritual concepts - feng shui, goddesses, purification/smudging, creating altars, use of stones and crystals, aromatherapy/scents in the home, and colors.It's really a great overview.Activities like spring cleaning and decluttering are covered as are specific rooms like bedrooms, kitchen, etc.There are some terrific photographs throughout the book which really inspire.I like that the author put all of this together into one book.I have other books that talk around all this - one on feng shui, one on crystals, one on potpourri, etc.This book ties them together and I feel like now I can go back to those other books and apply them better.

One of the best "sacred space" books I've read
This book was a real "find" for me.I have several books on feng shui and space clearing, and this one was intuitive, yet practical at the same time.It is spiritual but loaded with remedies for clearing one's space on this earth while we are here!I never thought to talk to my house, yet it makes perfect sense!It reads almost like a novel and is just full of information.I wish I could go home from work now and continue with the "read"!

Great Overview of different spiritual aspects of home
When I first looked over this book I did not get into it.But as I began to buy new furniture for a new home and pulled together my tastes and sytles (The Domain Book is great for that!), I found this book to be awonderfully insightful book that helped me to consider Feng Shui andblessing my home and many other spiritual and tangible aspects of thisplace called my home. I have ordered a second one today for a friend. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Feng-shui    4. General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Interior decoration    8. Body, Mind & Spirit / New Thought    9. Fortune-telling & divination    10. Home furnishing & decoration    11. Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques   

Reviews (28)

Good
very easy to understand and well illlustrated book. will definitely recommend the book to anyone who has interest in feng shui. try it!

DIDN'T MAKE THE GRADE
After owning this book for nearly two years and meticulously following its advice in arranging my living and working space for maximum career success and wealth, here is what I've experienced: after 2.5 years of working part-time at a low wage for a computer company whose CEO kept promising me a decent salary, stock options and all the benefits, I ended up with a 17% pay cut, no salary, no stock options, no benefits.My other client, after promising he'd work hard to build his title insurance business and pay me more, wasted his time on non-productive pursuits and ended up not being able to afford to pay me to work for him part-time. DIDN'T MAKE THE GRADE
After owning this book for nearly two years and meticulously following its advice in arranging my living and working space for maximum career success and wealth, here is what I've experienced: after 2.5 years of working part-time at a low wage for a computer company whose CEO kept promising me a decent salary, stock options and all the benefits, I ended up with a 17% pay cut, no salary, no stock options, no benefits.My other client, after promising he'd work hard to build his title insurance business and pay me more, wasted his time on non-productive pursuits and ended up not being able to afford to pay me to work for him part-time.Read more

Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit    2. Decorating - General    3. Feng Shui    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. New Age    6. Parapsychology    7. Personal Growth - Success    8. BG-FICTION OVER $5 - BG-ANTHOLOGY $5/10    9. Body, Mind & Spirit / Feng Shui   

Editorial Review

This volume clearly and thoroughly explains the methods of adorning objectswith stylized flowers, fruit, scrolls, and other organic designs. After a full explanation ofthe preliminaries (color mixing, brush control, basic strokes, surface preparation), JackieShaw walks you step by step through all manner of decorative painting motifs, from thesimplest comma-stroke leaf to the most elaborate floral sprays. Each motif is covered inthree skill levels, which can be mixed and matched; a beginner, for example, can utilizethe easy techniques on advanced-level patterns. Projects are many and varied and includewood, tinware, and glass objects. Read more

Reviews (14)

All Levels
As an artist learning something new I was looking for a basic book explaining all terms and projects showing the author to be truly talented. This is all you need for a complete first course.
A Must Have for any Painter or Wannabe Painter!
I have a ceramics business and got tired of plain ol painting and wanted to expand when I found this book.It has taught me so much and my sales are way up!The techniques are explained in precise detail and are easy to follow.It even has practice strokes which I found to be very helpful.There is not a more informative book about painting out there from taking care of your brushes to a beautiful array of advanced technique.This is just a plain wonderful book and I could not say enough good about it!

I've seen plenty and this is the best
Jackie Shaw does an excellent job of showcasing all that is possible in decorative painting. Her examples of stroke work apply across the board for any kind of painting. But, what makes this book work is the way she breaks down each stroke into its individual parts to show how to form them properly. Along the way she imparts words of encouragment and motivation to get you going!Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Arts And Crafts    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Decoration and ornament    6. Design - Decorative    7. Painting    8. Technique    9. Techniques - General    10. Art techniques & materials    11. Decorative arts & crafts    12. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (12)

Nicely illustrated and clearly written
I find that the pictures in this book are very good and informative. The text is clear and covers basic definitions and techniques. I searched for several books on the topic and after purchasing this one I think it's the only one I will ever need.

Quick and concise, but incomplete
A book is good or bad depending on your expectations.This book concentrates mostly on how to do the covers of the sofas and seats, but it is incomplete in providing information about frames, springs and so on.Modern upholstery techniques are barely covered.I'm sorry to disagree with the rest of the reviewers, but I think that you need to know the other side of this book.

Exellent
This is a good book. I would advise anyone looking for a good book on Upholstery to try this one.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Decorating - Upholstery/Fabrics    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Sewing    6. Upholstered furniture    7. Upholstery    8. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    9. Home furnishing & decoration    10. Needlework & fabric crafts   

Reviews (4)

Review of The New Curtain Book . . .
This book contains many ideas for curtains and drapes grouped in a logical order.As a drapery maker, I found it useful as an idea book for clients, but not as useful for the do-it-yourself at home sewer.I agreed with most points in the book, but there were some ideas that I did not agree with, as if it were written by someone who had not actually sewn the draperies.It had many examples of different fabrics, and, thus, was very colorful.Great for some one in my line of work, but probably not as practical for someone who wishes to sew some drapes for her/himself.

Very pleased
This book is amazing! Its basically a trend book, fabulous ideas, very well presented in beautiful enviroments. I get inspired every time I look at it.

Misleading Title?
I was disappointed in this book. The title suggests that it is a how-to book and I was expecting "lessons" in curtain making. This is not at all what this book is about. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating - General    2. Decorating - Windows    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Design & Construction    5. Do-It-Yourself    6. Draperies in interior decorati    7. Draperies in interior decoration    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. House & Home    10. House & Home / Design & Construction   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Decorating - General    3. Fashion    4. Material Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Technology & Industrial Arts    7. Textile Fabrics    8. Textile fibers    9. Textile industry    10. Textiles & Polymers    11. Art / Design / General    12. Fashion design    13. Industrial chemistry    14. Personal appearance & beauty care   

Reviews (2)

I would rate this book as a 10!
I am a home decorating/design book junkie for 30+ years. I hesitate to write a review lest the reader think I am exaggerating or that I've been paid off by the author.
Finally a GREAT accessorizing book!
Finally an extensive book on the art and science of accessorizing your home!
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Home furnishing & decoration    6. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (4)

Inspirational, Energizing...
This book is fun to own.Lots of good ideas that can be realistically applied. The pictures are beautiful and the writing truly energizes and inspires one to look with new eyes at the way space is used not only in ones own home, but also in public buildings and spaces which one occupies as daily life is lived.I refer to this book often, and would recommend it to anyone interested in beautifying and simplifying their environment.

Great BEFORE you build
This book has wonderful design ideas if you are working with an architect designing a new home, if you are or remodeling an old one.If you already have a home and want to incorporate her ideas, it might be a little difficult.It is a very educational book with beautiful photos, however, I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't planning on doing any major renovation or construction.

A beautiful book to simply page through for ideas
Architect and visionary Sarah Susanka presents Home By Design: Inspiration For Transforming House Into Home, a tour of thirty beautifully designed homes with the author's twenty-seven key insights into what gives each dwelling its special aesthetic panache. Full color photographs by Grey Crawford and floor diagrams of each home illustrate the text, which turns a keen eye toward the unique character and flow of each construction. Home By Design is a beautiful book to simply page through for ideas, and an inspirational resource for the novice do-it-yourself enthusiast, as well as having value for the experienced architectural designer as well.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. Decorating    5. Decorating - General    6. Decoration & Ornament    7. Design & Construction    8. Designs and plans    9. Home Improvement / Construction    10. House & Home    11. Interior Design    12. Interior Design - General    13. United States    14. House & Home / General   

Reviews (33)

Great for beginners!
For someone that knows absolutely nothing about putting together a room this book has my highest approval.This is like a crash course in design because he gives you all of the design basics like how to choose color, what kind of furniture to use, how to place your pictures, where to place the furniture, how to make a room look smaller or bigger with all of the above.Plus there's a lot of information on the basics of window treatments, lighting, upholstery.This book was titled very well and I very much recommend it for someone that doesn't have a clue about decorating.

This Book is Worth $40 Because....
...it gets you thinking about where to spend your precious decorating dollars. (Bilhuber advises against dumping your budget in kitchens and bathrooms in favor of making bigger statements in foyers and living rooms, for example.) I cook almost all my family's meals so I was EXTREMELY tempted to replace the white appliances in a home I recently purchased with stainless steel ones. I have instead decided to spend that money having the home's interior professionally painted and perhaps purchase a new oriental rug for my living room. When I think about which will make a bigger impact (freshly painted walls and a lovely rug in the first room people see or silver GE Profile appliances versus white ones in the rear of the house) it's pretty much a no brainer. I suppose it's fine to throw a wad of dough at a kitchen remodel if you're filthy rich and can also afford to decorate the rest of your house to the hilt. Bilhuber seems to recognize that that's not the case for the bulk of us, however. The book has also inspired me in smaller ways like decorating with ferns and pinpointing paint colors based on my favorite possessions such as the oat-colored cashmere cardigan I always turn to. Now if I could only decide whether to paint my ceilings Benjamin Moore's Atrium White as he suggests or Swiss Coffee, which is my favorite!

Give It A Browse
Bilhuber is obviously a talented designer and the lovely rooms in the book demonstrate this. Getting the basic concepts of design across to his readers somehow didn't gel. He includes some information that seems obvious:
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Residential Interior Design    10. Architecture / Interior Design    11. Home & House Maintenance    12. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (5)

MR YORK DID NO RESEARCH - FULL OF MISTAKES
I live in The Royal Palace in Belgrade it is my family's home and my home since our revolution 5 October 2000. Mr York did not even bother to contact anyone in my office to get the correct facts. His entry about Milosevic (Page 102) is loaded with errors. Please visit [...] for correct information. If he writes rubbish about Milosevic and me and my family then imagine what he writes about the other entries. Again it is all wrong.

A Book You Can't Quite Put Down, Thankfully It's Small
The front end flap of the dust jacket says a lot about the book. It's a quote from P. J. O'Rourke: 'Saddam's chandelier was the size of a two-car garage. If a reason to invade Iraq was wanted, felony interior decorating would have done.'
Pairing interior design with a funny look at history's alarming dictators
DICTATOR STYLE: LIFESTYLES OF THE WORLD'S MOST COLORFUL DESPOTS is a hard book to peg: pairing interior design with a funny look at history's alarming dictators, it blends a racy sense of humor with fun profiles of the inner sanctums of the terrifying. Sixteen such interiors - largely bygone by now - are featured along with dictator profiles and 'achievements': you don't know whether to laugh or cry - but will probably wind up doing both.
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Political Corruption    6. Residential Interior Design    7. House & Home / Decorating   

Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Decorating - General    3. Design - General    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Furniture    6. History    7. House & Home    8. Art / Design / General    9. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (1)

A New Genre?
In her Bungalow books Jane Powell has come close to inventing a new genre: the architectural book that is actually fun to read.The latest (Bungalow Details:Interior)is no exception. The illustrations by Linda Svendsen are stellar, as always, but sometimes I think they distract from the best part: Ms. Powell's writing. Jane Powell manages to combine extraordinary erudition with a real sense of fun, two things that virtually never go together. Her knowledge is encyclopedic, her humor unending, her love of puns totally scandalous. She is also wise, with a real sense of what should and should not be done with old houses and the resources they represent. The writings in her Bungalow (and Linoleum) books deserve to be excerpted and presented in a smaller, less expensive edition: the Sayings of Chairman Jane, if you will, devoid of distracting pictures. I highly recommend this and all of her books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Bungalows    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Do-It-Yourself    6. History    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior architecture    11. Interior decoration    12. Repair    13. United States    14. Architecture    15. Home & House Maintenance    16. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (5)

The Ultimate Basic
Anyone interested in ONE-Stroke painting (Bless you Donna) must have this as basic reference material - a wonderful gift for any you know who have gotten into this form of painting.

My painting frenzy
I bought this book as part of my efforts to learn Dewberry's methods.It has numerous tempting projects, clearly written instructions, and an understanding of its audience's needs.Dewberry's method is the easiest I've ever tried, and the results are outstanding with just a little practice and concentration.I am very grateful to Donna for introducing the world to her painting techniques and I look forward to more books like this one.I have more projects lined up now than I'll be able to finish in a year, but I'm sure I'll complete them and be gratified with the results.

not for beginners
The book is very good but not for the beginner, it did not go in to enough detail with the strokes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acrylic painting    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decoration and ornament    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Painting    7. Technique    8. Handicrafts    9. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    10. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Decoration and ornament    6. Handicraft    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. House furnishings    10. Interior Design - Style Books    11. Louisiana    12. Crafts & Hobbies / Decorating