Reviews (5)

something better
Although this book was visually nice to look at I found it lacked in teaching me how to paint murals.I have stumbled across a great site that has free tutorials on it.The site is [...] I hope you find this helpful.

Marvelous murals
This book has alot of good information that both novice and pro alike will love. There are alot of techniques covered in this book and the authors cover them extensively. If you're thinking of making a carreer as a muralist, or just want to spruce of your own home, this is the book to start with.

Something's missing
I purchased this book in the hope that it would provide instruction to create the murals illustrated on the first few pages. Unfortunately, although there are very beautiful murals pictured,instructions are included for only a few. Perhaps my tastes differ from the authors but it seems that most garish and ugly murals were the ones that included "how to" instructions. It leads one to wonder if perhaps they do not want any competition in producing the more tasteful murals pictured! I also purchased the companion video and was disappointed for the same reasons- the instructions were only for projects I would not want to do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Mural painting and decoration    8. Technique    9. Techniques - General    10. Art techniques & materials    11. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (14)

Good Technique and Steps IF you like Folk Art type decor
The projects in this book were well-detailed and gave some good information on composition and layering of stencils. I checked this book out of the library and don't intend on buying it BUT I do recommend it if you like the more folkart type decor. I was looking for something more realistic in floral decor. The trellice project was very cute and would look great with a cottage country look.

The Best For Beginners
I came across this book in my local library and loved it so much I bought a copy for myself.Ms. Buckingham manages to create beautiful trompe l'oeil work with simple techniques that are easy for even the absolute beginner.An added bonus is that her stencils are available online...

Great for beginners and Experts
I purchased this book 2 years ago. At the time I did not know they sold stencils until I purchased a few stencils on their website along with their video. The book is easy to follow and they give you many ways to incooporate simple stencils. This book encouraged me to create a mural from a small picture and brought out a talent that I never knew existed. Well done. Fantastic pictures with great color which I feel either makes or breaks a simple stencil or a 5 layered stencil. I would highly recommend their book, stencils and their video. If I can learn, anyone can!!!! A+++++ ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Stenciling    5. Crafts & Hobbies / Stenciling    6. Decorative arts & crafts    7. Home furnishing & decoration    8. Stencil work    9. Art    10. Design - Decorative    11. Painting    12. Decorating    13. House & Home    14. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    15. Crafts/Hobbies   

Reviews (4)

Even Better Than 2005 National Painting Cost Estimator (National Painting Cost Estimator)!
It makes my blood boil when I hear youngsters today complaining that they have failed to accurately estimate their painting costs. There are simply no excuses for such ignorance. They should make this book part of the national curriculum!

kaskon paint contractor- New Zealand
I am also a sole proprietor, this book is a serious Maths/Process approach to Painting and probably will be a daunting effort to understand. I kept reading this book, at first it annoyed me allot but I soldiered on through, and now incorporate varying hourly rates into my quotes & estimates. Concerning the 20, 30, or 40% discount on your paint as stated in the manual I agree with Reviewer: Sirwriter "Small paint contractor" (New Orleans) this part is inflexible, so I type my quote/estimates using Lotus word pro and add these percentages back in to the Math. After reading the manual I realised how cheap I was selling my services so I called Lawyers, Car dealers, Accountants, other industrial tradesmen and men/women who work in different industries, this gave me an idea on what the other Trades are getting on an hourly basis and then I typed this information into an easy to read format, so if I'm asked why I charge the rate I do, I give them a printout on what everyone else is getting, It soon sorts out the ambiguity of my pricing structure. All in all this book gave me an Idea as to how I perform my practice, now I break everything down into a process and look for ways to streamline my work.

Difficult
This book is extremely difficult to understand.Examples used are repeated throughout every page of the book and it doesn't make much sense.I believe the person who wrote the book understands it (I hope) and anyone that owns a company may.If you are a free-lancer, this book is not for you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction - Contracting    2. Construction - Estimating    3. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Technology    6. Technology & Industrial Arts   

Editorial Review

Not quite a directory and far from complete, Read more

Reviews (1)

Great idea book for home decorating, nice projects
This is a wonderful idea book for home decorating. It is a guide to a variety of surfaces and finishes including paint, plaster, concrete, wallpaper, tile, wood, glass and metal. Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Decorating - General    4. Finishes and finishing    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House painting    8. Interior Design - General    9. Interior decoration    10. Painting    11. Paperhanging    12. Residential Interior Design   

Reviews (5)

This book was exactly what I expected.
Obviously, since this book is printed by Benjamin Moore Paints, there will be a certain amount of self-advertising following it's advice on choosing the proper paints and equipment (like the recipies on the back of soup cans). I'm still stuck
I have purchased several guides for painting houses in the "home improvements" category.They were fine for learning about painting a house, but I'm hiring painter, so I don't really need that information.What I need is help choosing the right color. Obviously I don't want to make a mistake. I already know that I want a yellow house.But none of the colors I have tested look right.They are all too bright or dark even though they look pale on the paint chips. When I saw this book, I noticed the phrase "choosing paint colors" right in the title, so I assumed it was the answer. But, I felt every bit as stuck at the paint store as I did before reading the book.My expectation was thatI wouldn't have to start going through paint chips anymore, but the information in the book wasn't specific enough to be useful to me. The book did not meet my expectations.

Where are the painted houses?
I thought this book would give me photographs of painted houses and their paint colors.Instead it gave detailed information on the paint process itself with scant few houses where the whole house shows.Its mostly pretty photos like the rooftop of a house with a weatherwane on it, or a window with a window box of flowers under it.Where are the painted houses?I can't figure out what color to paint my house using this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. House painting    8. Outdoor & Recreational Areas - General    9. DIY    10. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (2)

I'm inspired!
Thank you for inspiring me to start faux finishing!With your detailed instructions, colorful large photos, and list of items to buy, you make it very easy.Your ideas are fresh and fun!I am really enjoying your book - I would recommend it to everyone who is looking for something with extra pizazz!Not the same old colors and techniques.

By adding texture and embellishments to walls you can have spectacular results both original and tasteful as well as artistic
By adding texture and embellishments to walls you can have spectacular results both original and tasteful as well as artistic - and you needn't be a painter to achieve this. Spectacular Walls: Creative Effects Using Texture, Embellishment And Paint shows how, using a step- by-step visual approach and covering everything from materials and supplies to have on hand to tips on using paint, coating, drawing and preparations. Oversized pages and many color photos make for a winning display.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating - General    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. General    6. House & Home    7. House painting    8. Interior decoration    9. Texture painting    10. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (3)

Painted Chairs: 25 Fresh and Fun Projects
Excellent book with wonderful ideas.Easy to understand and great illustrations.

Great fun designs, but not for beginners
This book is full of really wonderful, creative designs which the reader can replicate or modify according to personal preference.However, I found the instructions somewhat confusing and inconsistent in places.I found myself going back and rechecking something that I thought I understood.In addition, many of the designs use a stencilling technique.While this technique is explained in general terms, the book does not provide instructions for specific stencilled designs which use multiple paint colors.For example, a chair with a stencilled beehive is accompanied by a listing of 7 paint colors for the hive.Which color do I use first?How do I create the color gradations? Pretty, but needs more explanations
I fell in love with the chair on the front cover, and knew that the designs would be right up my alley.I enjoyed the pictures inside, and found them charming and inspirational. The colors are beautiful, and the whimsical designs quite appealing. Every time I look at the pics, I get excited about painting.That, alone, is a thumbs up in my opinion!Read more

Subjects:  1. Chairs    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Decoration and ornament    6. Furniture finishing    7. Furniture painting    8. Hobbies/Crafts    9. Painting    10. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    11. Handicrafts   

Reviews (1)

Wonderful for Beginners
I recommend this book to all beginners in mural painting. It touches on all aspects of the trade such as materials, perspective drawing, and trompe l'oeil techniques. There are several step-by-step projects included. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Interior Design - General    6. Interior decoration    7. Mural painting and decoration    8. Painting    9. Trompe l'oeil painting   

Editorial Review

This is a great book for flea-market enthusiasts and bargain hunters who, with some creativity and the techniques clearly outlined within, can transform even the homeliest of garage-sale finds into colorful, lively, and whimsical additions to the home and turn old hand-me-downs into delightful treasures. In all, 25 projects are described in detail. No-sew slip covers, frosted-glass doors, distressed-paint dressers, punched-tin screens, stenciled wicker chairs, and decorative fabric hangings and draperies are only some of the funky, colorful, and fun projects laid out here. Wagstaff notes all the tools and materials needed, as well as many shortcuts and simple ways to transform lackluster furniture into the eye-catching highlights of any room--without spending a bundle in the process. This is a great book for beginners and people working on a budget who desire dramatic, creative, and professional-looking results. The book even has a vinyl, wipe-clean binding that makes it practical to keep handy in the work area! Read more

Reviews (6)

this is one of the handiest books i own.
This book is not for the person who wants to do huge amounts of serious woodworking, and you need to come to it with an imagination. What it does is effectively tell you how to do a hundred or so styles and techniques. You can't replicate everything that's in here, but it's simply incredible to go through when you have a beat up old piece of furniture, and are open to thoughtful, imaginative refinishing.

HORRIBLE BOOK
I bought this, and both my wife and I went through it, and we both agreed that it was a worthless book.I can't believe it was ever published.I have returned it and will never buy another book by this author.Sorry to be so negative, but this book truly is worthless.

plenty of specific info for DIY types
This is preciesly the book I was looking for! Has copious details about re-finishing all kinds of furniture surfaces, from bare wood to laminate to steel, plus how to get a wide variety of effects. This book has a higher level of detail than many other faux finishes books (which often skip over how to prep the surface or how to deal w/any surface other than bare wood). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    3. Furniture    4. Furniture finishing    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. House & Home    7. Painting    8. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    9. Antique furniture    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Painting    11. Handicrafts    12. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    13. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (17)

She Sticks to One Style
This book is for people who like lots of color, and the shabby chiccottage type of look (painted furniture, painted hardwood floor, etc). I was hoping she would offer paint ideas for a wide array of decorating styles which she does not.
Not as good as some of her other books
I Enjoy watching Debbie on Painted Houses and Facelift. She is not afraid of color and seems to be able to decorate in various styles. I bought her Living Rooms book and think it is one of the best. This one is not up to par. Many of the projects use garish wall colors. I am not adverse to color - I have it all through my house, but I think many of her choices don't blend well and don't seem to complement each other.
I do not know if I could actualy do these things myself, but I am getting ideas
So, anyhow, we are thinking about building a new house and towards that goal we started doing three things this summer.First, we put up three poster boards on the wall in the kitchen where we could jot down ideas for each room of the house.Second, on Sunday afternoon we go looking at open houses in the area.Third, we made HGTV our default television channel; if we are not watching anything else that is what we watch, which means that most days we get a double dose of Debbie Travis.Specifically that would be the half-hour "Debbie Travis' Painted House" and the full-hour "Debbie Travis' Facelift." Now, the second and third points are some of the ways we come up with things to put down on the posters, along with correcting aspects of our current living situation and memories of homes past.But I also have to admit that I got to the point where if I did not hear Debbie Travis each day, my day was not complete.It is not just the accent, but the unique cadence to her way of talking that we call "Debbie speak" around the house.
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Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    5. Furniture painting    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. House painting    9. Interior decoration    10. Texture painting    11. Home furnishing & decoration    12. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (2)

A useful book
This book can be useful for both beginning muralists and those with more experience.
Don't bother
I got this book because it seemed interesting, but I really don't care for it.For me, the paintings aren't detailed enough.You can't get a lot of little detail with a sponge.Sure, sponges can be used for some parts of a painting, but not for the whole thing if you want a lot of detail.It's the little details that make a painting more interesting to look at. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design    6. Mural painting and decoration    7. Painting In Specific Media    8. Technique    9. Techniques - General    10. Techniques - Painting    11. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (2)

Easy education; impressive results.
I had no idea I was so creative.Weekend projects not only added value to our [] starter home, they saved my marriage (and my wallet!) I am anticipating more great ideas and simple tips from Ennis and would gladly pay double for another book if it means more home equity in the future.Thanks for sparking my interest in home renovation.

These projects work!
I found the instructions in this project book to be extremely useful and easy to follow. My wife and I have completed most of the projects with great results. Great Christmas gift for the home crafter! I gave a copy to my sister and she was able to transform her 60's rancher into a sanctuary. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Decorating - Floors    3. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    4. Finishes and finishing    5. Furniture finishing    6. Furniture painting    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. House painting    10. Painting    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Painting    12. Handicrafts    13. Home furnishing & decoration    14. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes   

Reviews (7)

Specialized Expensive Products Needed for Many Projects
I think this book must have been commissioned by thecompany that makes the specialized products used in this book. Many of the more sophisticated and complex treatments use products called Aquabond, Aquatex, Aquastone, Aquacreme, Aquacolor, etc.
overestimated
Although the book gives many projects, most of the information on "how to" is vague.Many projects require using and mixing colorants rather than using latex paint.NOT for anyone without some professional training.

Great book for its
Great book for it's descriptions of all aspects of the techniques, i.e. photos of tools, resources,finished rooms. Plus the examples of styles and moods they create is so varied. The authors tone is concise and to the point and consistently encouraging. No girly girl stuff. Passionate, but no fru fru. Wow! Such a deal! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    4. Finishes and finishing    5. Home Furnishing    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. House painting    9. Interior decoration    10. Home furnishing & decoration    11. Interior design   

Reviews (1)

Better books out there but this has lots of photos
I've read a lot of decor books about color. I consider this book barely average. This book is filled with photos of rooms with color swatches used in the room. I often found myself trying to find the color of the swatch in the room. Many times I was not successful.For example, on page 116,the bottom left photo has a lilac color swatch but I did not see any lilac in the room. The sofa, the focal point in the room is a salmon color. There is no salmon color in the swatch.
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Subjects:  1. Color decoration and ornament    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    5. Decorating - Upholstery/Fabrics    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior decoration    9. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (2)

Garden Decor Rocks
This book really showed me how to use decorative painting on tht outside of my home. I loved the the patterns in the book that can be enlargened for those who are afraid to "Free Hand" paint.One of the best parts is showing how to take "essential" items such as trash cans, fences, and clay pots and turn them into works of art.It also contains an excellent step by step of painting a realist bunny.I was amazed on how easily it was accomplished.

Same stuff
Just another Donna Dewberry book with the same designs painted on different surfaces.I was very disappointed that there was nothing new offered in this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decoration and ornament    5. Flower Arranging    6. Garden Furnishings    7. Garden ornaments and furniture    8. Garden tools    9. Hobbies/Crafts    10. Painting   

Editorial Review

Do you know how to calculate how much paint you'll need for your dining room? Do you know when you should use paint pads instead of paintbrushes? Do you know what pattern you're supposed to follow when you use a roller to paint a ceiling? These and other basic steps are answered in Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. Home Maintenance And Repair    5. Home Management    6. House & Home    7. House painting    8. Repair    9. Home furnishing & decoration   

Subjects:  1. Acrylic painting    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Decoration and ornament    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. House furnishings    8. Painting    9. BG-MIND & BODY - BG-HEALTH    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Painting    11. Decorative arts & crafts    12. Handicrafts   

Reviews (2)

Inspiration, Inspiration, Inspiration....
This book gave me tons of ideas! It covers different styles, different rooms and plenty of painting techniques, as well as tiling, wall papering and fabric covered walls or specific spots like how to paint fireplaces. Everything is easy to understand and friendly to the eye when reading! This is my favorite book out of all books on color and painting techniques so far. Others either have good pictures or good explanations, this has it all!

Lots of pictures
I will soon be moving into a new home and I wanted to get some ideas on walls and painting. The cover of this book interested me as I want to go beyond beige, tan, or white walls, and this book certainly providess a lot of color.It has a section on assessing your walls, how to make a small room bigger, dark room lighter, low ceilings look higher...which I know will come in handy.It gives a short section on colors, the warm and cool and doing contrasts.With each page there are very nice color photographs to go along with what she is saying. I haven't read the whole thing yet, but I think I can safely say that there is a photo for every style, technique and example she provides.She covers how to make the paint effects, such as colorwashing, ragging, stippling, dragging, marbling, trompe l'oeil and more.Her techniques are demonstrated on doors, fireplaces and of course walls. She also provides the 'ingredients' necessary to do these projects, the types of paint, varnish, brushes (and plenty of pictures to show them!). There is even a section demonstrating how to do simple tiling on walls, like in the kitchen, or for a decorative effect with more exotic tiles. You can also see how to do wallpaper.Overall,a lot of topics are covered in this book, and there are plenty others I haven't mentioned. I would consider it a great starting point book that will give you a broad view of what you can do and how a style looks on a wall.There are a mixture of photos that show a paint effect in a real room setting, and other photos that just show the effect on a small portion of the wall, as illustrated on the books cover.Of course, it would be ideal to see all the paint effects in a real room setting, but it would be a daunting task for the author to achieve that.I can't say this book will be the only paint/wall book I will buy or look at it, but I believe that if I saw a picture of my ideal room color in a magazine or somewhere else, then I could use this book to clearly show me how I can apply that color on my walls with whichever technique I prefer.Personally, I can't imagine one book having everything I would want in it anyways. I have no regrets on buying this book and know it will make a wonderful reference for when I do get ready to tackle walls. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. House painting    9. Interior decoration    10. Residential Interior Design   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Borders, Ornamental (Decorativ    3. Borders, Ornamental (Decorative arts)    4. Decorating    5. Decorating - General    6. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    7. Decoration & Ornament    8. Decoration and ornament    9. Home Improvement / Construction    10. House & Home    11. Painting    12. Technique    13. Decorative finishes & surfaces    14. Handicrafts   

Reviews (1)

A highly recommended do-it-yourself hobby guide
Glass painting experts Alan Gear and Barry Freestone effectively collaborate in Art Nouveau Glass Painting to offer aspiring glass painters twenty superbly presented, step-by-step projects in glass-painting that are vividly attractive yet simple to finish. Full color photographs combine with detailed instructions for crafting a mosaic-effect mirror, a frosted thistle vase, and iridescent lily card, and more, comprise this fun, specialized, hands-on arts craft and highly recommended do-it-yourself hobby guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Glass & Glassware    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Painting