Editorial Review

Marc Vassallo's Read more

Reviews (2)

An easy recipe for easy living
Vassallo puts into words the kind of home we all want: casual, bright, a place that feels good to call home. The BFH introduces the idea of the easy feeling you get when you're away on a summer vacation, renting a cabin in the woods or a house on the beach. The book provides the recipe for maintaining this feeling year-round, not just one or two weeks a year but every day in your own house.

A lavishly photographed interior design and decorating guide
The Barefoot Home: Dressed-Down Design For Casual Living is a lavishly photographed interior design and decorating guide, with an eye for the laid-back lifestyle. Emphasis on openness, lack of clutter, serenity, ventilation, and ease distinguish these suggestions for everything from kitchens to studios to bedroom. Full-color photographs on every page, diagrams, and extensive writing not only about specific suggestions but also general themes to promote a relaxed atmosphere fill The Barefoot Home cover-to-cover. The perfect interior design antidote to the pressures and stresses of a fast-paced world, The Barefoot Home is written in a tone akin to its subject matter - easygoing and thoroughly accessible to amateur and professional designers alike. Very highly recommended and informative reading.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Decorating - General    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Domestic    5. General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior Design    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior architecture    11. Psychological aspects    12. Residential Buildings Architecture    13. Room layout (Dwellings)    14. House & Home / General   

Reviews (9)

Should you buy French By Design?
I just did. The homes & rooms featured in this book indicate that money is no object and these homeowners want you to know it. Subtlety is non-existant. Rooms are very "we had a decorator & we spent a LOT". Most items looks too new, too ruffled, smocked, tucked and otherwise adorned. HOWEVER, if you can get past the pictures & READ THE TEXT- Phillips has a lot to say that is excellent. She lists sources & frequently shares fascinating comments on everyday details of French style (who knew about brass hardware vs brushed nickel?). If you read; buy it. If you look only at photos, don't! Charles Faudree is much better in the genre in my opinion.

Beautifully presented.
Another of Philips' beautiful French decorating books.Homes presented in this book, as with her other books are high end showing us the sumptuous fabrics, and lovely French furniture she specializes in.Homes shown are mostly mansions, not the average house. Good coffee table book.

Brilliant, Great Sense of Design, a Visual Delight
Not unlike all of Phillips' books, this book is a masterpiece of European syle and design.No detail is left unnoticed.The furniture, fabrics, antiques, architecture, artwork, and carved stone are each carefully considered and beautifully photographed.Every page is a visual delight.I cannot recommend it highly enough! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Decoration and ornament, Rusti    6. Decoration and ornament, Rustic    7. Design & Construction    8. France    9. History    10. House & Home    11. Influence    12. Interior Design - Style Books    13. Interior decoration    14. United States    15. Architecture / Interior Design    16. Home furnishing & decoration    17. Interior design    18. c 1600 to c 1700   

Reviews (15)

best bungalow book
Together writer Jane Powell and photographer Linda Svendsen create the best bungalow books on the market. Whether you are thinking of remodelling your bathroom, changing a few details, or just want to understand the history of your bathroom, this is the book to buy.
Four stars
The book has lots of photos for ideas and is interesting for renovators of bungalows.

ok, not enough variety of styles of bathrooms shown
I needed a good book to review lots of craftsman/bungalow bathrooms as we now own a 1911 bungalow and are restoring the bathroom. My husband is a tilesetter and I worked in architecture for years.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Bathrooms    3. Decorating - General    4. History - Specific Styles    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration    8. Remodeling    9. Remodeling & Renovation - Bathrooms    10. Architecture / Decoration & Ornament    11. Interior design   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture, Domestic    3. Details    4. Great Britain    5. History - General    6. History Of Architecture    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior architecture    9. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    10. Reference    11. Architecture - Details    12. Architecture / Historic Preservation   

Reviews (17)

Sun-drenched colors of Southern France
"French country decorating at its finest is the harmonious mingling of fabrics, textures, and patterns - an artistic blending of the familiar with warmth and sophistication." For Americans creating French style, who can't go toFrance
Ok, so this isn't "authentic French Provence design." Suppose you won't be visiting Aix-en-Provence and running around looking for all the pieces you need, and then figuring out how to fill up a shipping container and send it through customs, etc etc, (can you imagine doing this in a foreign country in a foreign language?!) You just aren't going to find a lot of genuine French furnishing and fabrics in the US. What if you want to use French elements in your decorating (as we did) and only have access to American furniture lines and the fabrics sold here? French Provencal style influences American interiors
I found this book a wonderful view of French Provencal style, blended with American verve and elegance. Many of us have traveled in France, and know the French are also very influenced by the freshness and ease of American design. Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Decorating    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Decoration and ornament, Rusti    5. Decoration and ornament, Rustic    6. Do-It-Yourself - General    7. France    8. History    9. Home Improvement / Construction    10. House & Home    11. Influence    12. Interior Design - Style Books    13. Interior decoration    14. Residential Interior Design    15. United States    16. Home furnishing & decoration    17. House & Home / Decorating    18. Interior design   

Reviews (4)

Beautiful pictures, workable ideas
So you've bought a bungalow--now, what do you do with it?Maybe it's a fixer-upper; maybe it's too small, or doesn't have enough storage space; maybe you're just not sure what kind of furniture to get.This book is a great start toward deciding where to go next.Illustrated with hundreds of full-color photographs, it shows not only many of the features by which you can tell an Arts & Crafts house when you see it (I was surprised to learn that the big old foursquares such as my grandparents lived in for 40 years are included in this classification), but gives actual ideas carried out by other homeowners, even unto before-and-after floor plans.The author's advice is thoughtful and well suited to the houses she writes about, too.And if you just like to look at pictures of vintage American homes, this would be a good volume to add to your collection.

Houses, er, too large
There's a lot of good in this book, and it's given me a few ideas for my own arts-and-crafts vernacular house, but at the same time it's frustrating.Lots of the pictures feel (or explicitly state) that they're from houses much larger than the classic 900-2000 square foot bungalow.
Its a keeper!
As a librarian and a lover of Arts & Crafts style, I recommend this book to all who desire a peek at some fantastic Bungalow interiors.The color photography is stunning and that material which is covered is covered well.Though the pictures will be enticing to anyone fond of this architecture, I consider the text to be aimed at newbies.Having said that, the chapter on "What Style is Your Home" describing basic architectural hallmarks of various Bungalows is especially well written, albeit very basic.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Arts and crafts movement    3. Bungalows    4. Conservation and restoration    5. Do-It-Yourself    6. Dwellings    7. Home Maintenance And Repair    8. House & Home    9. Influence    10. Interior Design - General    11. Interior Design - Style Books    12. Remodeling    13. Remodeling & Renovation - General    14. Residential Interior Design    15. United States    16. Home furnishing & decoration    17. House & Home / Design & Construction    18. House & Home / General   

Reviews (12)

Great color guide, with only one problem
I bought this book as I was in the process of buying a house.A house we had seen was so welcoming because of the colors, that it inspired me.I really like what I came up with from this book.The only problem is that you can look up colors by paint color only.I had to page through the book to find our exact color of upholstery in the "upholstery" blocks of color.It was tedious and time consuming, but I saw lots of interesting colors to choose from in my other rooms.Overall, I really like the book and it was veryuseful.

Absolutely fabulous!
I Love the usefulness of this book! The way it lays out which colors to use with which and for what is marvelous. Sometimes I was stumped if the author referred to a kitchen or bathroom and I had a den or living room in mind.
Great book to get a Color Scheme for your Room
Yes, we all want to paint our room some vibrant color, but do we have a clue as to what the complementing colors are ? well , I for one have no idea.. and this book helped out a lot. It lets you pick a color from the first two pages and then leads you to the colors that accent the color you have picked. It also explains the color in detail giving you the mood it stimulates, and gives tips on what kind of colors to pick for bathrooms, kitchens, etc.
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Subjects:  1. Color in interior decoration    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decoration    5. Decoration & Ornament    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior Design - General    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior walls    11. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (2)

AffectationIn-A-Box
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Jolene's Reviews
This book has beautiful photos and sketched home plans for luxurious living.If you are looking for ideas to build an estate or a waterfront home, this is a good choice.It has home plans from designers like Sater. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design & Construction    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. House Plans    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Home furnishing & decoration    9. Residential buildings, domestic buildings    10. Southern Europe   

Reviews (18)

Furniture is the Focus
This book has great pictures of West Indian furniture and its focus is only on the furniture. I was looking for some ideas on how to design using this style, but not much can be gotten directly on how to do this from this book. However, I did come away with a good sense of the various influences on the West Indian style.

Moderately interesting
This book had some interesting facts, but as an interior designer who was looking for inspirational pictures for room designs I thought it had moderate value.

FABULOUS!
I have owned this book for over a year and always thought it was an excellent book but wasn't inspired to write a review until just recently, when I received a new book I purchased called "Caribbean Style".This book, "Caribbean Elegance", is everything that the other book is not. I love this book! The photography is incredible, encompasing everything from the smallest furniture detail or accessory, to entire historical exteriors & interiors, and exquisite scenery!
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating - General    3. Furniture    4. Furniture design    5. Furniture, Colonial    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Interior Design - General    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. West Indies    10. Art / Design / Decorative    11. Caribbean islands    12. Interior design   

Reviews (18)

Fantastic Book
This is a great book. I love the pictures and have actually called one of the artist to order one of her creations. It would be a much better book if the author would have included a resource guide as to where to purchase the organizing units that the women use to create their working envirnoments.

Good book but......
This is a good book with beautiful pictures of craft spaces.I ordered in the hopes of getting ideas & inspiration for my craft space, but got none.

Where Women Create
This is an agreeable book, but I found Organizing Your Craft Space by the same author much better and more useful.Much material is duplicated - you really don't need both books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Artists' studios    2. Careers - General    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Decoration & Ornament    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior Design    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. United States    11. Women artists    12. Women designers    13. House & Home / Decorating    14. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes   

Reviews (6)

don'twaste your money!!
While I very much enjoyed Miss Wearstler's first book, I found Domicilium Decoratus to be borderline obnoxious. Rather than show great decorating, the book focused mainly on close up shots of objects in her house that took up the whole page.In addition, I feel that as the viewer of the book I do not need to see fifteen entirepages of Miss Wearstler dressed in ball gowns pretending to be domestic.

delicious eye candy
I loved modern glamour.
amazing design sensibility
This signed limited edition in a specially bound case is superbly done.Ms. Wearstler has the uncanny and clearly innate ability to take any object you give her and make it look absolutely fabulous.When I saw her son's carrera marble bathtub, my first thought was, "how do I get her to adopt me?" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architectural & Industrial    2. Art    3. Decorating - General    4. Design - Decorative    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Interior Design    7. Interior Design - General    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. Art / Design / Decorative   

Reviews (3)

Idea Finder
Great find.This is the perfect book when plannning a remodel.It's refreshing to find such a variety of interiors under one cover.The garden shots are equally inspiring and wildly different from one home to the next.The book is beautifully shot and the narative is well thought out.Well worth buying.

One Word: Fabulous, Fabulous ,Fabulous
I know you say to yourselves. Not another narsicistic book on celebrity domiciles.. But this book stands out. It is smartly written by Sue Hostetler. An element of honesty comes out in her subjects that one is not usually privy to in a celebrity "fluff piece". The humanity of those who dwell within the walls portrayed in this book really shines through. Also the photographs are "Superb". I have owned many beautiful photo books and this one really stands out. The depth of the images and the natural balance of light is stunning. Peter seems to know just what the spaces want to share with the viewer. All the homes shine under Peters visionary imagemaking. I would say if you are interested in what really drives the styles of today, "Hip Hollywood Homes" is a MUST HAVE. The style , design , and tastemakers who opened their lives and homes to Peter and Sue really are the creme' de la creme' of what is happening now.

Vanity Fair meets Architectural Digest for those with real style!,
Much, much more than other coffee table books!
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Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. California    3. Celebrities    4. Decorating    5. Decorating - General    6. Domestic    7. Homes and haunts    8. House & Home    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Los Angeles    11. Residential Interior Design    12. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (11)

Nice!
very nice book, a bit big and awkward for a textbook, but overall nice, quick delivery too.Great experience, recommend amazon for all my purchases! :)

Intro To Design
This book is one of the prerequesite books required to the students for my Intro To Design class. Pile is very informative, but sometimes over my head in his descriptions. We use this book along with Ching and I find Ching to be in much simpler wording. The pictures are beautiful in Pile....inspiring. A big investment ($80.00) for the serious design student....and worth it, in my opinion.

Excellent
This is one of several of Mr. Pile's books that are on my bookshelf.He is my interior design Guru.He has guided me through many an interior student minefield and brought me out unscathed and with a good grade.Again, good quality binding, paper, presentation, crystal clear text, great colour photography, and tons of information.Whatever I needed to find, it was right there.What more can I say? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art    3. Design - Decorative    4. Interior Design    5. Interior Design - General    6. Architecture / Interior Design    7. Graphic design    8. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles   

Reviews (1)

Just another potpourri book...
I love interior decorating books, especially Colonial, Regency and Victorian or English Country Style.But this book covers too much territory.A few pictures of each, as well as others styles like Ranch, or French.If you are having trouble deciding on a style, this book might help you. It has lovely illustrations, but again, as it is trying to cover many different styles falling under the broad title of "Country" your information is limited.There are too many books coming out like this. Specialty books are much better.Look to Rizzoli for the best in interior decorating books, or if you want some kind of country, best buy a book that covers that one particular style.I browsed through this at the store, hoping it might make a good Christmas present for me, but it ended up back on the shelf. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Decoration and ornament, Rustic    5. General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior Design    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior decoration    11. United States    12. House & Home / General   

Reviews (4)

McMansion Style
If you like the newly built McMansion-styled homes, then this is the book for you.If you are looking for authentic French decor and tips, don't buy this book.This is no more "unmistakably French" than la Madeline food is to French cuisine.

Beautiful Book
I love all of Betty Lou Phillip's books.I really like her style - scrolled iron work, marbled tile and other beautiful touches.Some of the photos are of very extravagant homes, but they contain ideas that those of us with less imposing homes could include in our decorating.I could just sit and look through her books for hours.(Actually, I think I have!)

Much more of the same.
This book shows us several mansions, just as her other books do.They are very polished and show-roomy-think of the TV show Dynasty from the 1980's updated!The text is snobby, and it appears she doesn't intend to relate her ideas to her readers, but glorify herself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Decoration and ornament    4. France    5. History    6. Influence    7. Interior Design - General    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. Interior decoration    10. United States    11. European studies    12. Home furnishing & decoration    13. House & Home / Decorating    14. Interior design   

Subjects:  1. Architectural & Industrial    2. Architecture    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. General    5. Interior Design    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration    9. Mexico    10. Architecture / Interior Design    11. Home furnishing & decoration    12. Interior Design; architecture   

Reviews (1)

STRIKING!
Photographic journal that will definitely spur some new ideas. Most are more modern, but reminiscent of the Frank Lloyd Wright style of architecture with very strong lines. Multiple settings and unique media usage. Every structural artist who plans an endeavor in the garden should have this! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Domestic    3. History - Specific Styles    4. Landscape    5. Outdoor & Recreational Areas - General    6. Architectural structure & design    7. Interior design    8. Residential buildings, domestic buildings   

Editorial Review

Most people are familiar with the hallmarks of Rachel Ashwell's shabby chic style: fabrics in pastel florals and stripes, chintz sofa covers, antique-store and yard-sale finds turned into home furnishings and accessories. At the heart of this breezy style is a very practical idea: don't buy new--use what you have or can find at thrift stores and secondhand shops and enjoy the old-fashioned charm that only aged pieces acquire. The same idea goes for houses. Read more

Reviews (34)

The Shabby Chic Home
I received The Shabby Chic Home on Friday, and it was such a joy to spend a night with the beautiful and warm-hearted book of Rachel Ashwell, her family and sweer home. Nothing luxuary, only lots of love!

Fabulous!
I look at this book again and again.The colors inspire me, and I seem to notice something new everytime I look at it again.

Admirable.
This woman is truly admirable. She is financially successful, yet it is clear from the way she organizes and decorates her dream home that she values her family life and simplicity above all. Shabby Chic is not my style. However, I find myself benefiting from her advice again and again. Mostly to help me find my own sense of beauty every time I need to purchase something for my home. This is a wonderfully useful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House furnishings    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration    9. Interior design    10. Residential Interior Design    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Decorating    12. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (1)

the cabin book is just super!
I just received this book in the mail from Amazon.It is wonderful, it is art. It is everything and much, much more.If you want to get design ideas for a crafted cabin of quality, THIS IS THE BOOK! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. General    3. History - Specific Styles    4. Log cabins    5. Pictorial works    6. United States    7. Architecture / General    8. Architecture / Interior Design    9. Houses, apartments, flats, etc    10. Interior design    11. USA   

Reviews (2)

A Wonderful Blend of History and Photography
This book is perfect for the person who wants to know more about the Arts and Crafts Movement from a historical perspective and who also wants to see wonderful examples of this architectural style.It is also particularly helpful in training the eye to select accessories for your own home that follow the Craftsman tradition.The photography is just beautiful.
Arts and Crafts Style, strictly speaking
I'm in the middle of converting my house into a neo-Craftsman style house (http://hillsdalehouse.blogspot.com).I'm trying really hard to recreate all those wonderful details that you can seemingly only find in the circa 1914 originals.So, whenever a new book with Craftsman in the title (especially picture books) comes out, I'm quick to sneak a peek.So, I jumped all over this book (actually, I got it from the library).Here are my thoughts:
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. Arts and crafts movement    5. Domestic    6. History - Specific Styles    7. Individual Architect    8. U.S. Architecture - General    9. United States    10. Architecture / General    11. Home furnishing & decoration    12. Interior design