5 comments about Small Spaces: Good Ideas.

1. Pro's
   - lots of photos.
   - apartments are small, under 90 square meters.
   
   Con's
   - this feature where this orange dotted "box" is put insde the pic to mark an area of something "cool" is really not so cool. spoils the book, imo.
   
   Not the best book about small space living and interiors but not bad at all for the price. Three and a half stars.



2. While these sort of books offer lovely, crisp photographs, they contain very few ideas that are realistic when you're on a tight budget...or if you have children and safety is a concern. This book in particular didn't take safety or budget into concern from my perspective.
   
   Martha Stewart has a book geared at storage solutions and organizations that is actually practical and affordable that I have turned to time and time again. Truly, organization is the key to living in a small space successfully.
   
   Your best bet is to save your money on this book and take a peek at something geared toward organization and stylish storage.... and visit your local IKEA for instead. Regardless of your personal style preferences, IKEA stores are set-up in pre-furnished rooms that really let you test their practicality. If you aren't near an IKEA location, IKEA's website has an entire section devoted to design ideas PLUS you can request a FREE catalog that is jam packed with storage solutions and furniture arrangements that are intended to maximize space when it's at a minimum. The objects themselves aren't important when it comes to your personal style, so focus on placement and use of space rather than whether or not you like that particular cabinet or couch and you'll do great. For example, if country is your style--when you find a room layout that you like, just replace the leather mid-century sofa with a fluffy, cotton duck one instead. IKEA has really warmed up their styles lately so I'm sure you'll find something that works for you when browsing their catalogs and website.
   
   I've kept several of the last few IKEA catalogs at a cost of ZERO dollars for color schemes, hints on how to use light and texture, fun with fabrics and furniture arrangement with oodles of storage. Hold onto them because they run out fast.
   
   If you are designing with practicality and comfort in mind but aren't near an IKEA store, I urge you to visit the IKEA website and browse their interactive catalog for hints..then print up a page that inspires you. You won't regret it!



3. Beautiful, funky and cutting edge interiors. High quality paper. Great reference because it also includes floor plans and elevations. Super cool and a great bargain for such a beautiful book.



4. This is a wonderful book to read if you want to imagine yourself living somewhere exotic in an uncluttered space with minimal (or no) possessions.
   
   It's all about design and I'm sure design mavens and architect-groupies will love it.
   
   I picked it up looking for "good ideas" (as advertised in the title) I could use in, or adapt for, my small condo. In my real life as a middle-class working person living in the US. I found none.
   
   Pretty pictures, though, of some inventive solutions to putting bed, bath, kitchen, and sitting facilities into small areas.



5. Of all of the design and architecture books in my library, I have to confess that this is the only one that I have ever read cover to cover. This wonderful book contains 51 gorgeously photographed small living spaces from 150-968 square feet - each one a jewel box of contemporary minimalist design. Here the art of living has been reduced to the basic essentials of ample light, beautiful design, clever storage, and minimal possessions. Each project is sparingly and simply described, with architectural drawings included in most sections. What a joy it is to be immersed in this book, imagining myself as a sophisticated debutante living in the chic apartment in Shepherd's Bush London, or a modern day hermit communing with the Divine in the Itamar Cave in Jerusalem, or an expatriate writer on a long, but fruitful sabbatical at Darmos House in Spain. Ah the joy of the simple life - unfettered by the weight of too many dusty possessions or heavy ornamentation - pure bliss!

5 comments about Napa Valley Style.

1. This was a great book for my business, and study of Wine Country Style. I had a client contact my company Jeff Andrews Custom Home Design Inc. [...] about designing a Napa Valley style home. I looked on Amazon, and found this book, and it was great to read and see all of the elements they used. You can see a picture of the home on my website listed above. under photos page "Merrill Residence" We mixed the style of Napa, then into earth tone, southwest colors, and the home was built in St.George Utah.



2. This is NOT a very good idea to buy if you are looking for decorating ideas. It was not at all what I was hoping it was going to be, if you are building or decorating this "style" of house.



3. OK, its not a home run, but its pretty good. If you are building a home in the tuscan or californian tradition, you will find some inspiration here. There are some great outdoor rooms as well. What it really makes you want to do is move to Napa!!! Great ideas for exterior details on tuscan homes and casual yet elegant structural details. Worth the money, get it.



4. This is a very nice book with stunning, crisp and clear photos of Napa Homes. There is a description for each home, many of which are estates on family run wineries. There is some text and a few photos of beautiful Napa itself that made me want to book my trip right away. Many of the photos in the book really focus on the homes exteriors - their architecture, gardens and beautiful views. That is followed by only a couple of photos of the interiors. I wanted to see so much more of the interior spaces to get a better sense of design inspiration. So while this is really a nice book it just left me wanting more for the price. If it had more Napa descriptions and listed some hot spots and had more interior design inspiration I would have raised my rating...oh well.



5. The photo on the cover and the home in the book is the only part of the book I enjoyed. The rest of the pictures were lacking. It has not been a book that draws me back to look some more.

5 comments about Living in Portugal (New Edition) (Living In... Series).

1. 
   This is a perfect book to have on your coffee table. The pictures inside the book are amazing and the information is great too. Just looking through it, you can see the culture of the country. Highly Recommended!



2. This book turned up in a search for travel books on Portugal. It is a lovely photographic tour of Portual, with a little special emphasis on the homes of the nobility and wealthy business families. The inns and hotels that are mentioned in an off-hand manner are very pricey. However, once you've visited here you might well find this book to be a lovely remembrance of your trip.



3. Not really about living in Portugal, but rather, a nice resource to start deciding where one might want to live or travel in that pretty little country. It contains brief, well written summaries of Portugal's distinctive geographic regions, and is beautifully photographed. A large book for displaying a livingroom coffee table, and a nice read on a rainy day.



4. Not a light 5 stars, but well deserved. "Living" does not denote a short stay, but an investment. A beautiful book of very fine pictures. Includes many 'coordinated', decorated interior photographs of interesting household living quarters. The copy is well considered, and without "fluff", but written with a tender understanding of the country and its people. I have found this book to be a wealth of information and enjoyment. (don't look here for 'where to dine' -- it's in a different class).



5. The title led me to think that this book might be a guide to actually living in Portugal. It is nothing of a sort, but rather a beautiful book of pictures of life in Portugal. Lovely to look at, with the usual tending-to-purple travel industry text. If it's a book of very nice photos of Portugal you're looking for you'll enjoy this, but for some solid information about Portugal look elsewhere.

5 comments about Junk Style.

1. I bought this used and I'm glad I didn't pay full price. I found nothing new.



2. I am an antiquer and flea market junkie. This book is OK, but it isn't the best. (I also don't like the word "junk.") The points this book makes about mixing things and repurposing things is better made in Flea Market Decorating, a book which also shows a broader variety of locations types as well as flea markets from around the country. I also like the original American Junk book, but it only shows objects versus nice big photos of real rooms.



3. I love this book! As an avid junk collector (much to the humour of my family!) I found this book to become one of my favourites.
   I have read this book so many times- there are just so many inspiring pictures in this book. The book contains many different interiors and all different types of junk style. A great book.



4. There are a couple of things that could have made Junk Style better and appeal to a broader audience. Most of the pictures are set on a stone or hardwood floors, and I can only think of one that was set on carpet. I'm not a big fan of carpet, but that is what I have to work with in my house and would have liked to have seen what other have done with junk finds in carpeted rooms. I would also like to have seen more pictures with colored walls. The author seems to have a strong bias towards white walls, at times making the rooms seen somewhat lifeless and sterile.

   With the criticism out of the way, I'd also like to say that Junk Style was very inspriational to me. I read through it twice in the first day that I received it. The photos are gorgeous and some of the finds inside are quite worthy of jealousy. I would recommed this to anyone who enjoys spending time at yard sales, flea markets, and other second hand stores.




5. Brilliant & beautiful, lots of nice photographs, plenty of inspiration, etc, etc. Just get it! :)

2 comments about Design Ideas for Flooring (Design Ideas).

1. There are so many options for flooring on the market today. Do I choose travertine, linoleum (looks great now), carpet, wood? This book helps you answer those questions. It focuses on discussing various floor options, the pros and cons and where the flooring would best be used. What's so great about it is the photographs are clear and showcase the floors. You do get some furnishings in many of the photos, but without a doubt, the floor is the star.
   
   Not only does the book show options like ceramic and porcelain tile, it shows floors with various patterns and layouts of each material. The book not only talks about vinyl flooring, but it talks about various types of sheet vinyl flooring, how it's made and what to look for when buying. There is even a section on flooring in garage and basements and include ways to vent moisture away.
   
   I highly recommend this book and bought two, one for myself and one for my mother.



2. The book was in great condition and delivery time was exceptional. Received the book within three days, which I was not expecting. Deserves five stars.

1 comments about Korea Style.

1. Simplicity, modernity and nature all combine to maximum benefit in Korean style and represent a new movement in that country that reaches out across the waters to interior designers interested in Asian style. Any library collection strong in Asian style representations will find KOREA STYLE a welcome focus: it's also the first international publication to reveal the country's architecture and interior design, so it should be a 'foundation title' for any college-level specialty collection or international home style library.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

4 comments about Architectural Detailing: Function - Constructibility - Aesthetics.

1. An excellent book for architectural students and young professionals, now made better in the second edition. Expanded with more insight and expertise from Professor Allen augmented by Professor Rand makes it invaluable to readers. A must on every professional's book shelf providing the basic fundamentals and principles of detailing.



2. This book is the thinking person's "Graphic Standards" (no slight to that book intended). But in this case, instead of handing you details, it teaches you how to design your own details. It is not only a one-of-a-kind approach but incredibly well-done, well organized, and beautifully illustrated as well. It is a guide to knowing why details should be designed in particular ways. It explains, in depth, what to think about when designing at the level of the detail. And the three case studies in the back of the book are worth their weight in gold. This book truly makes the point that detailing is part of the process of design. Get it, and keep it.



3. As much as I like the author's "Building Construction", this book is not recommended. It is based on the premise that many construction details share common principles: shed water by using sloping surfaces, for instance. After a few such groupings are described, it turns into a tips and tricks collection, e.g., do rough work before finish work. It's not a comprehensive reference by any means. On the contrary, it's shamefully padded with many nearly blank pages. Enjoyable reading, nice drawings, just not nearly enough material to justify the price.



4. This book is the recipe to designing architectural details. The book is divided into many small but concise sections each dealing with different aspects e.g, controlling water leakage, accommodating movements, providing structural support, forgiving details, etc. In each of these sections various solutions and stategies to deal with these aspects are shown with simple easy to understand diagrams accompanied by a brief explanation. A chapter at the end is dedicated to developing and designing the architectural details through choosing and combining solutions disscussed in the sections with illustrated examples.

   This book is the essence to "designing" or merely to "understanding" architectural details. The structure and simplicity of this book makes it almost like a dictionary of architectural details. This book is suitable for students, practicing architects, and those who are interested in the detailing of architecture. Note: in my opinion this book is of a reference nature and not recommended for leisure reading.

5 comments about Interior Design (3rd Edition).

1. I was asked to buy this book for class and did not want to spend the money at first. Now that I bought it I am very happy. It has alot of important and useful info.



2. 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! :)



3. 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.



4. 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?



5. It is really a marvelous creation. Pile has put together the most basics of interior design and put it into a exciting format for an introduction to interior design survey course. All the in the pictures in the book are beautifully put together and the book contains continuous harmony with each page you turn.

1 comments about Ultimate Guide to Bathrooms: Plan, Remodel, Build (Ultimate Guide).

1. This is a very clear manual to understand how the built works, step by step. But I wanted a book about bathrooms design, so it doesn't solve to me.

2 comments about Swedish Style: Creating the Look.

1. This is a lovely book with beautiful color pictures from what I think is authentic interiors. The author walks us through the essence of swedish style via colors, fabrics, accessories and furniture. I miss not having typical interiors and suggestions of how to decorate individual rooms such as hallways and kitchens etc. The main focus is on livingrooms and bedrooms. I still think it's a good purchase and this book gives me a lot of inspiration.



2. This is a good and basic introduction to the elements of Swedish style in interior design.

   There is a simple historical summary that captures the background to Swedish design without making erudite comments on the style itself, other than to list the fundamental principles.

   The asthetic choices are very tuille and English in flavour; something that a middle-class London matron may aspire to. The lack of real recourse to original Swedish design and then imaginative and tasteful modern alternatives makes this book disappointing.

   "The Swedish Room" is far more inspiring and authentic.