No comments about Styles of American Furniture: 1860-1960.

No comments about Shaker Woodenware, Volume 1: A Field Guide (Field Guides to Collecting Shaker Antiques).

4 comments about Best Furniture Buying Tips Ever!.

1. As an Interior Designer I found this book an interesting read. I like to check out books written for the public to see what kind of advice is being given (there's a lot of bad information out there). This book offers insight into the furniture buying world of which the public is often unaware. Be warned, though, if you are used to bargain hunting this isn't likely to help you find a $50 sofa or $30 dresser. This is intended for people who want to buy better quality, long-lasting furniture. (she talks about good dressers starting at $1200 - for some people this may seem like a lot of money).
   
   It is also most helpful for people who live near a city as she talks a lot about shopping design showrooms. One thing I did not see mentioned is that trade showrooms usually require that public shoppers be accompanied by a trade professional or at the very least have a legitamate letter from one (and an appointment) stating exactly what the client will be looking at. Many of these places will not offer assistance or pricing to the public without such. You'll need to investigate this prior to embarking on your shopping trip. If such is the case, your best bet here is to have a design professional aid in the process or you will have to pay outrageous retail prices. The Design Center usually offers these services (for a fee).
   
   That said. She does explain a lot of terminology found in furniture buying as well as many pitfalls (one being that your average furniture salesperson's opinion varies markedly and can often be based on fabricated speculations). Ms. Letwin also offers an education on furniture styles for those who are interested.
   
   If you are shopping for quality pieces that you plan to have for the rest of your life you may find this book helpful. It pays to be forewarned. For the price it can't hurt to get this book.



2. Enjoyed the book. Learned about furniture shopping. Especially good for people that live near the cities whose furniture stores she reviewed.



3. This book was such a great help. I use it as a source for everything, most recently for online antique shopping. I never would have known which stores to check out -- and to trust -- without the information I found in this book. It's great.



4. I recently purchased a new home and had decided that I wanted completely different furnishings. I had no idea where to start and Best Furniture Tips became an invaluable guide. It enabled me to understand various styles,furniture terminology, what to look for in a piece of furniture and information on how to negotiate prices.
   
   I especially liked the advice and insights from some of the nation's top designers. Since I travel frequently the book was easy to take along and enabled me to check out design centers and stores in other cities in my spare time.
   
   Litwin has a pleasant writing style that explains in easy to understand English all the furniture jargon and pricing structures which many times seem overwhelming to a buyer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is contemplating a furniture purchase. Armed with this, one can confidently enter any store and not feel like a babe in the woods.
   
   One suggestion, buy her previous book, Furniture Hot Spots to find out where the really good stuff is.

No comments about The Intelligent Layman's Book of British Furniture: 1600-2000 (The Intelligent Layman's series).

5 comments about Chinese Country Antiques: Vernacular Furniture and Accessories, C. 1780-1920.

1. With regard to furniture, the McCormick's state: "China gets under your skin." How true that is. Their book provides a wonderful coffee table reference for the collector or designer. The selection of pieces photographed is a fantastic representation of the vernacular furniture and accessories China has to offer. Their book also provides interesting information about the amazing background of these pieces since the Qing period.



2. This book creates appreciation for the type of Chinese furniture and accessories that are both within financial reach and that work with today's lifestyles. The author has revealed a well kept secret. It's beautiful. It's informative. It's a must read for anyone interested in history and/or the decorative arts. One of the best books of its kind.



3. The images are very nice and well photographed, however as a work of scholarship it is flawed. There are a large number of datelines that are so clearly wrong as to question the authors expertise. I won't bore you with a image by image critique but suffice to say that there are better books on the market such as Friends of the House or Kai Yin Lo's book on Vernacular furniture all of which are real works of quality. As for the price guides included in the book, how helpful is it to give a ...[broad] price range... for a piece of furniture without explaining why one will be the lower price the other the more expensive.



4. In Chinese Country Antiques: Vernacular Furniture And Accessories, c. 1780-1920, Andrea and Lynde McCormick successfully collaborate to offer a comprehensive, authoritative, reader friendly survey of antiquarian Chinese furniture. Profusely illustrated with hundreds of full color photographs, there are chapters devoted to provenance, finishes, fakes, cabinets, chairs and stools, tables, and accessories. Of special note are the chapters on fakes, and accessories. A highly recommended and beautifully presented introduction to Chinese antiques for the novice collector or student, Chinese Country Antiques is further enhanced with an informative appendix on "Woods" and a brief bibliography for further, more specialized or detailed study.



5. With all the fuss about Ming and early Ching Dynasty antiques, I am glad that someone has finally written a book about furniture from the late Ching Dynasty. At face value, it is a very attractive book indeed, with colourful pictures of antique Chinese furniture and accessories. However, those hoping to learn more about antiques from this book will be sorely disappointed. Not much was written about the history behind the antiques, such as the difference in styles during different times in China's history or even differences in styles between regional furniture. This book was written by people who own an antique business, so what you read is rather like what you would hear should you walk into an antique shop and speak to the shopkeepers. The literature covers only the first 29 pages of the book, and save for the last 2 pages where there is a short discussion on the various kinds of wood, the rest of the 176 page book contains page after page of photographs of furniture and accessories, with no further explainatory notes.

No comments about Pine Furniture: Our American Heritage.

No comments about The Gustav Stickley Photo Archives.

No comments about Company of Pianos.

5 comments about The Furniture Guys Book.

1. It appears that this book is compiled of a number of projects that Joe and Ed did on their TV Show. But I think there are better resources out there. If I were them, I think I'd look for a new editor & publisher for their next work.

   The Pros:
   * Interesting side bars on specific topics (assuming you can find them when you need them) including materials, art history, etc.
   * Covers both wood and upholstery work
   * Covers a variety of techniques

   The Cons:
   * Aside from the few pages in the middle of full color sheets, all the diagrams are about 1" x 1.5" b&w photos or line drawings. It is very difficult to see what's going on with them. There is profuse text, but give me a few more pictures and a few thousand words less.

   * There is clowning around and running gags throughout the book. I'm a light hearted guy, but think this is a little overdone. Maybe it works on their TV show.

   * There are some technical errors and omissions. For example, Pure Turpentine is not a petrochemical. I caught a few places where you were instructed to make a stain or something without any idea of quantities or colors.

   I think you would be better served to read any of the following books on wood finishing and repair:

   * Great Wood Finishes: A Step-By-Step Guide to Consistent and Beautiful Results by Jeff Jewitt

   * Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish by Bob Flexner

   * Perfect Wood Finishing Made Easy by Sue Noble

   * Furniture Repair & Refinishing by Brian D. Hingley

   Sorry, but I don't have a good upholstery recommendation at this time.




2. As a long time fan of the Furniture Guys, the book was a must for me. Just like their TV shows, the book is very informative & funny at the same time. An excellent book for those who want to take on home furniture repair themselves.



3. JOSE, CAN YOU SEE?

   The humor is there, as is the really helpful information and professional tips on how to get the results the pros do. BUT, the publisher should have sprung for how-to photos that can be seen without a microscope! Come on, guys, I'll pay a buck or two more for pictures I can see.




4. Being a huge fan of the furniture guys, I knew my husband would enjoy this as a birthday present. I just didn't know how much! He reads it over and over and even takes it back and forth from work! He loves the humor as well as all of the great suggestions and ideas.



5. The book is very much like the TV show with jokes and easy to read instructions. I only gave it four stars because I would have liked more pictures. Each project has one color picture in a center section. There are also TINY thumbnail photos in the instruction section showing you how to do something. I wanted a magnifying glass. The good thing was the instructions were well written enough that you didn't always need the pictures.

No comments about The Furniture of Coastal North Carolina, 1700-1820 (Frank L Horton Series).