No comments about Individuality in Clothing Selection and Personal Appearance (6th Edition).

No comments about Zakka Sewing: 25 Japanese Projects for the Household.

5 comments about Feng Shui for Dummies.

1. To say I was disappointed when I recieved this 3 inch by 3 inch book would be an understatement. I have purchased numerous other books in the Dummy line so was not expecting this miniature book. Had I read the reviews like I usually do, I would have known and not wasted my money.



2. I laughed out loud when I got this book in the mail. Lesson learned...from now on I will read ALL descriptions MUCH more carefully! I was FULLY expecting a FULL sized book but got this tiny thing. Felt like I was dooped but checked and it does clearly say Miniatue Edition. Live and lern.



3. QUICK DELIVERY. GREAT BOOK, I HAVE 4 OTHERS & THIS BY FAR IS THE BEST. THANK YOU



4. Feng Shui for Dummies isn't about real Feng Shui at all. Any Feng Shui practice that does not make use of compass readings, does not consider the interaction between the different phases of life-energy (i.e. "qi" and its five "elements") and does not take landforms into account is simply not real Feng Shui. Period. Ask any professional Feng Shui practitioners from Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and Singapore. Black Hat "Feng Shui" (which this book covers) was developed in the USA in the 80s and is an untested and dumbed-down fast-food version of the real thing, designed to appeal to Western sensibilities and need for simple classifications (i.e. the "aspirations"). Forget this book. Get The Complete Idiot's Guide to Feng Shui instead. Now THAT is a book you'd want to lay your hands on to get a feel of what real Feng Shui is all about - a science developed over the course of several thousand years in one of the world's oldest cultures.



5. I checked this book out from a local library and it is the first fengshui book I have read. A little later, I started reading a few other books. Certainly, the humorous writing and easiness to read make me immediately realize that I should have paid more attention to this topic before and rearrange my place and office. Did some routine work following advice. Then I started feeling some beneficial changes. Just in a few weeks! Well, I will move on to more readings and practices... and thanks for the introduction. Nice job! I even thought about mailing them a red envelope with some coins as suggested in the book.
   
   In an eastern culture, we need patience, intention and thankfulness to fullfil our goals.

5 comments about Cottage Style Decorating.

1. I only wish I could make my house look like this! This book has quite a range of different types of Cottage decorating, everything from Swedish to Shaker to Garden. It contains many ideas that I will be trying to emulate.



2. This is the first book I will pick up to get inspirations and ideals for cottage style decorating. Loads of colorful photographs really set this book apart from other books.



3. Beautiful pictures, nice ideas - my mom went gagga over it - cottage style is totally her. I liked it - but wouldn't look at it repeatedly.



4. I absolutely love this book! The pictures are beautiful, every page is a treat! It's definantly a good investment and really gets your mind rolling with all kinds of ideas for your own house. I highly recommend this book if you are into cottage decor!



5. I'm making the transition from rustic farmhouse to cottage. This book really helped me to see and understand what changes I need to make to accomplish this while utilizing many of the items I already have. It has a very organized presentation with short and easy explanations to achieve the look you prefer. I have looked at every page over and over again. The pictures are beautiful as well.

4 comments about Cottages on the Coast: Fair Harbors and Secret Shores.

1. Wherever they are located, seaside dwellings share several common traits. These hearty homes are crafted from tried and true materials that age gracefully in the sea air and reflect local building traditions and styles. They balance the storms of winter with the peaceful days of summer and maximize beautiful views whatever the season.

   Cottages on the Coast presents an extensive variety of homes from sea to shining sea. Linda Leigh Paul selected more than 25 examples from Bainbridge Island, to Big Sur, from the Florida Keys, to Tybee Island, and north to Maine. You will be captivated by hundreds of beautiful photographs of vernacular exteriors and very personal interiors.

   Cottages on the Coast stands out because the interiors and exteriors exude a lot of personality, and they seem authentic and attainable. New England is well represented with houses in Maine, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. The tranquil cover image, Treasure Cottage on Key West is truly a cottage at a mere 500 square feet. Treasure Cottage is filled with the owners carefully arranged antique collection, which does not clutter the small space but gives the home so much personality. Other examples, a modernist cottage designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright pupil in Carmel, complete with loads of natural light, and built-in furnishings. Or a cottage recently built on a private island in the Puget Sound, built on a solid rock foundation, with enormous interior beams to withstand the fiercest storms, decorated in a simple manner re-using found materials such as driftwood for a mantel and stair case railing.

   Cottages on the Coast will be a source of inspiration for readers who are considering rehabbing, designing, or decorating a seaside dwelling. Or if you are an avid armchair traveler Cottages on the Coast will fill you with travel ideas for your next coastal break.




2. When I picked up this book I was surprised to find it so filled with a wonderful variety of cottages. Cottages on the Coast is a small and wonderful glimpse of styles around the coasts of the United States. A small "photo album" near the beginning shows early pictures of some of the cottages that are featured later and as those same cottages appear today. A great selection of cottage styles, representing different regions of the country, are fascinating with their accompanying stories. This is a book I will go back to over and over again, to look up something I remember, to find something new and to just plop down with it in my lap for pure beach imaginings. I love this book!



3. Great source of architectural interior details and inspiration for small residential structures.



4. I love to read and I love houses on the water. When I need to relax I grab this book. It has also given me some ideas to use in my own home to give it that cottage look. Very inspirational and easy to read.

5 comments about New Decorating Book (Better Homes & Gardens).

1. I highly recommend this book! This is by far one of the best decorating books that I have purchased. Lots of iedeas in many decorating styles, all done with class.



2. I have several editions of this book. This most recent one is the best yet. It shows inspirational photographs representing many different styles. It includes tips and insights on what makes that room "pop". A favorite section is when they show the same room done in a different way - love that flexibility! There are great chapters on stylish storage, small houses, and lighting. As a professional interior decorator, I take this book with me to appointments so I can show clients some up-to-date decorating ideas we can consider. If you are serious about decorating, you seriously need this book.



3. Ironically, there is not much that is "new" in the "New Decorating Book." Anyone who is hoping to find inspiration or fresh ideas is better off buying the magazine or another book. After reading it, I felt as though I had been duped by the "All-New Edition" title.



4. I do like having decorating books to get ideas from, and having lots of pictures sure helps. I like this one.



5. This is the second interior decorating book that I have bought from Better Homes and Gardens. I have found it to be very colorful, helpful and just fun to browse through. I honestly recommend it to those of you who like to try new ideas for your home.

2 comments about Bazaar Style: Decorating With Market and Vintage Finds.

1. I love this look and find it a fun and easy way to decorate, HOWEVER, I caution those less adventurous folks to find a more mainstream book for reference. This book focuses on the flea market, ethnic look which is not a look based on balance or anything cohesive...it's an "anything goes" kind of look which is perfect if you are just starting out and trying to put a home together with odds and ends available to you from friends and family. Since I am a huge garage sale, antique mall or tag sale fan, I love seeing how these type of things can be show-cased to look fun and stylish. Since my style is a mix of this bohemian style with antiques and newer, modern furnishings and accessories mixed in, I find it a good point of reference when I'm looking for new and fresh ideas.
   
   This is a wonderful book to spark some creativity and make your imagination run wild!



2. I never write reviews, but this book is just fantastic!
   I love unique and different things with lots of color, so this book is very helpful. I can use the things I have for a vibrant fun filled home.
   If you are an avid flea market, rummage sale, & import store shopper, you are going to really enjoy this!

5 comments about The Art of Faux: The Complete Sourcebook of Decorative Painted Finishes (Crafts Highlights).

1. Great resource book. Cool techniques...a bit intimidating for a beginner but full of information.



2. This book contains excellent descritions of equipment and techniques used for decorative painting. It is well inllustrated and easy to read.
   
   GM



3. Pierre's book is considered the bible of Faux and is a must have reference guide for the experienced faux finisher!
   
   A great example of the marbles he is so famous for can be found in the Morrocan mural he co-painted with Sean Crosby in the hot new book benefiting charity "The House that Faux Built" Transform Your Home with Paint, Plaster and Creativity The House That Faux Built check out the search inside feature.



4. I purchased this for my daughter who is a faux painter. She loves the book. She says there are many techniques in here that are new to her and she is enjoying doing them.



5. The most in-depth reference book I could have asked for. Exactly what I wanted and needed.

5 comments about The Barefoot Home: Dressed-Down Design for Casual Living.

1. This book is great for conversation and ideas. I leave mine on the coffee table for periodic inspiration...that of myself..and of others!



2. On first glance I agreed with many of the other reviewers: 'the book was slick', 'it was disingenuous', 'sure, if you live in a sunny climate, most, if not all, of the time'.
   
   Then I went back and looked at the book again, and read the opening passage: he does not strive to be disingenuous, he tells us he himself doesn't live in a barefoot home, nor a barefoot neighborhood, but he is trying and the manifesto of the book is to entreat all of us to be more informal in our primary living space -- our homes.
   
   Open the house up as soon as you can, get rid of all the stuff you don't need, make your home as casual as you can, and then enjoy it.
   Think informal thoughts, and live in all the spaces available to you: the patio, the deck and never forget how good it feels to have sand between your toes!
   
   He provides blue prints to the homes and he even lists the architects. Enjoy and live well!



3. We live in temperate Australia and hesitated long before buying this book. We have shelves of excellent architecture reference books from around the world and have been owner builders. Was it going to be just glam coffee table eye candy? The architect has worked with Sarah Susanka (Not So Big House etc), so we decided to take the plunge. This is a very good book. There is so much to look at, contemplate, re-visit. Brilliant resolution of details, houses that flow, small exquisite spaces, sound materials. We have had hours of enjoyment from this book and have been happy to share it with others to extend their knowledge of good architecture. Enjoy!



4. Couple quick notes:
   Most homes featured are new, few are retrofitted. Most done by architects in a modern style.
   
   For a barefoot home, it seems unusual that most floors are concrete. Very few rugs, I didn't see any carpet.
   
   I would've liked to have seen the rest of the property or at least how the house sits on the site. Driveways are not addressed. Nearly every house has a large lot and amazing views (which most of us do not have). Does not really address how to achieve a barefoot home with a nominal budget.



5. If you're familiar with Susan Susanka's Not So Big House series, you'll feel right at home here. Author Mark Vassallo co-wrote Inside the Not So Big House and like Susanka, takes a stand against overly-large houses made to impress, focusing instead, on casual, intimate houses based on the way "we really live." Vassallo's taste is less dowdy than Susanka's whose architectural choices can be mundane or smothered in wood detail. Expect cleaner, harder edges, funkier looks and a few surprises (like a house split into two small structures).

5 comments about Charles Faudree's French Country Signature.

1. Profusely illustrated with dreamy, close focus photographs, this book seems to sweep the reader right into each French Country room. This style of interior design is a little too fussy for my taste, but I enjoyed the authors' ability to take me on a tour of these homes as if I were on a mini-vacation.



2. I like this book, and keep it on my coffee table for others to enjoy. The only reason that I haven't given it 5 stars is because the kitchens section wasn't anything particularly inspiring.



3. If you have enjoyed Charles Faudree's beautiful rooms in Traditional Home Magazine over the years, as I have, you will love this book. It is absolutely loaded with wonderful rich-colored pictures/photos. It is divided into sections by the room (kitchen, bedroom, etc...) and each section begins with the author's commentary about these rooms and how he chose the design/pieces. Next follows the gorgeous pictures/photos with wonderfully descriptive captions that give the origin of the piece, fabric or wallpaper. This is one of those books you will pick up again and again...and you will most likely see something great you missed the time before. After pouring through this book, I immediately ordered Faudree's other book, "Country French Living". After just one time through this beautiful book, I came away with three or four ideas that I was able to immediately implement in my own home. One suggestion: when you sit down to enjoy this book, do so with paper and pen close by. The pictures are so detailed that I was able to read the titles of many of the wonderful books Faudree has displayed throughout his home. I recognized some I have collected but jotted down 6 or 7 titles that I had never seen or had seen but wasn't sure if I should buy. Also, if you love animals (dogs and cats) this book will definitely make you smile. Almost every page has a snoozing, pampered pet curled up for an afternoon nap. This book contains a wealth of information, but putting that aside...it is a feast for the eyes!



4. Certainly, this is about individual style. It is that character which pervades Mr. Faudree's work. We all take from our cache of knowledge, and Mr. Faudree has chosen from French, Spanish, and English styles.
   
   I don't see more clutter than in English Country or French opulence. I do think the rooms appear a bit too "clean" -- not lived it. I believe the photographer is the problem and not Mr. Faudree. That said, with my collection of over two hundred interior design books, from Billy Baldwin to Faudree, this deserves its place on the shelves along with the rest.



5. This is a yummy book with many wonderful ideas and rooms and I am absolutely stumped at the other (negative) reviews here. Hey, if you don't like traditional, don't buy the book. It's traditional! It's mega traditional with its beautiful symmetry and richness. Some of us still like that by the way and you need not have a French background, nor does it matter where you come from, to have good taste and love traditional. While his taste is a bit too fussy even for me, I still love looking through the book and always get new ideas. Get a life and go buy a contemporary design book if you don't liked traditional traditional.