No comments about Celerie Kemble: To Your Taste: Creating Modern Rooms with a Traditional Twist.

5 comments about Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home.

1. This is the most comprehensive, easy to use, guide for eco-friendly living that I have seen in years. I strongly recommend that you consider purchasing this book and using it as a handy reference for everything from personal care products to paint to household items. I have purchased several of these from Amazon after reading it cover to cover from the local library and I will be giving them as Christmas gifts this year. The book will quite simply change your life for the better.



2. EASY GREEN LIVING arrived before expected and brand new as promised. I loved it, it was a real blessing for me and my family as we try to green our lives. Thanks



3. With all the five star ratings previously, I had high expectations for this book. Sadly, it did not live up to those expectations and for one reason only: this book includes way too much information about chemicals and the harm they cause. Don't get me wrong, I want to know 'generally' about these things such as parabens, etc. but I don't need a complete list of every chemical manufactured on the planet and what they do. I did not find that positive or motivating. Having said that, YOU may want to know! And, I would actually buy this book again. It is a great reference book that you could go back to over and over again. And, because it is so detailed, it would really help you find anything you could possible ever need. For example, later today I will be checking a website that she mentioned that sells eco-friendly lightbulbs that can be used with a dimmer switch! And I may take a look at a company that sells reclaimed wood for replacing my floors...It really is a great book, I just felt that I was skipping over the parts which I didn't have such an interest in.



4. This is a great book. Lots of good info on ingredients found in cleaning and beauty items. Have recommended this book to several of my friends. Would definitely buy it again.
   The only drawback to this book is that the pages started comming loose from the binding within a few days of flipping through it. No problem, though. Just took it down to the office supply store and had a spiral binding put on it for a few dollars.



5. I bought Easy Green Living for the recipes (like the air freshener containing vodka and essential oil - very nice) inside because I'd just read another book on being green, so I thought I had enough information. Then I started reading Loux's take on the environment, and I couldn't stop. She detailed reasons from personal health to protecting the earth's resources for becoming environmentally friendly. Loux writes well and breaks the topic down with ease without lecturing. She often injects personal stories as examples. And, she's budget conscious. She is quick to point out which options are budget friendly and which aren't necessarily. Easy Green Living is a valuable resource for anyone wishing to understand the current movement toward being environmentally friendly.

5 comments about Apartment Therapy Presents: Real Homes, Real People, Hundreds of Design Solutions.

1. This book is as good as I expected it would be; tons of ideas and ingenious solutions to space problems. Very talented people who achieve an individual look usually without mounds of money.



2. Seriously. One of the most inspiring books I own. And yes, I really do ration a chapter a night so (hopefully) it never ends! One thing you'll learn - all creativity is apparently born in IKEA. Who knew?!



3. I'm a modern design junkie (magazines, books, blogs, web sites and oh yeah, actual decorating of our 975 square foot condo in a 100-year-old building). When I heard about this book I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. . . but I was a little disappointed. I enjoyed the text and the way each person/couple did something different with their space -- and those tiny apartments were amazing! -- but I was disappointed with the photos and the captions. I thought the photos looked sort of amateurish, and should have been bigger. Sometimes they referred to an object in a caption, but it was hard to find it in the photo! Often, the photos showed only a tiny section of a room, when a complete view and perspective would have been much more helpful. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but with these caveats. Anyone else feel that way?



4. i've been reading the ApartmentTherapy.com blogs for a few years now, and my mom sent me MGR's first book, "Apartment Therapy", which was a quick and awesome read...which i also made real by joining an AT Cure.
   
   So, for my mom's birthday I bought us both copies of the new "Apartment Therapy Presents" picture book - which rules! It's full of great ideas and very pretty apartments, photos, tips, tricks, you name it.
   
   I'm very impressed.



5. This is a great book for small space organization and design. It follows the same approach as the Apartment Therapy blog but is edited to include the best in a variety of styles, budgets and sizes in coffee table format.
   
   If you feel the need to be a cheapskate, you can find many of the house tours on the blog; but once you go to the blog, you will probably become a hopeless addict and have to buy this book any way for quick reference.
   
   If you are considering this book, make sure to get AT's 8-step Home Cure too.

5 comments about The Color Scheme Bible: Inspirational Palettes for Designing Home Interiors.

1. Ever gone to a paint store, and stood there goggling at all the hundreds and hundreds of choices, totally unable to decide?
   
   Here is a book to help you.
   
   Starmer arranges the book in chapters about color. In the chapter on red, she lists everything from cranberry and magenta to antique pink and coral. Then, and this is what is so useful, under each individual color she shows two colors chosen to match the main color perfectly, plus two other minor colors to use as accents. In addition, she talks about whether the colors lean towards soothing or drama, and whether they work best in linen or silk. Talk about making things easy.



2. I love this book. It's just what I was looking for...a book that put together color schemes as opposed to the standard color rooms with white trim. More photos would have been even better.



3. I found this book to be informative and very easy to relate to. As I had purchased this title along with another great book, Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint - to gain as much insight into using color to cozy up my old home. Both books far exceeded my expectations, as both authors explain in detail the impact particular tones have upon a space. The warm and inviting interiors featured in these titles offer the reader much inspiration and visual reference to borrow from. Highly recommended for those wanting to discover the secrets to using vibrant color to transform the drab to the fabulous!!!!!



4. This book gave me the courage to paint the crown molding in my master bedroom a color other than white! And, wow, what a difference. Plus, the book provided me with an entire color scheme for the room: sheets, flooring, pillows, etc.
   
   You can use the book in two ways: choose a scheme and follow it religiously or use a scheme as a jumping-off point. Either way, you can't lose. This book is well worth my $30 investment.



5. Was really looking forward to this book as all the reviews were so positive. My wife and I wanted to get some color scheme ideas for our new house. Unfortunately i just was not that impressed with the schemes laid out in the 'bible'.

5 comments about Stone by Design.

1. This book is pure pleasure. The artfulness in creating the spaces we live in with stone in pattern, an organic extension of this earth. This is not a 'paint by numbers' how-to book, rather, like looking at a
   Rembrandt, ultimate examples of stone taken to true art.



2. Caught a TV article on Lew French - CBS Sunday Morning. What a fabulous
   artist! I bought the book based on the show. The book was not as good
   but not bad. It's still very interesting stuff with some beautiful photography.



3. This book is 5 stars all the way. Lew French shows his masterful stonework in the many photos this book provides. If you are interested in what can be done in stone and how stone can be used to create a "WOW FACTOR", this book is made to order.
   Every other page has photos that are "WOW".
   Is you love stone you need to see this book.



4. this is a wonderful book, full of amazing photos of a skilled craftsman
   we will enjoy it for many years



5. This was a great book on the stonework that was pictured. My wife does stone work and this has given her many idea's!. Simply a lovely, interesting read and view, and I highly recommend it! The things he does with stone is simply amazing.

1 comments about The French Room.

1. Along with Charles Faudree's new Interiors, I have been anxiously awaiting Betty Lou Phillips' The French Room. I wasn't disappointed. Although not every lifestyle allows for the abundance of objets d'art or the high-end luxury fabrics on every upholstered piece, I can still appreciate the beauty and design of the rooms presented. I like the somewhat cleaner line of Ms. Phillips' interiors and those of the designers also featured. It's a shame that this is a decorating style that does not transition itself down well to the mass market, but maybe that's why it's so appealing. Lovely photographs and a wealth of anecdotal information on accomplishing the French style...whatever your budget.

1 comments about Country Living A Bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace: The Fabulous Interiors of Magnolia Pearl (Country Living).

1. After waiting months for the release of this book, I was not disappointed. Robin Brown has written a true gem and the photographs are gorgeous. Originally, I was expecting more of a "how-to" book on duplicating some of her treasures, but I learned something more important, Robin's book has given the information and encouragement to create my own personal treasures.
   
   "A Bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace" is a true inspiration, both in originality and wisdom. We do not have to be wealthy, our "things" do not have to be perfect; but therein lies the beauty - in how we learn to look at things in a new and different way. Robin's perspective on life is told in such a way that many, many people can relate to and reinterpret in our own lives and homes. The book guides us through every room, and shows us how we can take the smallest scrap of lace, or a yard of brocade, and see it through "new" eyes. I have a new appreciation for the things I have collected through the years, and I now have been infused with the inspiration to jump in and use them in ways that I had not thought of before now. "A Bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace" has reaffirmed things about myself and my personality, that I had tried to "put on a shelf" for awhile, and at times thought I should relent and paint my walls "Builders Beige", just to go "with the flow". No more... Ms. Brown, with the tales of her unusual and adventuresome childhood (which I do envy!) remind me to be ME, to enjoy the things I love even when they do not fit within the confines of the mass majority, that there is beauty and freedom in being ourselves, surrounded by the things we love, even if they don't happen to look like your neighbor's. Her use of color, textures, layers, and styles shows what a wonderful natural talent she is. I must say thank you! to Robin for sharing her gift, reminding us that we all have one, and neither do we have to be wealthy in order to utilize it.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves fabrics, a bohemian flavor, thinks outside the box, or is seeking permission to "color outside of traditional lines". It is a wonderful inspiration for those of us who may see things a little differently or that want to begin to do so.
   
   Robin Brown has provided me with a book that is not only about decor, but about the way you express your life and style, and being true to your best "inner" bohemian! I love it!!

5 comments about Decorating Master Class.

1. Found this book helpful in better understanding and visualizing the practical requirements in running a high end luxury design business



2. This is a book I picked up, as I was attracted to the title. I read a review on amazon that said it's not a book for the home decorator. I disagree, I think it's a text book style book good for anyone who decorates, and for anyone who needs a guideline of how to present a professional proposal; for the non professional it shows you how approach a project, and organize keep project records and files.



3. This is not your mother's book of cookie-cutter interior design ideas...but lookout, she may "borrow" the book. The photography is great, the ideas are fresh and there is something for everyone...only...if you prefer exquisite taste whether casual or formal, elegance without the "do look at me" obvious cost. The rooms evoke the feeling that you "own" it, not that it was "done by a famous decorator with her tell on it" and the element of experienced quality in every aspect of the rooms shown. You will get lost in it in the most pleasant way.



4. I decided to weigh in on this book because 1) I feel so strongly about it and 2) Because of the disparity of opinion regarding whether this book can be used by amateurs, or is simply for professionals only.
   
   I am a homeowner, with a limited budget, in the midst of a new home construction. I saw this book recommended in an issue of architectural digest as really forthcoming about the how-tos of decorating, not just pictures to drool over. I bought the book immediately and I love it. I can't tell you how valuable this book has been. I learned SO much.
   
   I read it through cover to cover, then reviewed every picture again to assess the details, the use of symmetry, asymmetry, patterns, textures, trims, recurring themes and color schemes. It was incredibly informative, useful and inspiring. It completely prepared me to choose the surfaces in my home. It was useful for planning design details, such as how high the mantel should be and the appropriate distance between furniture pieces and how to achieve layers of light.
   
   I have even purchased some of the resource material listed to further educate myself about antique rugs and furniture.
   
   This book is for everybody. It's gorgeous and incredibly helpful.



5. This is a book that should be read by anyone who is interested in design or just wants to decorate/redecorate their house. The book gives advice on decorating every room of the house in all detail, including sizes and measurements. The book is also lavishly illustrated with wonderful photos.
   You want to start decorating straight after you finish reading!

5 comments about Houses: Inside and Out.

1. Beautiful photography of gorgeous interiors & useful, informative text on decorating, illustrating how interiors can be gorgeous, functional and practical at the same time. Also looks at starting out buying and decorating your first home. Not terribly oversized like some recent decorating books - compact & neat looking. All color & good quality glossy paper used. The cover is seductive because it makes you feel as if you're being invited into that house! And the cover is just the beginning - the rest of the book is just as tempting!



2. 'Houses Inside and Out' is an excellent companion book to 'Rooms' also by Mariette Himes Gomez. I was a Gomez fan prior to her first book, 'Rooms', which I think is one of the most useful interior design books available.
   
   'Houses inside and Out' features Gomez's understanding of a house being more than its interior. The book chronicles the harmony found in thoughtful design from the ground up. I like the photographs for their visual detail and because they showcase good design in collaboration with good architecture in environments suiting the homes. They also showcase Gomez's artful arrangement of shapes and forms in the volumes of the homes she designs within.
   
   I reviewed 'Rooms' when it first came out and was followed by a review alluding to my being in the publisher's camp. Not the case, but as a fan of Gomez, I still sticky-note my issues of 'Architectural Digest' whenever a Gomez interior is featured.
   
   Gomez's second book is a good read like her first. I'll refer to 'Houses Inside and Out' (as I do with 'Rooms') for useful inspiration and when the company of a good interior design books beckons me. Gomez's writing style is refreshingly open and steeped in designer wisdom. I enjoy absorbing her thoughtful approaches to color choices, furniture groupings, scale and texture and placement of art and accessories. 'Houses Inside and Out' is a delightful complement to my collection of interior design, architecture and landscape design books.



3. Ms. Gomez's style is timeless, classic. I enjoyed reading this book (in addition to the beautiful photos.) In my mind, she captures in words a great sense of how a house should "feel" in addition to how it "looks". I also appreciated her articulation of the necessary relationship between all of the parts that make up a home (the rooms, porch, landscaping, pool, etc.)



4. I had seen this book in a bookstore and so I knew what I was getting. It's a good read and the pictures are lovely and interesting. If you like these kind of books, I think you'll like this one.



5. A true inspiration. An absolute must for anybody who wants to decorate their house.Clear layout, beautiful photos and a very interesting text.
   After I finished reading the book, I opened it again and browsed through all the wonderful photos.
   I am going to buy another book by the same author, "Rooms".

5 comments about Candice Olson on Design.

1. I love Candice's show, but was disappointed in this book. There were only a few designs covered, and not enough information to make the book worthwhile. I like the tips and tricks she gave, but would have liked more insight into how she makes her rooms amazing.



2. What makes Candice Olson so appealing on TV, her vibrant personality and animated and often humorous character-is the only thing missing from this book. Everything else you would expect from such a talented individual, even if we have already seen most of it through media, shines through with greatness. Along with this purchase I had acquired another new decorating book on the market, Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint, by Curtis Heuser - and though I had never heard of this unique up and coming designer/decorative artist, I was equally impresssed. Heuser's book, a unique blend of how to and professional enlightment, follows the unbelievable artistic make over and restoration of his personal historic home in KY. As does Candice's book, it is also filled with amazing photography, and tons of before, during and after shots - which tremendously helps the reader better comprehend, relate and borrow from the subject. What Olson does with fabric, furniture and lighting - Houser uses decorative paint finishes and custom murals, to breathe new life into tired spaces. I was never so thrilled with both of my purchases, as both authors demonstrate uniquely different approaches to looking at and restyling home interiors with great admiration and obvious know how and success. If you love home interior books with overloads of eye candy, and concept from which to learn and of course borrow from again and again - then you can't go wrong with either of these. ENJOY!!!!!!!



3. This book is the information we all want to know about how Candice creates the beautiful rooms seen on Devine Design. The advice she gives in her book anyone can follow to get the results we all want. This book is a keeper to anyone who wants their surroundings to fit their lifestyle, without ever haveing an outdated look. Plus there is great information about Candice herself.



4. To me, Candice is one of the best designers of today. She makes a room feel classic with a punch of todays trends. None of the to trendy, cheep looking items that will be out dated by the time you finish your space. She is a master of timeless beauty. I love her book!



5. This was a gift. Speaking for my wife, she found it to be very helpful. We watch her TV show and this was a nice compliment to it. I've not looked at it but my wife was thrilled. Pictures are big and bright.