5 comments about Change Your Home, Change Your Life.

1. This book is pretty inspirational. What hit home most for me is to not wait until I own a dream home before I start to put effort into my apartment. You forget that seeing eyesores and being disorganized affects your mood, as does having flowers on the dining table and a made up bed for the opposite mood! The cons of the book is that it is pretty repetitive and probably would've been better off with less text and more picture ideas. It seemed the author just kept saying the same things in every chapter. But overall a really good book and it inspired me to fix up my place more and to always have flowers around!



2. Pretty pictures of pretty houses and the author is certainly more photogenic than Martha Stewart but from an informational standpoint, there's nothing here you haven't seen or heard dozens of times before in women's magazines or on daytime TV talk shows.
   
   If a compilation of timeworn tips on how you might rearrange your furniture, jazz up a delivered pizza with a smattering of your own spices or select a new color scheme for your breakfast nook really constitutes a life-changing moment in your life, well, color you shallow.



3. I found this book to be helpful because the workbook-type layout helps you discover your personal style and preferences. It's not the ideas and pics (though good) that I liked so much, it was the questions. For someone who's not comfortable expressing their personal style (or has yet to discover it) this is a great book to bring those things out in the open.
   I liked the motivational style and the fresh, personal writing. The layout is beautiful. The book did sort of naggingly remind me of Bill Phillip's book...even the slogan "Change your (home/body) Change your life," the journal questions, the motivational style...but if it works, why not use it. Kudos to Moll for helping us discover our motivation for creating beautiful surroundings and our unique style.



4. This book is a feast for my eyes. The photos and the colors are the true inspiration.



5. This is a real testimony. I purchased this book and was immediately intrigued by some of the questions. One went something like this: "When someone comes to your home, what does your home tell them about you?" (I don't have the book, because I lent it to a good friend; Another friend ordered her own copy.) You see I lived in a perfectly lovely home for about 7 years but I was TOO busy to do anything with it. I was a full-time professional, single mother, etc. etc. But one day, I came across this book and just started doing the smallest of changes. For example, I just switched some pictures from the kitchen to my bedroom. Even that small change, started a change in the atmosphere of the whole house. Any way, baby step, by baby step, I changed my home so NOW when I open the door I have a home that is no longer a BLANK SLATE...It now looks like ME! I want to thank the beautiful author for inspiring an overworked single-mother on a modest budget to create the house of her dreams. And what was so surprising is that it did not take TONS of money. I did like she suggested and moved around pictures, pieces of furniture, covered worn arm chairs with a pretty scarf, lit some candles, bought a couple gallons of paint, etc. I purchased a couple of pieces of gently used furnitute from a thrift store. Changing your Home and your Life is SO doable even for those of you like me who dealing with numerous work reponsibilities and family committments all on a tight budget. But the rewards! One example: I turned my neglected living room into a "reading room" where I can spend a few special moments in the morning and late at night curled up on my couch surrounded by all my wonderful books! Thank you Moll for your inspiration and for really helping me to change my home and my life! You're the best! This book is highly recommended!

5 comments about Katie Brown Decorates: 5 Styles, 10 Rooms, 105 Projects.

1. As a huge Katie Brown fan, I was disappointed with this book. As a truly eclectic decorator, I am open to any possible source for design...scrap yard, junk yard, garden, etc. But, come on, a coffee table with a base made of coiled up garden hoses? A hard-cast clay sandcastle? Not to be totally negative, a few crafts, and that's what this book majors in, are cool. The corseted pillow, for instance, or the bright lights, big city illuminated table. This book is a good choice for newlyweds or students, first-time apartment dwellers on tight budgets. And for truly hip urban cats, I would recommend Pad: The Guide to Ultra Living. If we could give half marks, I would give this book two and a half stars for effort. Save this book for a library check-out item and not as your decorating guide.



2. I'd seen magazine articles that featured Katie Brown's own homes, which are designed with a creative mix of antiques and modern pieces and somehow manage to look both edgy and cozy. But, this book was really disappointing. Full of ideas that are overly trendy and that I would quickly tire of, if I even liked any of them enough to attempt them. Somehow her personal style is not translating well to her books. Is her publisher encouraging her to aim for a less sophisticated look?



3. This book is hilarious. I never laughed so hard. THat is, until I realized she was serious with her outlandish ideas in this book. Don't waste your money, unless you want a very very good laugh.



4. What a great book, full of interesting and new ideas. I'm glad to see something different than all the other run of the mill decorating books. I loved the leather belts idea. Definitely worth checking out, nice, fresh ideas.



5. I remember seeing Katie Brown on TV and being fairly unimpressed; chancing on this book at a library, I borrowed it and was still unimpressed.
   
   All too often she seems to be trying too hard to be whimsical and cutesy-poo, with diminishing results. And there are ideas that are decent enough on their own, but combined with all the other ideas for her different styles, just ends up being cloying.
   
   Some are weird...like curtain rods made from push brooms and mops, or a lighting fixture made from rakes. A lighting fixture made from a wok actually doesn't look too bad, and some lights made from socks (!) don't look too bad, actually.
   
   Others, though, look good at a glance, but on closer examination don't work too well. A faux-quilt made of plaid wool scarves crisscrossed on a bed and pinned together looks authentic enough when just flipping through pages, but on a closer look just looks chintzy. A kid's room lighting fixture looks fun until you realize it uses flashlights and might not light very well (or possibly need continual batteries).
   
   And some are just plain weird and/or impractical. A coffee table covered with contact paper is OK enough, but another covered with sandpaper?!? Another, given a pebbles-and-grout top, actually looks kinda cool but might not be a good surface for a wineglass. But the idea of decorating a living room with actual tree branches strikes me as colossally bad (unless for a single evening); I can envision all sorts of cleaning horror stories as twigs and bits of bark, or possibly even bugs, start to litter the floor. (And heaven forbid they end up being a fire hazard...)
   
   There are some decent ideas with fabrics, including some very nice workable pillow concepts. The book isn't entirely useless; I would recommend using an idea here and there. But overall the styles are cloying and unlivable, with too much emphasis placed on whimsy and looks-good-at-a-glance and not enough on permanence, practicality, and a workable graciousness. Try harder next time, Katie.

2 comments about Victoria Designers in Residence: The Personal Style of Top Women Decorators and Designers.

1. 
   When "Victoria Magazine" first came out in the very early 1990's (or late 1980s) , it was the first of it's kind. I just loved it, and subscribed to it until it stopped being marketed. (By the way, this was before magazines such as ROMANTIC HOMES became popular in the late 1990's).
   
   If you are familiar with the typical format of VICTORIA MAGAZINE, then you can envision what this book is like.
   
   The photos are of the highest quality,just like in the magazine.
   
   The format is the same as the magazine, in that there are many WONDERFUL photos, but note that this is NOT a decorating "how-to" book.
   
   I would categorize this book as a lovely coffee table book. A feast for the eyes, especially if you love romantic homes.
   
   However, if you are drawn to the more typical "modern" homes, or the bright colors of the current retro homes, then this book is not for you.
   
   As I said, this book is for those that like "romantic style" homes of the 1990's & early 2000's, (with the more muted colors).



2. This is another lovely book by Victoria. It's filled with page after page of beautiful photographs in a range of styles including shabby-chic, vintage flea market, traditional, Victorian, country, European and my favorite, decorating with whites & creams. This is not a how-to book, but a wonderful one to enjoy with a cup of tea, curled up on your favorite chair. You will not find contemporary design in this book. Although I am not partial to bright colors, every designer showcased in this book has a lovely home with warmth and inviting comfort. I would have given this book a 5 star rating if all of the designs were in a soft dreamy color palette. For those of you who enjoy the same, there are 5 designers and plenty of pages filled with lovely photographs, including the queen of shabby chic, Rachel Ashwell.

1 comments about Extraordinary Interiors.

1. I discovered this book after reading a very favorable review in the Orlando Sentinel. The book shows salvaged items used in "elegant rooms to funky apartments, with practical ideas and whimsical inspiration."
   You just don't find pieces like an antique Indian swing or Syro-Turkish wall panels at the local Home Depot. The book shows rooms with salvaged items like an ornate painted mirror or bistro lamps from Paris. Saving these items from demolished buildings preserves the past and adds character to new homes.
   Anyone who loves home decorating will enjoy browsing this book and the inspiring rooms in it.

2 comments about St. Petersburg: The Hidden Interiors.

1. This visual tour of St. Petersburg's fine attractions reveals interiors from all periods of its history, from lesser-known sites such as the Russian National Library to those which have received more attention. Photographer Leonid Bogdanov has taken shots especially for this book: many are full-page displays, and all provide special views of Russian interiors dating from all periods of Russian history. This lavish title will delight both fans of Russian history and students of interior design.



2. We visited St. Petersburg several years ago and were blown away by the belle epoque portions of the city. So many of the interiors were truly amazing. A significant part of what made it all so amazing was its existence surrounded by the painfully dreary balance of the city- thousands of dilapidated, identical, falling apart apartment blocks. I bought this book thinking it would have great pictures of the major buildings. It did. However, it goes well beyond to include other interiors of architectural and historical significance. Rather than being just a coffee table book, it is a wonderful architectural history that provides hours of interesting reading and viewing. My only wish is that the author had had a larger budget to have included more photographs and covered even more territory. That said, this book is more and better than 95% of books of its ilk.

5 comments about The Business of Faux: A Creative Evolution.

1. You've got your skills as a decorative artist down pat...now it's time to get your business skills up to par. THIS is the book to help you succeed! It's a fast read, information is concise and easy to understand. There are tons of great marketing ideas and if you implement the lessons offered and the advice given, you'll have a successful business in no time. Buy this book and treat it as your own personal business manager!



2. This book is amazing. im new in faux biz and it has helped me more then ANY book, more then words on this review could describe. The way pat ties real life experience and actual situations that occur, make it all the better. Im on my 3 rd time reading it. no lie. pats amazing.



3. Both the written and audio version of this book rocks. Not only is it full of information it is entertaining and the author wastes no time in getting down to the meat and bones of strategies and skills needed to make a decorative business succeed. The principles can be used in ANY business. TWO THUMBS UP!!!!



4. This is a good and informative book to read whether you are considering getting into the fields of the decorative painting, plastering and faux business or are already a pro. Pat brings up everything from idea to execution and has chapters on marketing, contracts and web design. A fine addition to your reference library.



5. I love this book! I read over half way through it the first day it came. If you are thinking about starting your own decorative paint business or know someone who is, you should get this book. It is true to life experiances, had me laughing in places. I will keep this book to use as a referance in the future. By reading this book I've learned so key elements to help me in my business.

5 comments about Fabric Glossary (3rd Edition).

1. I received this book in a timely manner and it's in great condition. thanks.



2. It has places to attach sample of fabric so you can feel, touch, and learn about them. It is organized alphabetically which is nice if you know what fabric you are looking for. It should have an extra source to look up by the weave of fabric.



3. Okay. Remember those old sticker books? This is sort of like that, one swatch of fabric at a time, except you're not licking them...Sound tedious? Sort of, but the process of putting the swatches on the correct pages/descriptions is great tactile exercise. This is a good reference, and the suggested uses will help to keep you from making a really bad choice for a given project. A drawback to this book is that it gets a huge bulge in the middle, making it difficult to shelve or stack with other books and materials.



4. this is an excellent reference book for those working with textiles. It is made better by the (separate) purchase of the swatches that can be inserted throughout the book.



5. I bought this book for a Textile class I was taking. It's a good book, and has lots of information in it. Although it is only useful if you have the sample swatches to glue on each page so that you can see and feel the fabrics. I will keep this book as a great "reference book" for future use.

1 comments about Ashley, Laura - Complete Guide to Home Decor.

1. i had never read a such fantastic book that suit my style so close, i just love all the decoration shown in every pages, and it directed you in a very simple step to help to decorate your own

No comments about Outdoor Lighting (A Sunset Book).

1 comments about Decorating Furniture: Decoupage, Paint and Fabric Projects (Decorating Furniture).

1. All the projects in this book are repeats from Ms. McGraw's 1997 publication "Painting and Decorating Furniture". If you have the first book don't bother getting this one.