5 comments about Creative Kids' Murals You Can Paint.

1. I liked the way this book gave me lots of ideas and how-to tips, and also left it open to add my own adaptions. I will definitely use some of the projects in my granddaughter's rooms when we redecorate them.



2. Lots of great ideas in here, with step-by-step instructions about how they are accomplished. I think one still has to have a little skill beforehand, but it is a great guide.



3. What a great book! I haven't done any murals yet, but plan to within the month. I imagine it will be relatively easy to do with the guidance of this book. It has great mural ideas, detailed supply lists and recommendations, and it shows how to do some of the smallers elements of each mural step by step. I feel much more confident going into mural painting with this book.



4. I bought this about a year ago because of the airplane on the cover...I decorated my son's room in airplanes and was looking for a mural. I was so impressed with how easy it was to do the airplane, and I was enchanted with the author's other characters, that I also did some of the pond characters over my garden tub, for my son as well! When I get more time, I plan on using other chapters to create murals for my daughter. My mother was so impressed, I am buying her the book as a surprise gift. I highly recommend this book! If you can draw, you can paint these murals!



5. I really like this book. I wish that it shows how to measure/ create something with symmetry (curvy cast iron fences). Great idea for really good price.

2 comments about The Smart Approach to Small-Space Living (Smart Approach).

1. I'm a college student that struggles with trying to keep a neat and orderly apartment, and having furniture that seems to be too large for my small rooms makes it kind of hard to keep a clean and organized appearance. I didn't know they made books on the subject of decorating and organizing small houses and apartments, until my best friend passed along this awesome book. Remember how I mentioned I had big furniture? Well it seems to work right with my small rooms now just by some juxtapositions of the furniture and simple modifications of the room. I didn't fully understand how the color of the walls could really change the appearance of a room's size, along with the patterns, lighting, and accents. Well now that my apartment looks cool and is highly functional, all I have to do is find a way to STAY organized.



2. I was looking for a how to decorating book for my condo and this book was amazingly helpful. Granted some of the spaces had more square footage and light than my space does, but the book was great! There are so many "apartment" decor books that are for spaces that are 2000 sf or lofts; not my situation at all and I had almost given up on finding a good book until I read the reviews of this one. I've referenced this book several times and it, along with several Idea Books, gave me great perspective and direction and I have succeeded and turning my cookie cutter condo into a one of a kind cozy place that I love.

2 comments about Jean-Michel Frank: The Strange and Subtle Luxury of the Parisian Haute-Monde in the Art Deco Period.

1. Wonderful detailed photos and knowledgable time line for the great designers work and designs. Many photos of the shop in paris and how the rooms are put together.
   Great resource book.



2. The contributions of Jean-Michel Frank to modern interiors are timeless and compelling. He created a sense of spaciousness and luxury in Paris apartments that was pure genius. Not much was known about this designer and his too-brief career; this book is a wonderful exploration of the man and his creation of interiors and furnishings. Great photos too.

5 comments about Wright-Sized Houses: Frank Lloyd Wright's Solutions for Making Small Houses Feel Big.

1. I'm a Wright fan and an architect, so it was good to find a book the describes and illustrates FLLW's architecture "gems" to be considered in home design. Well done and useful, whether you are considering a "FLLW-inspired" or another architectural style. I think this book is a good compliment to Sarah Susanka's books (i.e., "the not so big house", etc.).
   
   I my opinion, Wright's approach is universal to many architectual style.



2. Despite the questionable purpose to show "solutions for making small houses big", as if using Wright's architecture for a DIY book, and the fact that all houses in the book are small like a condo, this is a very good book.
   Selection of the photographs, print and layout are excellent and decidedly over the average, even for such a popular subject.
   Plans and texts are plain and clear and eventually contribute to making it very easy for quick consultation. Somehow and unexpectedly, in my studio, you can never find this book in the same place.



3. I am building a custom home and I keep going back to this book for inspiration and important details. I have a library of at least 20 other FLW (Frank Lloyd Wright) books, but this is the most up-to-date and most on target reference for new home design. The photographs are large and focused on details, not just exterior elevations. Doors, windows, roofs, entrances and many other important features are explained and given an indepth perspective. This is a must have for any FLW library and I guarantee you will be handing this to to your architect if you want FLW details in your custom home. A great read.



4. This is a must have book for anyone interested in this style of building. Wright was, is, and will always be, a genius.



5. Very easy read to further understand Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian designs. Great pictures and floor plan presentations!

5 comments about House Colors.

1. This book is destined to be a classic for professionals and novices alike. Rather than another "pretty" book to ad to the shelf, it is an extensive resource that can be used for years. If you've ever chosen a paint color only to have to change it several times, this will save your sanity and money. Susan is a professional who does the work for you. The resource section in the back of the book is amazing. If you want your house to be the one other's drive by and admire, buy this book. Bravo!



2. This book will be very useful to laymen and professionals for use in selection of exterior colors and materials for new houses, remodelings, and even when the house is getting re-painted.
   
   Laymen, when re-doing their own house to whatever degree, would love the book because Ms. Hershman clearly and simply explains her points by use of examples (in beautiful photography) as well as the written word. For professionals, the book offers a collection of images and ideas that can presented to their clients so that they can understand that color is not a "paint job". Rather, exterior color is really an integrated system of materials and colors--and that system can range for the very simple to the very complex.
   
   This book would be wonderful addition to anyone's library.



3. Design can be exclusive and this book breaks those rules by sharing the hard earned house color information from nearly 200 homeowners. I have selected an array of homes from many style of architecture to help the reader to hone in on colors that would work for their style of house. It's a must have for every homeowner everywhere. Exterior color is the most difficult color to achieve for anyone. This book is a priceless resource with information that isn't usually shared with the public and that's why I did it. Let's see great color everywhere! Enjoy!!!



4. This is the best reference I have ever seen for exterior colors. The pictures are of real houses, not staged for photography and the book gives you the paint brands and numbers of the colors used on each house. Very very helpful. I found colors to paint my home I would have never thought to consider and I am a decorator. Thank you Susan!



5. This book by Susan Hershman has been invaluable in many ways. Since we live in a Victorian City, the book is a way to show off ours and other similar cities. We use Susan's book for ideas and suggestions for our neighbors when they are improving their homes. Visually, House Colors is so stunning that it is now our number one cocktail table book. We can't imagine anyone undertaking a project involving painting without utilizing House Colors.

5 comments about The Beverly Hills Organizer's Home Organizing Bible: A Pro's Answers to Your Organizing Prayers.

1. This book was what I was looking for; it gave me ideas on how to create storage areas. I knew how to declutter etc. I just needed ideas on how to make the most of the storage areas that I already have. (Closets etc) Excellent Book



2. I first checked out the library copy of this book to make sure it would fill my needs, and now I'm going to buy it. This book is filled with helpful pictures and clear instructions on what containers/drawer organizers/wire-coated shelving, etc., to buy. Linda Coopersmith explains how to measure each storage space to buy the correct size containers. She even has a chapter on how to set up a home-filing system, and exactly what you can eliminate if your paper trail is too long! She also references several inexpensive sources (i.e. Lowe's, Wal Mart, K-Mart, Linens & Things, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc.) in order to make the most of your storage space. I love the clear, concise numbered format she uses to show us how to organize our homes. This is one book I will reference over and over! However, I have to admit that Linda does not talk about decluttering for those people who consider themselves packrats. Decluttering is a necessary first step for packrats. A good beginning book for this stage of organization would be "Flylady" by Marla Cilley.



3. THIS IS REALLY A BOOK THAT ANYBODY CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM. Linda Koopersmith knows what she is taliking about, and I love how she shows a normal person with a normal wardrobe how to fold and organize anything! Her tips about creating space in your home can be used and understood by normal people, in other words, she does not make you feel like an idiot. She impressed me on Clean House, but I am even more impressed now that I have her book! This book is a super buy for anybody who hates clutter, and who loves to know where everything in their home is!



4. 
   Thank you Linda: I have looked at organization in a whole new way. Thanks for the pictures and the step-by-step guides.
   
   I hope you plan on doing another book soon.



5. This book is a veritable goldmine of clear, practical, and actually doable suggestions for getting things organized just about everywhere in your home and office. As we plan to move into a smaller home, Linda's common sense suggestions and helpful photos have made us think of things that we had never considered before. Her listings of resources are a real asset. With Linda's help, I believe our dream of having an organized yet comfortable smaller space will become a reality.

5 comments about The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages.

1. I devoured this book! It is by far the most inspiring and informational book on journal making I have ever read. Wonderfully written and illustrated so it is easy to understand and put to use. I can't wait to try everything including making my own pigments! I guess I'll have to buy her first one!



2. I was very pleased with this book! It has lots of great ideas for journaling or other mediums.



3. I loved Gwen Diehn's first book and this one is very, very good. The journal pages by the artists and the suggestions from the author are inspiring and thought provoking.
   The design of this book is uninspired and boring. It is UNDERdecorated. It looks like a text book, which is a shame.



4. This book helped me get to the next stage in my beginning art journaling. I learned why paper behaves the way it does when liquid is applied, how different adhesives work and what they're good for--tons of practical stuff for a neophyte to art journaling. I go back to it again and again. It's got great information, and it's a beautiful book to spend time with. I'll grow into it for a long time.



5. Even if I never make my own journal, I love looking at this book! It takes you through the whole process or suggests how you can transform an already existing book. The examples show creative and beautiful ideas. It focuses more on the use of paint than other materials. I bought it with The Decorated Page which elaborates on page ideas and love owning both. It is a great addition to my art reference material.

5 comments about Country Living Cottage Style (Country Living).

1. I really like this book. I enjoy looking at it over and over. There are a few homes pictured that aren't my taste ( red plaid wallpaper, etc.) but most are lovely.



2. This is a really gorgeous book. I love it! There are many different styles represented here but always faithful to the idea (which I hold), that cottage homes should be cozy and informal, a place to relax by a fire, sip cocoa, and read a good book. These are such homes. The cottages are uniformly charming and with emphasis on light, airy rooms. I like that. The photography is also beautifully done. A great choice for anyone who loves the small cottage lifestyle.



3. This is a beautiful book, full of good ideas that I am anxious to try.



4. If you like this decorating style, this book wont disapoint you. Full of pictures of quite normal homes - not the grand and luxurius ones. Good ideas and detail pictures.



5. I love just about everything in this book, though I will admit there are a few pictures I'm just not loving the colors they used in the rooms. But, what I do like in this book very much outweighs the rooms I don't love. I very much recommend this book, because when they get it right, they really get it right. It is full of lots of pictures of beautiful rooms and only a few that are so so.

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

5 comments about Hunt Country Style.

1. This book does not disappoint in photography and text as it samples some beautiful Virginia Hunt Country homes and farms. A brief historical and chronological chapter heading of each featured home is included at the top of the page. The text is interesting without being tedious and there are enough beautiful photographs of each property's interiors and exteriors to leave one completely satisfied. The only fault is that on page 48 the text ends in an incomplete sentence, which appears to be a printing error.



2. The book is informative and the pictures are splendid. However, I came across a substantial printing error on page 48 that detracts. The last sentence is not continued on page 49 or 50, so the narrative is incomplete. This error should have been caught in editing. The publisher refused to acknowledge the error or do anything about it.



3. I briefly previewed Hunt Country Style in a store before ordering it. When the book arrived, I was naturally able to get into it more thoroughly. Frankly, I am going to give my copy away rather than keep it on a book shelf. Although I recognize the goal of the authors, many of the rooms were simply mediocre, the settings not so well done. I have been around the Blue Grass and many parts of Virginia, and much of the decorating I saw in this book didn't strike me as being so good or in keeping with the best in those areas -- which, in fact, have some of the prettiest work anywhere in the country. Sorry to be so harsh, but the more time I spent with this book (again last evening), the more these feelings surfaced. I will say that many of the exteriors were far more fascinating than the rooms inside, and the text was insightful.



4. Beautifull book. This book explores some of the "beautifull" homes in the Middleburg area. The pictures are very well done and the written article on each house is superb. The preservation of these homes is a delight to see, especially "Welbourne" and "Oakland Green". This author has captured the "essence" of old homes in the "Northern Virginia" area.



5. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is filled with beautiful photographs of this unique part of our country. I bought the book because my home is decorated in "hunt style," but found that what I loved most about it was that it was replete with history about the area. Anyone who has or has had a love affair with a horse will love the book for that reason alone.