No comments about Twentieth-Century Pattern Design.

5 comments about My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living.

1. Well worth the money for this book! This book is awash with spectacular ideas for everyone's decorating tastes. Adler truly has the decorator's touch -- decorating a room without looking too overdone.



2. I don't normally write a review like this, but, what a terrible book! There is no motivational essence whatsoever,
   "throw a bunch of junk in a room, take a picture and call yourself a decorator". my friend said.
   "..only a mind of chaos and confusion would do this to a room", other friend.
   I ordered this book as a gift because I thought it was about decorating. We had a good laugh before I returned it. A nice chance to find out how close a friendship is.
   Lots of pictures of Mr. Adler.
   This book does have humor, ahem, but there are way better resources for decorating and humor. (good-grief, am I ever reaching for something "positive")
   If one can make colorful dull this man can and does. The book is about Mr. Adler promoting Mr. Adler.
   If you are not a "hollywood type..." stay clear. if this book represents the "hollywood type...", then I pity the "hollywood type..."
   It seems to be a picture book promoting the authors personal lifestyle. "A useless scrapbook" were the words of the gift recipient.
   "More like a coffee table book to find in the house of one, without goodtaste, who fantasizes a "hollywood lifestyle" not a decorator interest". Check it out carefully so you know you do share HIS tiresome, self-centered style and interests.
   As decorating help...his ideas are dated, limited and lacking in unity.
   A good experience in dealing with informational rip-off.



3. I bought this book for a friend's holiday gift, but liked it so much that I ended up keeping it.
   
   That being said, if you are looking for an instructional interior decorating book, this is not it.
   
   It's filled with vibrant colors, interesting designs, and cute anecdotes.
   
   If you have a few extra bucks, it's a nice treat - fluffy and light.



4. If you need a reason to smile, crack this book open and get ready to be inspired! Jonathan Adler is a decorator that definitely knows his style and isn't afraid to step out of the box to achieve that look. I was transported back to the 60s and 70s when many of the looks displayed in this book were popular. I am a huge fan of color and believe that we should all "feather our nests" with a look that brings a smile to our face when we walk through our front door. Jonathan agrees...and delivers! This book is very enjoyable and, even if you don't subscribe to his aesthetic, I think you can still appreciate the fun personality of this artistic and creative author. I keep this book out on my table for easy access and refer to it often.



5. I adored this book. I loved the stories and I loved the IDEAS. Now, pay attention: He doesn't lay out a formula for decorating and yes his rooms are a little "over the top." Would I have two giant chinese dogs on my patio? No..., BUT, I'm on the hunt for two smaller ones because I loved the idea. His other concepts -- using tassles in unexpected places, usuing color, pillows, adding "whimsy" -- are all concepts I'm using now in my home.
   
   I have two tassles now hanging from sconces that adorn my old Boston home. His vision also inspired me to see decorating in a new way and step out of the traditional paradigm. I'm combining prints, using bold colors, pairing different period pieces together. And ya know what? It looks GREAT and now our home is starting to reflect not just my style, but my husband's as well.
   
   Finally, his opening chapter is a forward by his life partner, who attests that decorating and your surroundings really *do* have an impact on your relationship. And ya know what? He's right!
   
   Great book, Jonathan. Keep writing more!

5 comments about New French Country: A Style and Source Book.

1. Really a wonderful book - both beautiful to look at and informative. Very interesting reading, as well as artistically lovely with wonderful, colorful photography. I am not a decorator or designer by trade, but go to this type of book for creative inspiration, and this one was a winner.



2. I can see this book is going to sit on the top of the coffee table book pile for a long time to come. Aside from the fabulous photos of French Provincial homes, Dannenberg delicately picks apart the details that make a typical Provincial home and garden. It does the job so much better than we sitting in another continent can grasp from a few photos in a book. It teaches us how to copy this style and really appreciate the quality of each piece of furniture, artwork or chattel we acquire for own little pretend patch of France.
   I love this book!



3. The book was very informative. It gave me many ideas on how to include my furnishings with a French feel.



4. This is one of the best books on Country French that I've found. The illustrations are wonderful, whether you prefer the older designs or are looking for something with a more modern feel. I loved just looking at the pictures and getting a feel for the colors and styles. This is a book I'll return to again and again to get the feel of the French countryside.



5. I purchased this book as a gift and had done a lot of research looking for just the right one. I loved the book from the moment I opened it and was very excited to see not only beautiful pictures but loads of ideas and design elements that were very helpful. The receiver of the book was also very thrilled with the design elements and help that the book brought to help with decorating her home in the french country style. Loved It.

5 comments about Home Quick Planner: Reusable, Peel & Stick Furniture & Architectural Symbols.

1. As an Interior Designer for 20 years, the problem I have with computerized design programs is that you can't take them with you. The Home Quick Planner is one of the few things that really is easier and more efficient without a computer. These planners allow me to easily come up with several different design options for my clients, and perhaps more importantly, gives my clients the flexibility to play around with different layouts and furniture placement on their own. In addition, their 1/4" scale makes them a perfect fit to be dropped right into standard architectural plans. I have found these to be an invaluable, time saving tool. They just work better, and my clients love them!



2. The Home Quick Planner is an excellent way to lay out and discover alternative floor plans, decorating ideas and propose major home remodeling changes. I have found it very helpful.



3. I got this from my husband for my birthday and I was very excited, but once I got to working with the kit I could not finish my project because there were not enough of the wall strips. So if you are doing a large plan this kit may not be what you need without purchasing additional kits, but if you are doing a small plan or single room remodels its fine.



4. I purchased this for my interior design class. This has proven to be a great asset for furniture placement. The templetes are reuseable



5. I've used the planner to layout several rooms, and the pieces are still sticky after repeated use. It's a very user friendly product. My only issue is that there are many more kitchen and bath cabinets and appliances, etc. than furniture, and I purchased this to plan furniture layouts, not to layout bathrooms or kitchens.

3 comments about Big Book of Window Treatments.

1. Apparently, Sunset Publishing Corp. cannot come up with an original idea. This book is a complete rip-off of my book: The Encyclopedia of Window Fashions. Sunset says their book is "The most comprehensive collection of today's window treatment options in various configurations" which is a lie. The Encyclopedia of Window Fashions has 2000 illustrations. For the same amount of money you can get everything in this book, plus a complete historical section (40 pages), yardage schedules for all the treatments, images in both color and black and white, extensive glossaries and much, much more. Why not go to Barnes & Noble or Borders and compare the books? Ninety nine percent of what you find in the book you will find in The Encyclopedia of Window Fashions, and get another ninety-nine percent that is not in this book.
   I am always suspicious of books written or partially written by editorial staff, rather than a real idea by a real author. In other words, the publishing executives see a successful book like The Encyclopedia of Window Fashions (a book that has sold over one million copies over its lifetime) and say to their staff "hey, we need to do a book like that." Sadly, this is exactly what this book is. Most of the information in this book has already been published in various other books; therefore, this book is just putting already published information in a pretty new dress and with a slight change of title



2. I feel compelled to defend this book. I am a home-dec seamstress and constantly on the look for a book for clients to look through. This book has proven invaluable to me. It is very clearly organized, the pictures are clear and there are examples of the basic, traditional styles many of my clients are looking for. Many other books try to show 'fancy' styles that are either impractical, hard to visualize due to the color, or flat out impossible to sew. Many of my clients are overwhelmed by looking through "Encyclopedia of Window Fashions", but not this book.
   
   I highly recommend this book. It is clear, concise, well organized and has great explanations of each window treatment.



3. I ended u p returning this book - it was a repeat of another one I already owned; it's a rendered collection of images not photographs.

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 Charles Faudree's Country French Living.

1. Charles Faudree's style is "Comfortable French" Anyone could live in his rooms. They have a touch of elegance without being stiff or too formal. They are like that favorite outfit that you have had for years and years and still love to wear. This book is full of great pictures so you can see exactly what he means when he talks about French Country Style.



2. Loved the book. Had beautiful pictures and great display of the French country style.



3. This is not a bad book, just nothing special. Per se, I don't believe this is necessarily country living-- neither is it French nor English. In that way, it is Mr Fauderee's signature. Nevertheless, his efforts are not unique nor groundbreaking; and I am left with the proverbial "Been there, done that".



4. I first discovered Charles while touring the Governor's Mansion in Oklahoma (my Mother's home state) and the decor was FAB. I just had to find out who the decorator was and then I discovered his two books on french ideas. So wonderful and they are now in my library. The photographs are so inspiring and have given me ideas on how to move things around. Wish I could afford to hire him!!



5. If you love french decorating, this will definitely become your FAVORITE ALL-TIME BOOK! I cannot tell you how many times I have sat mesmerized by each and every photo and word in this book. It is french decorating with that wonderful lived-in, yet gorgeous, look. I own dozens and dozens and dozens of decorating and design books...and this always remains my favorite. The photography of the rooms, the paper and the saturation of the colors on the page are all done to perfection. Charles Faudree's style is the essence of french decorating and design.

5 comments about Villa Decor: Decidedly French and Italian Style.

1. Although I have a much smaller home, I am using much of the design elements by Ms. Phillips in the renovation of my home.



2. I really loved the this book for trying to copy nicely decorated rooms. I also used it as a guide when selecting new furniture to buy. I didn't like the comments on the French/Italian eras but the pictures of the rooms the decorator has done are beautiful. I love it and am looking for more like this one.



3. Nice book that inspires you to use ideas from it, for your own client design projects



4. Sadly only three out of nearly 200 pages of photos inspired me. The few pictures that caught my attention had nothing to do with interior design. The style of the rooms were so bland. Though Philips showcased many homes throughout Texas, most shown had the same color scheme and no personality. I felt as though I were looking at the same home page after page. If you're looking for authentic French and Italian decor, you won't find it here.
   
   However this may be the perfect book for someone who lives in Texas (numerous resources listed in the back) and if your design aesthetic includes yellow painted walls with rooms furnished in dark mahogany wood.



5. Formal, grand, stark, traditionally European. However, perhaps more of a coffee table book, and not intended to inspire Americans looking for a quaint, rustic European style to immiate on a modest budget. I thought that some of the photos are old or out of date, but I think that most of these estates are so vast and expesively decorated that it may be decades/centuries before the decor changes. Anything but fadish or trendy.

1 comments about The Way We Live In the City (Way We Live (Rizzoli)).

1. This is a terrific book, full of all great photographs of beautiful places. Lots of ideas for anyone interested in decorating a room, or designing a home. Too often design books are either too extravagant or feel rather staged in they way a house is photographed. This book finds home -- both fancy and simple -- that are about great taste and they are photographed in a way that is very beautiful, but also real. You know a team of assistants didn't spend the day lighting every surface of the room. A really inspiring book.

3 comments about Inside Today's Home.

1. I have used this book as a reference for many years. It is a great book. Anyone who is remodeling their kitchen or building a new home should read this book. Ms. Nissen has explored many areas of the field and written a terrific book.



2. I used the text for a space planning class. It was well organized and there were tables for referencing anthopometric data quickly. I kept it on hand while drawing floor plans for easy reference.



3. I used this book for a space planning class at a popular college. It is well laid out and easy to read. It has some inspiring photos and really utilizes some key points of interior design.
   
   The book covers information on the elements of design and really delves in detail information for specific types of spaces. Such as Private spaces and bedrooms, kitchens with multiple functions and more. It also explains ergonomics and anthropometrics.
   
   If you are into this book one that I find even better, and highly recommend is "Interiors, An Introduction" by Nielson Taylor
   
   My only negative remark is about the build of the book itself. I bought what was referred to as "Like New" from one of the used vendors that had just launched. The spine of the book is falling apart and I'll be surprised if it makes it a year on me. So I suggest spending the extra few bucks and buying new on this one. (For reference though, I buy many used books from Amazon and this has never happened from any other sellers before.)