Customer Reviews

Candice Olson on Design: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Home

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My husband and I love the show and believe that Candice is the ONLY designer we would ever hire to decorate our home (if I didn't do it myself). This book is great because it contains the designs that appear on the show and allows us to view them in detail (since it's hard to grasp everything in 30 minutes). The ideal reader for this book is someone who loves Candice, loves the show, and is not looking for hand-holding, step-by-step information. It's for those of us who see something we like and then want to incorporate portions of one (or more) of her designs in our own environment.

I am a big Candice Olson fan and she is my Mom's favorite TV designer/decorator. This book DOES feature projects from her TV show, but this was a plus for me. I have TIVO'd and recorded on DVD my favorite shows, but this is a great companion to the show. The advantage of the book it that you can focus in on a detail you might not have noticed on the show. There were actually two redesign projects in the book I have not seen on TV, so that was nice bonus. What I really like about this book is that the before and after pictures were of the same perspective AND the photography/lighting of the rooms was top notch. Even the smaller photos of the before rooms are clear.

Even if you've never seen Candice Olson's TV show (Divine Design) you will find this book chock full of great photos, descriptions and her complete layout of each room. If you have never seen her work, when you see the before pictures, then the after pictures your mouth will drop open. It's amazing what she can do. What I like about Candice as a designer is that her designs are totally focused on creating a beautiful design but also incorporating a family's lifestyle into the design. She does not just create "show rooms" she makes the rooms functional for the family. My only quibble, which is the same quibble I have about the TV show is that there are no costs listed. You have NO idea how much these rooms costs! Saying that, I would gladly save my money to have her come and decorate a few rooms in my house! It's too bad for me she lives in Canada and not the U. S.

What are my thoughts on this book..."How Divine."

This is one of my two favorite design books (Nate Berkus' Home Rules is the other). After watching Divine Design for years, I was using many of the principles learned there as I started a major renovation. I was happy to see this book and ordered it immediately. The only thing that was disappointing is that it only features designs that have been previously featured on Divine Design (I remember them all). I was hoping for a few tips from other projects. But I definitely refer to it regularly when making those small but important choices in renovation.

I love watching Candice Olson; I think she has the best design show on TV at this time, due to her and her crews personality, along with her magnificent style. Very seldom do I see a room that she designed that I don't particularly care for.
My sister and daughters were laughing at me after I told them that I was recording all of Candice Olson's Devine Design show on TV that I was able to watch for about 2 months prior to Christmas. So as a late Christmas gift my sister gave me Candice Olson's on Design book.
I love the book; it's very different looking at the rooms that's she designed on TV in a book and the pictures are just as great if not better. There's only 1 problem I found, the master bedroom design under the title "Best for Last" pages 90-95 the diagram (on page 92) does not belong to that design, it actually belongs to the master bedroom design under "Graciously Grown-Up" pages 102-107. All and all it is a great book; it includes some of my favorites, like a little girl's bedroom, a small picture of a Nursery, the Mom and Dad's Oasis master bathroom, the Devine Dining Room along with some new favorites from shows that I've missed. I look forward into seeing what else Candice Olson comes up with.

As a normal guy who enjoys interior design and Candice Olson's "Divine Design" in moderation I was interested in purchasing this book as a gift for my mother unfamiliar with the show. I was definitely not disappointed with the quality of the layout and most importantly for those who watch the show or have simply heard of this best selling book, the pictures truly speak for themselves. Very clear, bright and they truly allow you to visualize the spaces created for yourself. What stops me from giving the book 5 stars however is that despite the show and Candice being Canadian I think she could have done a great service by providing a reference list for where readers can purchase similar items and accessories found in the remodels, even if they were in Canada. I love the metal chairs found on p.21 for example, as well as some of the coffee tables and chairs that you can see throughout. Highly recommended for any fan of the show,anyone who likes to dream of the perfect interior and to get some great remodeling and interior design ideas.

The more I watch what Candace Olson does in her TV show, the more impressed I am with her creativity and style. This book is good, in that you get focused views and explanations of different rooms. But for me, the "how does she do it" was missing. It seems like the book is good at analyzing the finished product, but not explaining how to get there.

I love this book! It is so great to be able to really study the gorgeous photos for design details you can't always grasp from the show. I can see myself referring to this book to time and time again for inspiration. If I had one wish, it would only be that even the small pictures were full page to really get a good look at everything in the room. Having said this though, there are still a quite a few full page shots to really get a good look at the design. How about some 2 page spreads for the next book? That would be really helpful! (AND beautiful!)

Candice Olson on Design containg many beautiful pictures of her work. I can say to all, but many of the rooms are from the shows from HGTV. However, I was disapppointed by the lack of explaination of some of the design ideas. My purpose of this purchase of this book was to give rationale to some of her design ideas and how I could implement them into my home. This book was very non-general and mainly for someone whom may want a picture book only. An even so, The photos never keyed into her usage of lighting. Which she always incorporates for any of her rooms. Your better off watch the show or DIY.

As I expected, the book was rather entretaining. Candice Olson takes design to a new, unexpected level. The design ideas have inspired me as a young designer to come up with alternatives to traditional designs. The suggestions and tips included in this book make decorating fun and smart. The way the author addresses each room reminds me of the show "Divine Design".
I can't wait to start in my next project after reading this book! My only word of advice is that if you want to create one of these rooms, you'd better prepare your pocket.

Candice Olsen is one of my favorite designers. When this book came out, I was chomping at the bit to get it...and I wasn't disappointed. Several of my favorite Candice designs are laid out in the book and inspire me to decorate my own home. This is definitely a winner - a fun read and still a good coffee table book!