Product Details

• Actors: Christopher Lowell
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Live / Artisan
• VHS Release Date: April 24, 2001
• Run Time: 52 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005A004
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,007 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
He lisps, he indulges in drag queen humor, he gives great decorating strategy. The Discovery Channel's Christopher Lowell has created one of those cable niches (and his own home fashion line at a major store chain) by paring things down to the basics for the design challenged. In the first half of this 98-minute video he demonstrates his seven-layers philosophy (walls, floor, upholstery, rugs/fabrics, surfaces, accessories, and plants/lighting) by filling an empty living room layer by layer. You may disagree with some of his premises--for instance he abhors white walls and patterned sofas--but by following his organizational scheme, large projects will seem more doable. Along those lines, the second half of this tape, "The Seven Psychological Layers of Design," focuses on breaking down the fear and lack of confidence that prevent so many people from daring to change their homes. He uses the same room from the first half, augmenting the segments with Zen-like advice on "mental interiors" ("Where there is fear, there is no creativity" and "Choose something rather than nothing"). --Kimberly Heinrichs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What makes this one worth buying, May 9, 2001

By	K. Corn "reviewer" (Indianapolis,, IN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

First off, let me say that I am not a diehard Christopher Lowell fan. I do watch his show at least once weekly and I do use some of his ideas. Others leave me cold. But this video is WELL worth the price and well worth watching for several reasons. In addition to the "7 layer" philosophy promoted on the cover of this tape you get an additional bonus - a great pep talk on the psychology of creativity and decorating, sure to inspire and encourage even the least creative among us. If you are fearful of making ANY decorating decisions, afraid of failing or looking like a decorating dropout ( a decorating dodo, in other words), this part of the tape should help you break out of that rut. I also found the main part of the tape to be valuable, full of good, basic information, laid out in logical order from start to finish. As an example, Lowell suggests starting with your paint and carpeting or flooring and then making your MAJOR furniture purchases BEFORE you pick out your accessories, area rugs and other purchases that many people mistakenly start out with. If you follow his suggestions, including planning your color scheme and room layouts, you should avoid many costly and time-consuming mistakes. There are valuable tips for every step of the way. I plan to refer to this video often and am glad I made the purchase. Of course, you could buy the book instead but I found this to be a quicker way to get the information.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Visual Learner Needed Help!, December 16, 2001

By	"robinjoy" (Aberdeen, WA United States) - See all my reviews

When I heard Christopher talk about his "Seven Layers of Design" I couldn't wait to try it out. He was speaking to me! His book was extremely helpful, but being a visual learner, I thought the video would help all the more. I hate to say I was disappointed, but I was. It was redundant. I would have liked more examples with different rooms. The one room he uses is great, but the tape shows the same clips twice! Once about decorating and again about the psychology of seven layers. I found myself fast forwarding instead of listening. It will be a good reference tape, but I will probably use the book more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What makes this one worth buying, May 9, 2001

By	K. Corn "reviewer" (Indianapolis,, IN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

First off, let me say that I am not a diehard Christopher Lowell fan. I do watch his show at least once weekly and I do use some of his ideas. Others leave me cold. But this video is WELL worth the price and well worth watching for several reasons. In addition to the "7 layer" philosophy promoted on the cover of this tape you get an additional bonus - a great pep talk on the psychology of creativity and decorating, sure to inspire and encourage even the least creative among us. If you are fearful of making ANY decorating decisions, afraid of failing or looking like a decorating dropout ( a decorating dodo, in other words), this part of the tape should help you break out of that rut. I also found the main part of the tape to be valuable, full of good, basic information, laid out in logical order from start to finish. As an example, Lowell suggests starting with your paint and carpeting or flooring and then making your MAJOR furniture purchases BEFORE you pick out your accessories, area rugs and other purchases that many people mistakenly start out with. If you follow his suggestions, including planning your color scheme and room layouts, you should avoid many costly and time-consuming mistakes. There are valuable tips for every step of the way. I plan to refer to this video often and am glad I made the purchase. Of course, you could buy the book instead but I found this to be a quicker way to get the information.