Debbie Travis' Facelift: Solutions to Revitalize Your Home (Paperback)

by Debbie Travis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Devotees of Travis's interior design show on HGTV will be thrilled with this companion book, which reprises many of the designer's recent projects and offers additional insight for those seeking to tackle their own home makeovers. Design junkies who love a good "before" and "after" section will find an ample one here. Though many of the "before" pictures are too small, the overall effect of Team Travis's work is impressive. Travis boldly uses orange, red, chartreuse and Parma yellow on the once-drab walls of her surprised clients. She admits, though, that some subjects are initially dismayed by her choices. "If we had not already destroyed the old kitchen, I believe he would have called the whole thing off," she quips about Pierre, recipient of flaming orange walls. But in the end, all of her homeowners are delighted by the final product, a fact that is underscored by the many photos of people smiling rapturously, relaxing in their trendy new rooms or clasping each other in joy. In this respect, the book is as sugary sweet as the reality show itself, and the offbeat nature of the layout (random words like "perked," "radiant" and "timeless" are printed in bold or colored lettering) only enhances this impression. The book contains some practical information, however. The "Prime Time" chapter, in particular, offers step-by-step instructions on how to replicate painting jobs and helps do-it-yourselfers formulate an action plan. This section, combined with the book's lush color photos, should light a fire under armchair designers.
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Review
“The reigning queen of renovations…” —Regis Philbin

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (April 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140008153X
• ISBN-13: 978-1400081530
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #588,287 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Companion Guide to her Decorating Show, December 22, 2005

By	Sonya "readaholic" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This book is a good companion guide to Debbie's FaceLift show. It focuses on several of her facelift projects and includes tips and a few step-by-steps for projects. Where this book excels are the photographs of the rooms, her color choices and combinations and the "before" and "after" pictures.

The first 15 or so pages contains basic info and an intro to her Facelift team. A lot of the time it is difficult to see the before pictures because they are so small, but the main part of the book, her creations, are beautiful. Most of the designs have a contemporary, modern feel. Debbie has a great way of combining function, color and classy styling to her designs.

I think my favorite part of the books are her color choices. So many of them I would never have considered but she shows how you can select a bright yellow or a subdued steel blue and make it beautiful. The best part is that most of the projects seem "doable" without expending huge outlays of time and effort (unlike some of her Painted House books).

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Before-and-after renovation pictures accompany step-by-step project hints and plenty of tips, October 10, 2005

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Maybe you're renovating your house: take a look at Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle's Facelift: Solutions To Revitalize Your Home it focuses on innovative solutions for decorating problems to turn dark or dull rooms into lively or restive retreats. Mood-inspired sections advocate choosing color schemes which work: before-and-after renovation pictures accompany step-by-step project hints and plenty of tips.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Debbie Travis Facelift - did not live up to expectations., August 1, 2006

By	D. Hooper "Karyn Hooper designs" (Hummelstown, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have a collection of five of the Debbie Travis books - this is one (Debbie Travis Facelift) that I really did not enjoy compared to the others by Debbie Travis.

This was not a very good "How to do" book - instead it only shows end results and most of the rooms shown are limited to a very eclectic or modern style of decorating. My other 4 Debbie travis books show a wide range of styles that basically can appeal to everyone and they show a variety of painting styles and decorating. For me two far more useful Debbie Travis books are Decorating Solutions which was really wonderful, and Painted House which I think is fabulous.