Customer Reviews

Elegant and Easy Rooms: 250 Trade Secrets for Decorating Your Home

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book, and I can understand that it's not for everyone. What I like about it is that it not only gives you ideas but tells you how to carry them out. The skill/expense level can vary, but there is a broad range of ideas to choose from. There are no photographs in this book. I think the idea is that you have looked elsewhere for inspiration, and now you receive the practical know how to make it happen. If you are a creative person who has ideas of your own and wants to learn how to create a highly personal environment, this is the book for you.

Had some very good ideas, but the author assumes that the reader has a lot of money and can hire an interior designer. In many instances she also suggests so. It would have been better if tailored to the DIY homeowner - after all, if you can hire an interior designer, why buy a book?

This isn't the book for people who need to know the rules of interior design (how much space to leave for pathways, how high lamps should be, etc) but it's great if you're looking for suggestions on creative and cheap things to do with your house (or help deciding what to splurge on). It lets you know the variety of ways you can use a professional. The absence of photos didn't bother me--a lot of the suggestions are supposed to jog your imagination, so imagine! Loved the information on paint and colors--that chapter alone is worth the price of the book.

...what this book is full of... the snobbish attitude of an interior design journalist, bent on showing her knowledge of design terms. The back cover of the book reads "..Create welcoming rooms that exude confidence, polish, and style (whether your budget is lavish or small)." The only thing small budgeted about this book is its price and the lack of usuable pictures.

The book talks constantly about using antiques and custom furniture and how guests won't be fooled by "new machine made Oriental rugs". Of course not! That's not the point to a book that is supposed to be about *affordable* design solutions. Mentioning and recommending "designer" paints as opposed to paint of the same quality found at Home Depot isn't "budget minded". The examples of art pieces (eg. authentic African tribal stools) given are not pieces that the average person can lay their hands on, let alone afford. The author would be better placed to say that "reproduction type pieces are available from import stores such as Pier One and Cost Plus".

The book gets three stars as there are some decent concepts and ideas presented once you get past the author's attitude, but if you're looking for real inspiration, instruction, and personality in a design book, get "Christopher Lowell's Seven Layers of Design". He is far more helpful and practical in creating truly "easy and elegant" rooms. And, he shows *how* to create them for us visual types, instead of using cute illustrations that give little inspiration to the content.

I've spent many an hour looking at paint chips hoping that I will be happy with the results which stems from my lack of confidence and the overwhelming selection available at the store. This book gives you some tried and true paint choices -- I enjoyed this section very much. I only wished they had fleshed the chapter out much further to give more suggestions on taupe and sienna colors as well and a few more common interior colors beyond what was offered. Their suggestions for white and the underlying color tones in whites and molding and ceiling tricks to make it all harmonize together are very good. Other chapters had some thoughtful information in it as well. This book does not replace a good design book, more it is to spark some ideas and other tidbits that perhaps you hadn't thought about before. I think it was worth my money solely on the paint chapter.

This is a lovely little book for the beginning decorator. The book has some very charming and sometimes inexpensive ideas - like decorating with bedsheets or canvas tarps, (or even brown craft paper) which actually turned out quite well. There are also some very helpful suggested palettes for painting your home.

There are a few caveats: the palletes are given as paint numbers - with no swatches of acutal paint colors. You must only imagine what "Stones of Provence" might be like, unless you want to go down to your local pro paint shop. That's the other thing. Although there are a few paints you can find at your local Home Depot or similar, most of the palettes are taken from pro-level paint labels like Benjamin Moore and Pratt & Lambert. These are mostly oil-based paints, and definitely not do-it-your-self jobs. They are also relatively expensive. The book does suggest the Martha Stewart line of paint, which also has pre-selected palettes, which is what I did use (with GREAT results). And these paints are latex-based (DIY-friendly) and available at KMart and Sears.

There are some creative and inspiring ideas here, even if some - like COMMISSIONING a painter to paint a patch of sky on your ceiling and framing it - are a bit silly, expensive and fanciful. It's worth the purchase price if you're looking for a few cute ideas and are okay with a book that's heavy on prose and light on pictures.

I loved the insider tips. You can avoid mistakes while finding the ideas that work for your particular home. A decorator friend actually took notes from me after seeing our remodel. The color chapter saved so much money and time allowing me to get exactly what I wanted without experimenting.

I have garnered enough advice to revamp virtually some feature of every space in my home--sans the cost of an interior designer. From the insider info on paint colors and techniques to the advice on display (which was invaluable for anyone with an aquisitive nature), this little book is a fabulous primer for anyone who wants to spruce their space up (or even give it a total overhaul). There are no impossibly prefect pics to lead you on a wild goose chase. Charming drawings give you a good idea of your options without encouraging false aspirations, and sensibly organized chapters give you access to the information you need without pouring though pictures to distill it yourself. Best of all, this bridges the divide between the do-it-yourself and designer camps, giving sound advice on how to do it either way. As home design tomes goes, this is one of the best investments you can make.

I liked this book a lot, its well worth the money! This is a smallish book with lively little drawings. Its not one of those lavishly photographed books which show rooms so breathtaking you can barely relate to them. What it does do is provide elegant tasteful ideas which work no matter what your budget is. Some ideas were meant to stimulate your imagination while others were clear cut, direct answers to your problem. If anyone has ever stood in the paint store looking at a jillion shades of white paint and not being able to decide, what a comfort it is to have a book which says, if you want to achieve XXX look, then buy this brand of paint in these exact shades and they'll look great. There's no fluff in this super little book!

I've bought many magazines and books filled with pictures and information about decorating, so I thought I'd give the one with no pictures a try - and am I glad I did! This book (and the others in the series) give hints and advice I haven't seen elsewhere. If you enjoy decorating and want to stimulate your creativity, or are looking for hints to separate your home from the rest, this is a great book. It's a quick read, the ideas are clearly and succintly stated, and many suggestions are at minimal cost. If you're willing to try something a little different, you won't be disappointed.