Customer Reviews

The Emotional House: How Redesigning Your Home Can Change Your Life

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I tried the exercises in the book and for the first time in my life I have a great color scheme in my house! I did three rooms and love them all! The colors work with my furniture and friends have even commented on it. One room we never used and now we are in there all the time. It is warm and cozy and you feel good in there. Guess that is what the authors meant by color therapy!"

The Emotional House is no ordinary design book. Doing the exercises inside will set off a series of light bulb moments for anyone who tries them. This book offers amazing action plans and goal-setting exercises that go way beyond designing. There are plenty of good design techniques too (I really enjoyed the colour therapy and personal style exercises) but it was learning about the emotional functions of rooms that was the real eye-opener. I finally understood some of the issues in my home and fixed them.

Some other reviewer mentioned something or other about altars instead of focal points(?). I don't remember anything like that and I read this book cover to cover. Focal points were discussed throughout as a way to anchor the emotional function of the room (according to Amazon's Search Inside This Book option, focal points appear on 15 different pages). Perhaps that reviewer mixed this book up with another? From my perspective, The Emotional House is well worth the read.

I'd sum it up as: the road to a great life starts in the home, so fix your place up!

After reading and looking through many different style books and interior design advice books, I found that I was confused about how to pull different ideas, doodads and furniture I already have together. Ms. Robyn has a gentle and clear writing style and a way of helping the reader to assess HOW enjoyable one's house is and WHY a room is, or isn't, working. A brief example... do you have a formal style but live casually? There is going to be a clash that will create tension. This book is structured aroound some very basic rules, that will help any style you choose to work well.

Jill Swanson, Portland, ME

My mother taught me that it is okay to have many best friends, and I do. I have one who is really good for talking to about business, another for creative ideas, one to plan great dinner parties with, and another to share the fun and scary stuff about being in love. This book helped me turn my home into the space equivalent of having all my best friends around. It explained how different rooms care for different parts of my life and made me realize that, like friendship, my home was in it for the long haul. I could take my time to make plans and savor the process, just like having tea on the veranda.

 

A work of an emotional home is never finished. The art of creating that perfect sanctuary is very chalenging but the book," The Emotional House" makes the process flow more smoothly. I was impressed at how the authors appeal to all ages and cultures. I found the suggestion of a house binder very simple yet very important and time- saving. Following the house rules will open your eyes by seeing that you can change your life by changing just one room. This book is an excellent companion to the authors' earlier book, "Spitirual Housecleaning,"

What you really need to know before you redecorate is not a color scheme or your favorite era of furniture, it's what will make you feel good about being home, and this book helps you get there in a panoply of ways. Make no mistake, it won't teach you; it will help you read your own mind (and that of your live-in partner if you have one)--develop your most basic interests, help you achieve the harmony and balance that you need. I'd still have enjoyed some pretty pictures and diagrams to break up the text and help me think in new ways, and that's the only reason I didn't give it five stars.

Emotional House is a book I wish had been written years ago. It provides everything I need to know to make a comfortable, welcoming home for family and friends and, wonder of wonders, for me as well. I don't know how Robyn and Ritchie do it, but they write as one. Their style makes for an easy and enjoyable read. I planned for it to be one of those books that put me to sleep after a couple of pages, to be read on a night-to-night basis. Instead, I found myself reading on and on, finishing it before the week was out. I couldn't wait to get their next suggestion, many of which I'm actually applying to my home. It's given me and my home a new lease on life. Emotional House is fun, it's refreshing and it's smart!

A reviewer expressed disappointment in this book's lack of new content, and commented that the author had discussed something about creating an "altar." The altar reference did actually belong to another book (see page 79) called Creating a Charmed Life by Victoria Moran. The Emotional House is a very different book in idea and style. Hope this helped clarify.

Why didn't I think of this? It's amazing how much lighting affected the mood in my home. The authors provided straightforward advice that I could actually apply in my own home. No frills! No gimmicks! Just straight talk and practical ideas that worked. A must for the home decorator!
Carolyn Smith

I am a designer, and I loved this book. It gets to the heart of what a home should be- even for pets and children. No nonsense writing, straight to the point, sage and timeless advise for making your home or apartment into your own castle without major renovations. I would change the title, though-since the word "emotional" can have negative connotations for this most positive book.