Customer Reviews

Home (Chic Simple)

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But not the worst book ever!

As a former interior designer, I still have a fondness for books about decorating and design. But this book will not be a keeper on my shelf.

Nicely packaged as to be expected of the Chic line. But so sterile, bare, boring--who says stylish has to be so basic?

In their wonder bread world, the Chic people forgot that the chicest looks of all revolve around creativty, texture, color--take a risk! Unless you live in a loft somewhere, there is nothing homey or comfortable about this house. It is like a museum--look but don't touch. Just fill your eyes with more visual candy and run, don't walk to grab the latest issue of House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens or Architectural Digest. They are sure to be more idea-inspiring.

I own several of the Chic Simple books and am a big fan of them for their practicality and relevance. However, I was not at all impressed with "Home". I found the photographs to be boring, abstract and impractical. Many of the styles shown are very bare, almost forbidding. Additionally, too much of the content focuses on bizarre styles completely impractical for most people. If you need ideas on how decorating your home (as I do), this is not the book with which to start.

This book is ideal in affirming what we already know about interior design. It talked about suitability, proportion, textures, light, & other components that form the backbone of modern interior design. It also talked about coffee table, chairs, lighting, & other items that play pivotal role in our home decorations. As the book progressed, it wandered into sideline areas such as future technolgy that is growing in popularity in shaping our home. I would prefer the author not covering this point but expanding into other areas that mattered more to interior design enthusiasts. What I'm finding this book enjoyable to read, however, would be quotations from famous architects & designers but why Candice Bergen?? I also enjoyed reading the origin of various types of coffee tables, the rule of thumb for the height of various chairs, & so forth. Examples illustrated thru the mean of pictures are nowhere sufficient but then again, readers should be reminded that this book is merely 190 pages with big fonts & overblown pictures at times. It is indeed an easy book to read & readers are recommended to loan it from library to read it rather than buying it as you are better off spending the money on other better interior design books.

I have generally enjoyed the Chic Simple series, but was disappointed with this book. It attempts to cover a very broad range of topics, from space and light, through furnishings, to technology and environmentalism. Trying to be comprehensive in 175 pages leads to shallow treatment.

On the plus side, "Home" introduces basic sylistic principles, succinctly lays out the evolution of interior design through the 20th Century, and sums up all the elements you should consider when laying out a space: form, color, texture, function, light, etc. On the minus, the succinctness is carried into discussions of chairs, tables, beds and hardware--two pages on each, chairs getting a bit more. While other Chic Simple books enumerate alternatives, here only basic principles are given ("If the room allows, there should always be one oversize table.") The section on "Smart House" technology has not aged well, and the "Whole House" environmental section doesn't fit with the overall style-oriented emphasis of the book.

Still, for someone like myself who has not thought systematically about how to decorate their house and is looking for an overview of the basic elements that will shape the decision, this is a reasonable introduction. Little jewels of examples are tucked in most photos, and quotations from reknowned architects and designers help put the reader in the right frame of mind to make decorating choices. Worth borrowing from a friend and spending a few hours with.

As an interior designer I found Chic Simple to be one of the most important books in my library. Their information is inspirational, giving the reader an outline to color in with their own personal brush. The book is a unique approach to design and decorating.