Customer Reviews

House Beautiful 750 Decorating & Design Ideas: Express Yourself with Color, Pattern, Light & Style

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

 

 

This is a gorgeous coffee-table style books overflowing with fabulous photos of interiors. I say interiors rather than homes because it clear that no one could actually survive in any of these ornate, pristine, elegant, and rather stuffy rooms.

The "750 tips" are given in sidebars, and poor production has allowed that some of the tips are not on the same page as the photo to which they refer. This book also contradicts its own advice - frequently - as when it says to "always hang pictures 10" above seating" accompanied by a lovely photo of a sofa that is backed up directly against framed pictures. Or when they advise not using scatter pillows on chairs or stools, yet this is done throughout the text.

750 is a bit of an exageration - they break down "how to build a fire" into many small tips, counting each one.

Overall, a fairly useless book, but the photos are pretty. A nice gift for the billionaire on your list.

I had to double check that I had the same book as some of the other reviewers. In my edition, the photographs are quite lovely, with a couple of exceptions now that I've given it a much closer look. A couple reviewers comment about the overdone style of the rooms, but there are so many rooms, in so many different styles, it is hard to say something like that. There are definitely some floral-frilly rooms, and some rooms that are certainly not for those who harbor disgust for toile (I'm rather indifferent to it) . . . but there are just as many very sophisticated, simple, elegant, subdued rooms pictured as well. Perhaps that is what I like about the book-- there are so many different styles, that almost anyone could find something inspirational in it. French country is overrepresented, I admit, and from someone who is not too excited about shabby chic either, there are too many pictures of that for me. Some photographs reek of nouveau riche. But there are also colonial, modern country, modern eclectic and other styles well represented in some very pretty pictures. I agree strongly with the editorial review's point that someone looking for a "how-to" book will be disappointed. This book is all about the pictures (which I love), with tips spread throughout on sidebars. The entertaining or efficiency tips I could do without ("give old clothes to an organization"), but a lot of the decorating tips are interesting. As a serious Type A personality, I "flag" things of interest in books-- this book has so many flags I had to stop! From lovely little ideas like storing makeup in darling old silver cups to helpful advice like how to choose a frame for a period piece of art, I would describe this book in relation to a decorating "library," as the frosting on the cake . . . beautiful, and full of neat pieces of advice that don't make it into the substantive "how-to" decorating books. This book would not be the basis of your interior decorating library-- but is full of sweet solutions on the back end. **I am editing my review to add that, if I could I would change my review to 2 stars because I've only had the book a short time and the spine is falling apart-- cheap construction for a nice, expensive book that should be coffee table quality!**

Unfortunately, it's not my style. This book has NO tips about decorating within a budget or exactly "how-to" decorate. The photos are of over-filled rooms with over-patterned furniture and (in my humble opinion) hideos "knick-knacks." I don't know what this style is, but I don't think most people would find this book inspirational.

I am a House Beautiful (HB) magazine subscriber and think Mark Mayfield is an excellent editor of a great mag. This book however was a huge disappointment...the photo quality is really poor throughout the publication, and many of the rooms they depict look like they were taken in the eighties...lots of floral, poufy rooms with poor color quality...House Beautiful is much more modern and hip than the rooms displayed in this book. It was many of the 750 design tips that made me laugh...many of them really corny and obviously simple...that really turned me off. I wish I could get my money back...what a waste....Check out the POTTERY BARN design books...I own them all and thoroughly enjoy the colors, design, furniture position (not all PB furniture either)and narratives...

The photos lovely, as is the variety of design styles offered.
The small bits of info was rather pointless. Cut the little text bits and add more photos.
This is a nice book to have around and review often; studying the photos gives lots of style ideas, but I think you do need to look it over a number of times.
Mine was a library book, but if I found it on sale, I'd buy it.

I'm amazed by the bad reviews this book has gotten. I was absolutely enthralled w/it. Let's get this straight, everyone is looking for something different in a design book. Some ppl want to learn how to design on a budget; some people want some how-to knowledge; some ppl just want to look at pictures and formulate their own ideas about how to decorate and get a spark of creativity, or ideas. I myself was the kind of person who wanted some pictures & differently designed rooms to look at to get some creative ideas. And I was not disappointed. If I was wanting to learn decorating on a budget or JUST how-to stuff, I would have been. It just isn't that kind of book. After all, look at the title. It doesn't promise those things.

The book is a tad misleading because it doesn't really have 750 tips. For example, in the book in the fireplace section it gives tips on how to start a fire. Ok, not only does that have nothing to do w/design or decor, but the book uses several steps breaking down how to start a fire, each listed as one tip. Also it gives you some storage solutions. Great for packrats, but I have closets, clean them out regularly & get rid of stuff I don't use to make room for what I do use. Oh, and also in the home office decor section it gives you several tips when you are just moving into a house & setting up your home office, such as making sure that room is wired so you have enough power & whatnot. Has nothing to do w/decorating, plus is just common sense.

I agree that it has some rooms in the book that I would hate to live in or even stay the night in. :) But isn't this a lesson learned?? You learned what kind of things to avoid when you are decorating. I am sure there are plenty of ppl who like that kind of decor, otherwise it wouldn't be shown. Another reviewer talked about a horrid pink floral room that looked to be straight out the 80's. Some ppl really like that kind of room, esp if they're older & not as hip. It's almost like a "period room."

Wrapping up... the pictures are great, some of the tips are helpful. It would be a great book to pore over w/someone you are moving in w/so you can get an idea of what their taste is compared to yours. That's how I used it, and it was useful. It gave me some great ideas too. I recommend it and I look forward to looking at some other House Beautiful decorating books; this was my first.