The Impatient Decorator: 201 Shortcuts to a Beautiful Home (Interior Design and Architecture) [Paperback]

Glenna J. Morton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003 | Series: Interior Design and Architecture

Just about every home or apartment comes with a long fix-it list, but most people don't have the time for elaborate decorating schemes or the money for expensive updates. They want simple, easy fixes that work, and they want them now. Geared specifically to the realities of 21st-century home ownership, this home-decorating guide aims to offer those easy fixes. Organized as a series of 101 tips and tricks that address the most common decorating problems and how to solve them, this is a hands-on manual for making any living space attractive, stylish and functional - in record time. Photographs illustrate timesaving solutions, including blanketing ugly walls with beautiful fabrics, slip-covering flea-market furniture, cheap and easy lighting tricks to brighten up dark or small rooms, simple wall and window treatments and more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Glenna Morton is a writer specializing in the fields of interior decorating and home organization. She is currently a writer and editor for a highly popular interior decorating Web site. Glenna's Web site can be found at interiordec.about.com/mbiopage.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Rockport Publishers (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564969606
• ISBN-13: 978-1564969606
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,865,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick to read, full of inspiration and information!, May 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Impatient Decorator: 201 Shortcuts to a Beautiful Home (Interior Design and Architecture) (Paperback)

I love this book and you will, too! It is loaded with information presented in a consise, easily digested form. Not only are there outstanding tips for every room, but the author includes valuable websites for further assistance, i.e., selecting paint colors, or choosing a countertop, to name just two. No need to read cover to cover unless you want to, and there is no dense text--you can thumb through this book anywhere for instant advice from a decorating pro--and the many color photos are a visual feast for the eyes, as well! Outstanding job! I look forward to the author's next work!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, concrete advice, July 9, 2006

By 

R. Laurent (Okinawa Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Impatient Decorator: 201 Shortcuts to a Beautiful Home (Interior Design and Architecture) (Paperback)

I agree the book may be misnamed because it has few instant solutions. However, it's one of the better decorating books I've read because it doesn't rely on photos for content. The author provides practical, concrete advice, such as creating a mock kitchen island with boxes and walking around it for a week before investing in one, to make sure you can live with the size of the one you have in mind. I have put into practice three or four of the general ideas she shares in this book, and as far as I'm concerned that's a pretty high batting average. I highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars There are better books for this., March 8, 2006

By 

Jonathan T. Sweet (CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Impatient Decorator: 201 Shortcuts to a Beautiful Home (Interior Design and Architecture) (Paperback)

I was fairly disappointed in this book. As an impatient decorator, I was hoping for a lot more visual ideas (and valuable tips). Most of the 201 shortcuts aren't really shortcuts at all, and more to the point, of the 201 there are probably only 2-3 real gems, the rest are wasted space. There are far better books for those who wish to improve their homes.