Customer Reviews

Let's Ask Michael : 100 Practical Solutions for Interior Design Challenges

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After reading this book decorating makes so much more sense. Michael really gives straight, concise answers to common decorating problems in a very well put together book. It was a delight to read. The graphics and photographs were great. The book is divided into several chapters, each one focusing on a specific room of the house, bedroom, kitchen, etc . It's extremely organized and very helpful. This would be a good general reference book to have on hand as pretty much all styles of decorating are included in this very informative book. Anyone who has seen Michael Payne's show on HGTV knows what a great personality he has, and it really comes through when you read this book.

Michael Payne is a design genius! I have been a long-time fan of "Designing for the Sexes" and I am thrilled that he released a book. I loved everything about this book- it's simplicity, personalization, it's how-to approach, the clean and modern graphic design- this book is impressive from all angles! His design ideas are by far the best of any I have seen. He is able to artfully extract the individuality of a person into his design. It is no wonder that he has been so successful at reaching a compromise for married couples. Buy it and heed his advice!!!

This book is a terrific guide to avoiding decorating disasters! Michael gives practical advise to those of us who like to dabble in interior design. The pictures are helpful in illustrating his points.

I just got my book and have to tell all the Michael Payne fans out there that you've got to get it! It's beautiful, informative and great to have on the coffee table for when guests come over! Some of the emails are hilarious while others are quite helpful! I love it!

I love to watch Michael Payne on "Designing for the Sexes" so I looked forward to reading this book. I was a bit disappointed in the format in that I had a pretty good idea of what Michael's responses to e-mails would be from watching his show. There was some useful advice but the book would benefit from more visual examples. Budget concerns were hardly addressed so it's hard to know how practical some of the answers would be to the average homeowner. It's a light and enjoyable read and might offer readers a bit of inspiration, but the book doesn't serve as a how-to for serious remodelers.

My parents never get along, mostly because my father won't accomodate my mum, but for their anniversary I got them this book and, god bless them, they were able to laugh at each other over it. Before they couldn't even sleep in the same bed together without sometimes going feet-to-face, and now they plan their redecorating together. All that garbage my dad keeps in the drawers and on the shelves is currently being jettisoned -- old excercise and scientific books mostly -- in a concerted effort to open up the household, which is inspiring a new affection in my mum. Making it less cluttered helps halfway, but the book is giving them great ideas for changing things around, from elegant to simple, and from fairly expensive to surprisingly affordable. Our little house is a home! And cute! Thank you Mr. Michael Payne from the bottom of my heart.

I read most of the reviews here before purchasing this book but had to see it for myself. I liked that the pictures and emails were from his show or private clients because it's a great point of reference. I'm a graphic designer, so he always made sense to me about color selections. Michael really listens to his clients and comes up with wonderful solutions, especially for couples with different tastes. I also don't think that you have to be a millionaire to incorporate his ideas, just smart about your budget and creative.

I bought the book and just received it a couple of days ago. Although I am not finished reading it, so far so good. The book is a compilation of emails Michael has received during the years about decorating problems or disasters people have had and he offers recommendations on what to do in each situation. He includes pictures for every email showing how to solve the problem. The book is divided by rooms of the house, but not into subcategories (like paint, furnishings, tile, etc), so you will need to read every single email to check if what you are looking for or need help with is there.
I do think he offers excellent advice to the emailers, but I was looking for something more general, which can give you answers to EVERY day situations. Many of these homes have particular architectural obstacles, which you probably wont encounter in your average home. I had bought another copy for my mom's birthday, but I am returning it. I don't think she will need that book. I'll get her another decorating book.

The book is a list of problems and solutions. I enjoyed reading it.

As a modern movie character once quipped, "You are not your possesions". But in our modernist material world, we do seem to link our personal identities to the sofas, cars, clothes, and pets that surround us. This being said, it is best to keep good company as far as our "stuff" allows and Michael Payne's book is a veritable popularity guide to the world of stuff and decorating. Packed with details and laid out in bright colors with lavish style, this book is a treasure. Brilliant.