Mary Gilliatt's Home Comforts with Style: A Decorating Guide for Today's Living [Hardcover]

Mary Gilliatt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2004

The perfect follow-up to Mary Gilliatt's Complete Room by Room Decorating Guide, this book takes readers through all the steps needed to decorate anything from a whole house down to one room, cleanly and basically with not only confidence and style, but heart and soul. Gilliatt takes homeowners through an entire house, helping them to consider what it is that makes them comfortable—both physically and emotionally—and considering all five senses: touch, sight, taste, hearing, and smell. Topics range from darkness when sleeping and quiet spaces for reading or resting, to comforts of different family members, flea market finds, and family heirlooms. Gilliatt shows homeowners how to find sanctuary in their homes whether they are spending time relaxing, entertaining, being with family or pets, doing hobbies, cooking and eating, reading, or any of the other activities that go into their daily life.



• The latest from "the 'First Lady' of design-made-simple. . ."—Booklist

• Outstanding photography coupled with expert, clear, and insightful text

• Gives readers a road map to follow when undertaking the formidable task of decorating or redecorating a home

• Gilliatt is a frequent guest expert on major home decor programs

• Gilliatt's books have sold over 1.5 million copies

• Covers every room, including kitchens and bathrooms

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Comfort and style can be highly compatible--not to mention colorful and vibrant-- as interior designer Gilliatt illustrates in this handsome collection of home interiors that focus on integrating comfort with great style. She takes the reader step-by-step from the entry hall through traditional rooms of the home, advising on space, color, light, scent, and sound to balance her dual concerns for style and comfort. Recognizing the increasing commonality of the workspace in modern homes, she offers advice on and illustration of how these spaces too can be decorated with an eye toward comfort and style. The dual-purpose office sections, coupled with a section on organizing workspace, should be welcome information for those who work at home. She includes an excellent section on domestic libraries, discussing every element--bookshelves, lighting, color, walls, accessories, and so on. The book not only includes functional advice and suggestions but also is filled with beautiful photographs that reflect the integration of style and comfort that makes even a casual perusal delightful. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Mary Gilliatt is an acclaimed international interior designer and writer. She is the author of more than 30 best-selling books, including Mary Gilliatt's Interior Design Course, Mary Gilliatt's Complete Room by Room Decorating Guide, and Mary Gilliatt's Great Renovations and Restorations. She divides her time between England and France.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823013375
• ISBN-13: 978-0823013371
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,910,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Gilliatt (born 1935) is the author of some 43 books, almost all of them on various aspects of interior decoration though her Dictionary of Architecture and Interior Design (Watson Guptil, 2004) does, of course, appertain to architecture as much as decorating and her 'Fabulous Food and Friends (Pen & Sword/Remember When, 2008) is a memoir based around lunch and dinner parties given in the 1960s and 70s.

A couple of years ago, she went into a furnishings store on Madison Avenue and saw to her amazement her first book 'English Style' (Bodley Head/Viking, 1967) displayed on a plinth. Proudly admitting that she was the author she received the riposte from the owners that they thought she had died years ago. Notwithstanding she is still working as an interior designer and consultant as well as writing and working on her new blog: 'Lifestyle with Mary Gilliatt'.

She had the first TV decorating series in the UK for ITV in 1979, called 'Home and Design'. And interestingly, over a decade later, the first TV decorating series in the US, for PBS called 'Decorating with Mary Gilliatt. She remarks that it was extremely hard, at that time, to get TV companies to agree that the public would be interested in the subject, but look at the plethora of such programs now. "It does not do', she remarks ruefully, 'to be first'. She also tried unsuccessfully in the 1990s to persuade publishers to include DVDs with decorating books, again to no avail. But again look what is happening now with publishers like Pearson etc. So in her case, at least, plus ca change is not the same thing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Advice for Decorating Your Manor House, May 8, 2006

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mary Gilliatt's Home Comforts with Style: A Decorating Guide for Today's Living (Hardcover)

This decorating books leans heavily towards the English country home and if you like that decorating style, then this book is for you. The photos are lovely. There's the stag's head over the fireplace, the china dogs on the mantel and paintings of race horses.

Although I found the reading a bit tedious, the section on home libraries and offices were appealing. I also liked one tip (instructions for converting a worn oriental rug into a floor pillow).

The book gives advice on choosing colors, lighting and window treatments. It's arranged by rooms (living room, entry hall, home office, etc.).

5.0 out of 5 stars Home Comforts, March 29, 2010

By 

A. R. Buck (Christchurch NZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mary Gilliatt's Home Comforts with Style: A Decorating Guide for Today's Living (Hardcover)

A book full of ideas useful for new or existing homes.

We had the good fortune to have had this publication out on loan from our local library and considered the ideas good enough for us to invest in our own copy.

The copy we recieved is in excellent condition as described and the service from the supplier was perfect. We would buy from this supplier again.