Peace at Home: Simple Solutions for Relaxing Rooms [Hardcover]

Juliet Pegrum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2003

Peace at Home reveals the principles for creating truly relaxing rooms through beautiful photographs, inspiring wisdom from Eastern philosophies, and practical design advice. Taking readers through each room in the home, author Juliet Pegrum shares the basic design elements that combine to create harmony, simplicity, and ease. For example, in the bedroom, light and texture play essential parts. Pegrum illustrates how softness can be maximized through the use of natural fibers, bountiful pillows and cushions, and plush surfaces; and how light is dimmed or muted for a restful effect. In the living room, she shows how careful selection and placement of furnishings create a welcoming flow and a convivial ambiance. Warm and inspiring photographs of havens of all types speak to apartment dwellers and homeowners alike. For anyone who strives to create a soothing retreat from the outside world, Peace at Home shows the way.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The world is a barrage of stress and anxiety, goes the premise of this New Age-y book on interior design, and the home is a peaceful sanctuary for relaxation and contemplation. Drawing on the ancient Indian art of architecture and design called Vastu, which proposes a symbiotic relationship between house and self, Pegrum leads the reader through a series of design-applications-cum-mental-exercises meant to induce tranquility and balance in the spirit. In the living room, the author proposes ornamentation such as tribal masks or silk screens from China, and matter pulled from all five raw elements (ether, air, water, fire and earth). "By bringing representation of these elements into the living room," she writes, "we help balance them within our bodies, achieving inner and outer harmony." Replete with such vague mystical advice, the book largely seems to favor clean, stripped down environments, using natural fibers and Eastern accents to give a feeling of careful placement and simplicity of purpose: think new, mid-range, pan-Asian restaurant.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Juliet Pegrum is a New York based designer who runs her own home furnishings company. A devotee of Tibetan Buddhism, she has spent much of her life in India, studying and teaching yoga and working to preserve the textile crafts of Rajasthan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811839923
• ISBN-13: 978-0811839921
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,027,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives up 100% to its title. Ten stars, February 14, 2006

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MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Peace at Home: Simple Solutions for Relaxing Rooms (Hardcover)

When I read the inside back flap of the dust jacket and read that the author is a designer as well as a devotee of Tibetan Buddhism, and teaches yoga I senses I might like the book and I was not the least bit disappointed.

To many books on simplicity of design that I have checked out recently are void of true simplicity and or are to 'cute,' which suggested to me that the author thought he/she knew what simplicity of design was, but really did not.

There is nothing 'cute' about this book or its superb photographs. On page 27 the author notes 'Light and Dark. In addition to color, the balance and interplay of light and dark are instrumental in shaping our visual experience of our environment. To promote harmony and well being within our homes, it is essential to create a balance of light and shade in each interior that is appropriate to the room's function at different times of the day. Light has an energizing effect on the body, promoting activity and mental alterness; an abundance of light is therefore desirable in rooms that are used for active daytime pursuits.' Notice she realizes the power sunlight, natural light plays in our overall health. When we changed the colors in the cottage to brighter hues we noticed even occasional depression lifted. Because we felt both energized and destressed.

Now I readily admit that those people who prefer Levitz furniture style wont like this book, because this book and its photos are devoid of clutter that all to many American homes have an abundance of. Especially cookie cutter look alike suburban homes.

Also like as she shows on page 69, her example of how a blend of brick, tile wood and metal in clean lines can work well together. Or how on page 73 she notes that sensual stimulation is important especially at mealtime when one should strive to present food on colourful dishes. Makes me so happy I have a nice collection of Fiestaware in various colours with place settings for four in at least six colours since we entertain a lot.

Her examples of calming restful bathrooms is a feast for the eyes and one can see how using examples she shows can make soaking in a hot bath a spiritual and renewing experience. Clean crisp lines and no cluttered or overdone ceramic tile, shower curtains or matching rugs, toilet tank and toilet seat covers!

She even has a wonderful section on gardens and outdoor dining beginning on page 147 titled Gardens, Balconies and Decks. Where she shows examples of each that will fit in city, suburb or rural spaces.

A wonderful book for the person looking to plan well before they build or even buy a fixer upper. One of my favorite books on peaceful abodes and it lives up 100% to its title Peace At Home.