Customer Reviews

Rooms: Creating Luxurious, Livable Spaces

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

With "Rooms", Ms. Himes Gomez has become my favorite American interior designer.

To my great surprise and chagrin, I found that most reviewers held quite a harsh opinion about Ms. Himes Gomez's abilities and her book. Some went so far as to insinuate that the positive reviews were written by the the author herself. Whether or not this is true, I cannot say, but while one must acknowledge that most of the positive reviews sounded somewhat similar, it ought also be acknowledged that those interested in interior design, including magazine writers, tend to overuse a certain jargon -- and hence sound exchangeably similar. Let me cast any doubts one might have, and say from the outset, that I do not know the author, nor was I involved with the production of this book, nor do I stand to gain from its sale.

Offended by the confused, cluttered, and gaudy design schemes that comprise much of interior design today, I do not dare to imagine what the negative reviewers understanding of "luxurious", "comfortable", and "casual" may be.

Ms. Himes Gomez achieves a perfect, refreshing harmony between sparseness and ornamentation, and has the uncanny talent to know when to stop.
Her rooms are composed like paintings in an equilibrium that reminds me of Renaissance art, in which the symmetry of a balanced composition exemplifies the existence of divine intention.

Luxury, here, does not mean to drown oneself in an overstuffed sofa, but to leave the worries and stresses of everyday life behind as one enters a home and is greeted by simple and classical beauty. Every object in such a home is placed there for a reason. More importantly, the absence of an object means that it was left out for good reason. As a woman does not wear her entire jewelry collection at once, because it does not fit, it is also not sensical to fill a room with objects that do not belong there, and whose only merit is that they are pretty or valuable.

Environments affect thoughts, emotions and behavior: a temple should direct a visitor's feelings to the numinous, a university library promotes a scholar's concentration; equally, a room designed by Ms. Himes Gomez facilitates the inhabitant's ability to focus on the essential things in life. Who could ask more of a personal space?

I was surprised at how varied the "range" of Ms. Himes Gomez visual technique is: While her favorites seem to be the neutral colored designs, I learned that, when necessary, she uses bright, and engaging colors very adroitly (e.g. for a house located in the rainy Irish countryside).
Her repertoire is varied, spanning from "country" to "urban", and she realizes her superb ideas, while mainting a consistent design philosophy. I frankly do not understand how somebody can execute so many different styles and at the same time be so consistent.

I most heartily recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn from the best that interior design has to offer.

I am a stay-at-home father of one-year-old twin boys with a military background. I've always wanted my home to have that tasteful look that comes from understated wealth and assumed it required money -lots of it, and that arcane knowledge that separates good designers from mere homeowners.

Well, I don't need money, I needed this book!

I have learned much from three years worth of House and Garden magazine. All the amazing houses and rooms are there to be studied and scrutinized. Yet I always wondered how the designer came upon the ideas to do put those drapes with that color wall and that certain chair and so on. Unless I wanted to make an exact replica of some millionaire's living room, I saw no way of creating that energy in my own house.

This book is not like other picture books of great layouts. It didnt matter that I dont have triple-hung windows or a fireplace or 12-ft high ceilings. This book allowed me to see what I do have, and to work it masterfully. It also allowed me to see problem areas, and to mitigate their effects.

I like the way the author proceeds to tell the story of her own process of putting a room together. Had she done what all the other picture books do- tell the reader what to do in this certain room- there would be no true learning, only rote memorization or copying. By telling her own story and her thought processes, the author literally trained me on how to really take stock of my living room and the spaces taken up by furniture and bookcases and windows.

halfway through the book, I had what felt like 50 new ideas about my own place. Sitting at the dining room table, I suddenly saw that the dining room needed a table with a pedestal to free up some of the space. My living room set is a long couch and an oversized chair with ottoman, and the perpendicular layout I had was totally wrong and un-balancing for the room. So using the authors ideas on circles and making conversational spaces, i turned the chair diagonally to face the couch, which clicked with the offcenter side window and the bookcase to create a new energy that just feels right. My wife came home and was very impressed.

Interestingly, Mrs. Gomez's ideas on flow through a room and conversational groupings seem so intuitive to how people live. I could put my two boys in those rooms from the book and they wouldnt get into trouble, because they crawl around on instinct in ways that reinforce the author's ideas on flow. Say you have two distinct furniture groupings in a room (most of us dont have 50 ft long rooms, as the author attests), a baby or babies would rather operate between the two, in open areas, rather than messing around in the particular spaces among furniture.

Anyways, this book changed my life. It will let you know the secrets of unifying hardware, shape and line, the geographical intersections that windows and doorways make for a room and how to furnish to that, placing furniture on rugs and rugs in the room, how to choose the correct rug (even persians!), and how to save a wall by stamping it (my word) with art or pictures. I was really shocked by the negative reviews, but it seems that some people expect more direction or they equate livable with beanbags strewn around the room or something. I dont know.

You really should get this book.

Hines is clearly a master of furniture placement and--it is rumored--an excellent antiques shopper. Her rooms are refined, warm, uptown and expensive; they are not young, they are not hip. She is traditional, but nothing here is ever stolid or dull.

Though soft monochromatic rooms often photograph as a wash, in person they are a different animal altogether, often rich and highly textural. The same problem plagues pictures in the books of Jeffrey Bihuber and Vicente Wolf: you can never capture what those rooms feel like in person (and I've been in them).

Hines is a good place to start if dallying in design. Her text is clear and makes for a nice read. She plays by the rules. Nothing here is earth-shattering, but it is all close to perfection. (not all clients want earth-shattering, and you probably don't either). If you think one of these types of rooms is easy to pull together, then--believe me--you probably have never tried it.

This is my favorite interior design book. As a design student I have a bookcase full of books, and this is the one I turn to over and over again. Ms. Gomez's graceful style is refreshing and easy to live with.

This book presents a lot of great information on how to put together comfortable spaces that look good. I am surprised at the negative reviews and can only assume that the readers were looking for inpirational picutres of colorful rooms and not practical advice on decorating. I own many decorating books but this is the first one that I read cover to cover because it tells you how to place furniture, design lighting, clean up the shell of the space. . . all those practical details that other books usually ignore. My style is more eclectic and colorful than the author but I certainly think that this book will help me translate it into rooms that will be comfortable for everyone.

Although I live in an apartment and have NO decorating budget, I love to dream. When I got a gift certificate to Amazon, I went browsing through the decorating books. And I'm thrilled that I got this one! I love the author's taste -- as she describes herself, she's "somewhere in the middle, not toally traditional and not quite contemporary." Which makes her suggestions very practical. Every page has beautiful photos and though I don't own a house or apartment nearly as lavish as the ones in the book, I've still picked up a lot of ideas and inspiration for my own modest dwelling -- and for the lavish home I'll eventually have.

I was saddened to see several people didn't understand how Ms. Gomez' definition of luxury fit into daily lives. Not all designers' styles will appeal to everyman, and this I think is truly the case here. I fully melted into these photos (any designer's text will get old after awhile, but the visuals are what matters in most shelter books/mags anyway), and believe that luxury is that one beautiful chair, eating off of the silver instead of stainless, or editing a room's structure, content, and "feel" until the only things that are there are what is truly beautiful or truly useful--heard that phrase before??

Luxury is in the color, the texture, the way something speaks to you, quiet and consistent. For some, that means there should be more of everything, much like Mario Buatta. For some, it's John Saladino, Victoria Hagan, Barbara Barry...or Mariette Hines-Gomez. It's the difference between an emerald-cut diamond v. a round cut surrounded by pave stones, or the classic cashmere turtleneck and trousers or that pair of perfectly broken in jeans, or a heavily beaded dress...each luxurious in its own way and appropriate for some people but not everyone. In the furnishings world, some people are Hepplewhite, some are Pottery Barn, and others are drawn to Ms. Gomez or, to the mass market, C.S. Post or Baker's Milling Road. Nothing wrong with any of these--it's what says "home" to YOU.

This book will show you how to pare things down, using quality of any age, mixing a Paris deco chair with a more traditional desk or or steel and glass table with a Chippendale tufted sofa. It's just as easy to live in these rooms as any other, IF you're in a room that reflects who YOU are. That's what design is all about; if a room that's been fit with subtle enhancements, like great moldings or a simple slate fireplace surround, furniture with great lines and fabric, and less ornamentation appeals to you, then "Rooms" will be a book you pore over, again and again.

I have a large collection of books on interior design. This one is the best of the best. Mariette is most generous in sharing her talented insight. She tells the reader as well as shows the reader what makes a beautiful room (too many books on design are just advertisements for the designer without sharing any insight). I learned more from this book on design than from any other that I own. My favorite principles learned had to do with maintaining a certain honesty and integrity in the designing process--in being true to the house and to the space. I also learned a great deal on balance and on using color with subtlety. I highly recommend this book!

To those who want learn how to create tasteful rooms, the information in this book is truly very helpful. An added bonus is that it's really beautiful to look at. Mariette Himes Gomez is a professional, and her rooms show it--no hay, cardboard, or feathers on the walls here. She finds a way to appease both audiences--those who like less and those who like more. In the end, you have the knowledge to create rooms that are well-balanced, peaceful, and that reflect your own personal style. Perhaps some consider that high-end, but I think most will consider it elegant.
Gomez doesn't tell you what you must do; she allows you to use your imagination and create what you want. She always considers her clients needs. If you want a room in which you can put up your feet, go for it-she doesn't say use the exact colors or furniture she uses. Get the table and couch you want or can afford, just be mindful of the way you arrange it. I'm shocked by the negative reviews and how unhelpful they are-as if they were written to poke fun and not help people who are considering buying the book.

As I thumbed through nine years of back issues of 'Architectural Digest this year, I was re captivated by the photos of particular homes. They were always interiors designed by Mariette Himes Gomez. I ordered 'Rooms' by Gomez and am thrilled with the book! I by no means have a pocket book like Mariette Himes Gomez or her clients, but can put many of her interior design methods to use now, thanks to her book. I love how she transforms a room into an atmosphere that is an art in itself. She shares her incredible talent in a book that is a pleasure to read. Since reading 'Rooms', I've rearranged furniture, paired art and accessorized table tops without struggling anymore. Her discussion on lighting helped my husband and I make the move to track lights that don't detract from the light fixtures we enjoy for their craftsmanship. 'Rooms' is a book I'll refer to as I tackle future interior design improvement projects in our home. Thank you, Mariette Himes Gomez for a luxurious book with practical design concepts.