Customer Reviews

Speed Decorating: A Pro Stagers Tips and Trade Secrets for a Fabulous Home in a Week or Less

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I had high hopes for learning professional tricks that would add a final polish to my already furnished and clutter-free rental home. Unfortunately for me, the genuinely speedy advice in Vegas' book covers familiar ground like buying candles and flowers. Her advice strongly emphasizes decluttering and replacing furniture. Plus, she sees a complete kitchen rehab as a project that can be planned and accomplished in under a week, which will be news to anyone who's done one (and is of no help to us renters). Needless to say, her tips are not inexpensive, either! On the plus side, the photos show handsome clean-lined spaces; and the text layout does a good job of pulling out the quicker -- if predictable -- hints for easy use.

If you intend to spend a week per room reviving your home, I'd start with Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan's Apartment Therapy instead. If your hope is to add grace notes, any of Alexandra Stoddard's decorating books may be more inspiring.

It had some nice pictures. The part about outside spaces inspired me to redo my apartment patio.
I liked APARTMENT THERAPY better.

A rare decorating book - one that gives you practical advice that you can actually apply! So many design books just show pretty pictures that are totally unattainable for the reader. Speed Decorating has the inspiring photos, but also gives you step-by-step info on how to transform your home quickly and affordably, room by room. Jill Vegas has you pin-point what you want to change, and inspires you to do it, from decorating to critical repairs. My dining room table had been wobbly for months. Thanks to Speed Decorating I finally took the time to make a quick fix that makes a huge difference in my home. This book is like having a decorating pro by your side at a fraction of the cost. And if you're trying to sell your home in this market, it's a must-read.

Don't be taken in by the glowing 5-star reviews...click on their 'see all my reviews' to find out why.

As the other 1-star reviewer writes, this is a clever title disguising poor content and bad production - the interiors are dated, the text banal and badly written, the paper is really cheap so the colours look strange. There are no 'before' shots, there's nothing in the way of 'speedy' projects, and there's no home featured here that doesn't already have great architecture and designer furniture.

if you came looking for this book, as I did, after seeing it on the Apartment Therapy blog, save your money: they've already used the best pictures online.

I'm returning mine to Amazon for a refund - the first time ever I've done this.

Recently I heard about the book, Speed Decorating, and that its' author, Jill Vegas, was going to be at a DWR store a few blocks from my home. Unfortunately I was unable to attend so I purchased the book through Amazon. I got into the book immediately since I have been focused on giving my loft a facelift for the past few years and have been paralyzed. The book is the perfect remedy for anyone who needs the inspiration and confidence to go with their instincts and make those quick-fix changes to their home. By using Jill's advice for "dining room musts", I replaced a light fixture and dining room chairs and now have a room that reflects my personality and makes me happy to be in! I highly recommend this book.

I was hopeful that this book (copyright 2009) would have some fresh ideas to offer based on the back cover description: "Unbelievable instant transformations for every room in the house - Hottest decorating tips from award-winning stager." The reality could not be further from this description. All the photos are poor quality and extremely dated in feel (1970s) and the author offers nothing new in terms of advice. Further (based on that back cover description) I expected to see "before" and "after" photos, which would help to understand the "transformation" process of quickly re-designing a room. I also expected that the author would include examples of different styles (traditional, country, contemporary, etc.), but in reality it is a lot of the same mid-century-styled (old) house being shown. I would not recommend this book.

It was the preview that sealed the deal. After glimpsing a few pages, I immediately ordered this book, eagerly awaiting its arrival. So pleased with my decision. Glad to add to my growing collection of great books on design.

I really enjoyed the pictures in this book but I also happen to like mid century furniture used in a current setting. I also like clean lines. It may not contain that much new information but for some of us, it is the clean it up and eliminate the clutter message we really need.

A friend of mine went to the Speed Decorating event in Minneapolis recently, and was very impressed. So I went to Amazon to check the book out, ordered it, and I, too, now give it a rave review! Beautiful photos, colors, layout, and the personal comments by Jill Vegas were a plus. I am not in the market for most decorating books now, and pretty content with our home but her book was a gift of fresh ideas without the sense that everything we have is wrong. I am looking at things in our home with a new eye. It will be with pride that we leave it on our "coffee table".

Speed Decorating is perfect for someone like me, who isn't in the design industry, yet frequently feels frustrated by rooms in my home that seem to be in dire need of a facelift. Sure, we all know to "declutter," but, how to do that and make the space attractive, inspiring or feel like a desirable and uplifting representation of who we are is a whole different story. I received my book as a gift, and I can honestly say I found it easy to look at and read it long enough to know, "Ok, I can do this!" Within one week, I came up with economical solutions to three areas in my home that bugged me. The book is fun, approachable, well-organized and provides simple marching orders to have fun, get inspired, be confident and take it a step at a time. Additionally, this book debunked the myth that I have to wait for a decorating change I'd love until I can afford an expensive overhaul or purchase. So, for me, I adore the book! ...and, I'm just a reader...