The Family Home (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The white rug. The satin wallpaper. The glass-topped table. Your antique glass collection! If your decorating scheme is starting to look impractical--or downright dangerous--because a baby's either on the way or has already arrived, The Family Home can help.

Joanna Copestick, whose other books include Color and Storage, has written a manual for making the home an accessory to family life. She takes into account the changing nature of family (which, in the 1990s, can consist of children from several marriages, grandparents, or a single parent) and home (because many are also part- or full-time offices). Copestick goes room to room and with a designer's finger points out how you can make each room suitable for your family's needs. She warns against falling for fads, instead advising you to evaluate your own preferences and incorporate them into your decorating schemes. Simple ideas for making the home hospitable to both children and parents abound: "toy storage baskets and chests can be placed to the side of a sofa or chair at night for use as a side table." Copestick's recommendations are based on the enlightened precept that "it's always better to work around your offspring than fight against the decorative limitations they impose."

You'll refer to The Family Home for many years. It'll come in handy when you have a baby around, in the midst of the preschool days, and during the awkward teenage years (when just shutting the door may be the best decorating strategy). Copestick even addresses the all-too-brief time when grandchildren and adult children gather to fill your nest. --Stefanie Durbin

Product Description

Drawing on the decorating secrets of six real-life families, a copiously illustrated handbook features twenty home decorating, furnishing, and improvement projects designed to create warm and inviting rooms for the whole family, along with time-saving suggestions.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang; F edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556708513
• ISBN-13: 978-1556708510
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,162,131 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific resource, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

I love this book! I moved into a new home around the same time I had my first child and although my first priority was keeping my house organized and child-friendly, maintaining a semblance of style was a near second. This book gave me some great ideas, most of which were financially accessible (think Ikea), and helped me create a family room that transitions easily between a completely kid-friendly play space during the day and a comfortable and attractive place for adults to hang out a night. Plus, the book is loaded with beautiful pictures and makes for fun browsing, even if you are not a redecorating mode.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, beautiful book, November 29, 1998

By A Customer

I love this book! It has wonderful pictures of beautiful spaces. I love how this book really speaks to how to incorporate children into your decorating so they feel comfortable and have fun but without making your house feel or look like a nursery school. The author has lots of fun but is very practical with her ideas. Very useful.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SO GOOD!, June 11, 2004

By A Customer

This is a fantastic book.It not only offers great, creative, and versitile decorating tips, but gives family activities and children's projects ideas to create a well rounded home. The photos are even gorgeous. THey have decorating for every kind of lifestyle - city, tropical,country, it's entertaining to read!
Really, I"m 14, and i love it! I can't actually use it yet, but looking through it is so great.