Amazon.com Review
Leslie Linsley comes to the rescue with First Home, written expressly for those furnishing and decorating a house or apartment for the first time. Linsley's room-by-room approach is focused, relaxed, and helpful, and she stresses repeatedly that it doesn't all have to happen at once: "Don't be in a hurry and don't be embarrassed if your house or apartment is filled with empty space for a while. Take your time." Thinking, planning, buying the pieces that are most important first--what Linsley dubs the "I-can't-live-without-a-bed" items--and living in the space for a while before deciding exactly how to fill it help ensure that each room will reflect your personal style and go easy on your overall budget.
Linsley covers all the practical aspects of choosing a room's permanent and semipermanent fixtures--wall and floor coverings, lighting, furniture, window treatments, storage, hardware, and accessories--thoroughly and sensibly, always making a case for both high quality and good value: "Comfort is more important than anything. If it looks good but feels wrong, it won't last."
She gives great rules of thumb for space planning and furniture placement (e.g., allow three feet for opening drawers, and two to three feet for pulling dining chairs away from the table). Small tips in the margins offer everything from where to find online advice for wallpapering to a list of the toll-free phone numbers for major appliance manufacturers. Perhaps the book's only weak point is the sidebar tips from professional designers, which are too brief and oblique to be truly helpful. But Linsley's own advice is so solidly on the mark as to make this a near-perfect choice not only for first-time decorators but also for those considering a new look for their living space. --Barrie Trinkle
From Library Journal
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
