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Furnishing Forward: A Practical Guide to Furnishing for a Lifetime [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Anna Williams (Contributor) "Whether you express your style through the way you dress or the type of car you drive (or don't drive), all of us express our..." (more)
Key Phrases: furnishing forward, color inferiority complex, style schizophrenia, New York, Jennifer Convertibles, Pottery Barn (more...)

3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Sheila Bridges shares both professional and personal anecdotes as well as lots of solid information to help home and apartment dwellers make the transition from Ikea to eclectic, from milk crates to furniture that will endure for years. Furnishing Forward guides the reader through finding and implementing a personal style within a realistic budget, with advice on where and how to shop for quality pieces as well as working with design professionals to create the look you want. With its witty narrative tone and its design-by-personality-type approach, no other decorating book is as useful for a younger audience while displaying a timeless style.

About the Author

Sheila Bridges is president of Sheila Bridges Design, a New York-based company. Her own Manhattan apartment and many of those of her clients have been featured in magazines and books, including The Best of Martha Stewart: Living, Decorating Details, House and Garden, House Beautiful, and Town & Country. She lives in New York City.

Product Details

Hardcover: 184 pages
Publisher: Bulfinch; 1 edition (May 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0821226991
ISBN-13: 978-0821226995
Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds

Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #948,735 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
Whether you express your style through the way you dress or the type of car you drive (or don't drive), all of us express our own personal style at every moment of every day. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
furnishing forward, color inferiority complex, style schizophrenia, style category, window treatments

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Jennifer Convertibles, Pottery Barn

New!
Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 2 books:

The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud on page 128
The Rose Bowl by Julian. May in Back Matter

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	74% buy the item featured on this page: Furnishing Forward: A Practical Guide to Furnishing for a Lifetime 3.9 out of 5 stars (18)
	10% buy Cecil Hayes Art of Decorative Details: Creative Ways to Design the Home of Your Dreams 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) $23.96
	8% buy Cecil Hayes 9 Steps to Beautiful Living: Dream, Design, and Decorate Your Home with Style 4.8 out of 5 stars (5) $29.95
	6% buy Harlem Style : Designing for the New Urban Aesthetic 5.0 out of 5 stars (4)

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews

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

Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Humourous and Helpful, June 28, 2002

By	The Passionate Mind "Mom and Reader." (United States) - See all my reviews

This is a fun read, and doesn't take too long. GREAT pictures, and a very articulate and educated style. Bridges shares from her wealth of experience and expertise to convince you to furnish your home comfortably and with quality pieces that will last.

However, if you're looking for a book to help you learn how to design interiors, go check out Straight Talk about Design by Lynnette Jennings, or something similar.

It's a good read, but I wouldn't say it's worth the [money]. If I had it to do again, I'd go to a book club or get it used.

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33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Furnishing Forward, April 8, 2002

By	"twilliams131" (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

Great book! I can see why Time magazine named Ms. Bridges #1 Designer for 2001. This is the first design book that I have enjoyed reading. Usually I just look at the pictures. The writing in most design books is normally so distant and professorial...while Furnishing Forward is very personal and funny, yet also practical and relevant. The pictures, which are beautiful, are used to show examples of the writer's point...rather than to just "show off" beautifully designed homes.

I believe the book is is a must read for people who are transitioning from temporary apartment living to a real home. It takes a lot of the mystery out of design...in an unusually upfront and truthful way. Due to my personal transition from "black-leather-sofa apartment living" to "a mix of antiques and country furnishings in a real home", I can relate to many of the issues and solutions provided by this book...and since this transition is never over, as the book points out, I will continue to use it as a reference.

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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bridges Hits Home Run, March 21, 2002

By A Customer

I jsut finished reading Bridges first full length book on design and I was amazed. Her advice about selecting and building a comfortable home enviornment hit the spot for me. I am in the market for a major living space overhaul to accomodate my new in home office and her advice was so practical. I have always been afraid to use colors and was inspired by the vaiety shown in the book. I could totally relate to her antedotes about our furniture life cycles. I think it is about time I get rid of my shag carpet and particle board furniture. The reading was light and easy, but very informative. The pictures are so great, the book qualifies for my coffee table.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Meh
A few inspiring photos. But many just seem dated now. Most of the advice is valid but only useful to design newbies. Read more

Published 22 months ago by Ahh!

5.0 out of 5 stars A stepping stone for furnishing personal style
Well let me say I'm a huge fan of Bridges' work. Very recently, she was featured in the Nov. 2007 EBONY, which showed her furnished cottage house. Read more

Published 23 months ago by Anthony Marray

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
I thought this was a great book. I saw it in the library and thought it looked interesting. So many of the ideas in Sheila Bridges' book are common sense, practical ideas that... Read more

Published on July 17, 2007 by Leah N. Smith

3.0 out of 5 stars Hooray for the public library!
There are a lot of mixed reviews for this book, so I am hesitant to purchase it at this time, and I haven't yet read it, so will just give it *** because I like Sheila Bridges on... Read more

Published on January 7, 2007 by Judy Lodin

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Real Life Stories and Pictures
I really enjoyed this book! I found it very helpful to hear other people's stories about how their lives and their homes "grow together". Read more

Published on August 9, 2006 by Barbara

2.0 out of 5 stars Boring...
Is this really a designer? I found this book completely lacking in interest with nothing inspiring or innovative. One humdrum and boring room after another. Read more

Published on July 2, 2006 by gizmoshore

2.0 out of 5 stars Looking for more.....
I've seen many of Sheila's works in magazines so I anxiously bought the book for what I thought would be a more comprehensive analysis, interpretation and implimentation of her... Read more

Published on June 20, 2003 by Clrudy S Brown

3.0 out of 5 stars Traditional approach
Very pretty book - but rather tradional taste and style. Not a very thorough guide book - more of a coffee table book.

Published on July 21, 2002 by Janeloo

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
After getting this book and being very disappointed-it offers nothing new and doesn't do as good a job of explaining design as some other books I have-I realized that all those... Read more

Published on June 28, 2002 by M.D. Roettger

5.0 out of 5 stars Good insight. Great advice. Engaging pictures: What a Book!
Sheila Bridges, the self-described "walking, talking, fabric-wielding designer-decorator-stylist-psychologist-florist-accountant-collection agent... Read more

Published on June 8, 2002 by HB2

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