The book is absolutely beautiful with great color photographs and lots of information. The only thing I would caution against is that the book is mainly focused on traditional/classic and country/cozy type styles. There are a few contemporary designs featured, but anyone who is looking to design their entire house in a contemporary/modern style (think Ikea furniture) may be disappointed. New Decorating Book (Better Homes & Gardens Decorating)
When we moved into our first home, I didn't know where to begin. I admit I didn't know much about decorating and wasn't even sure of what my own tastes were. I also didn't know much about what my options were. I mean, I'm clueless when it comes to furniture styles, colors, arranging furniture and that sort of thing. We got this as a wedding gift, and I'm using it all the time. At first my husband and I used it as a kind of dream book, and we'd look at the pictures and make wish lists of how we wanted our home to look. (There are sticky notes sticking out all over the book now!) Then, I started reading,and I realized it's like a little textbook on decorating. I'm getting braver now, and our home is looking better, little by little. And, I know it sounds as if I'm in some kind of commercial, but we never put this book away. Thank you, Better Homes and Gardens.
I am loving this book. I admit I did not buy it but received it as a housewarming gift. We have decided it is the best gift that we received, because we've already spent many evenings looking through the book together. (I never thought my macho husband would look at a decorating book. But it's not a cutesy, paint-this-and-that book. I knew he was getting into it when he started bookmarking pages.) The color pictures are worth the money all by themselves. Dreamy with lots of variety. I don't want my style dictated to me, and seeing all these different kinds of rooms and furnishings is great. The quiz on finding our own style is fun. We both took it and compared notes. Right now, I'm into the room arranging section, which has gotten me to redo our living room without spending any money at all. All I did was rearrange the furniture and it made the room so much cozier.Now I know what to get friends when they have housewarming parties.
This book is meant to be a comprehensive decorating guide and covers a vast array of subjects. The text does a decent job of briefly discussing various topics although it is far from comprehensive. In the section covering fabrics and upholstery, for example, I was a bit shocked to see that leather is never even mentioned (nor does it appear in the index). Unfortunately, this type of omission is typical. By trying to cram every decorating topic under the sun into 400 pages there is no subject that really gets the attention it deserves. Perhaps the biggest problem with this book is that it has such a strong "house style" that, despite their lip service to different styles, most of the rooms seem to end up looking remarkably similar. Virtually every room has either a loud floral print or a large vase of flowers dominating the room. And lots of clutter is usually found keeping those florals company. For those who love the country cottage style, I can see this book offering a treasure trove of great ideas and photos. For those like myself who prefer a cleaner, more contemporary feel there is little here of interest. The text is occasionally useful but the discussion on each topic is too shallow to provide a real blueprint. Overall, this book was a real disappointment.
I looked at the last three reviews and decided to get this book. I'm so glad I did. I haven't begun to digest it all, but I've already spent hours just sitting and enjoying all the color photos. So far, I've used ideas to brighten up our outdoor deck furniture, rearrange the living room furniture, and now we're planning our big master bedroom redo for this all. What I like is the variety of ideas and the explanation of all the decorating basics. I know it's corny, but this book is sort of like having a decorator friend helping me. Thanks, Better Homes and Gardens.
I saw the previous review and, lo and behold, saw the book in a big display at a local bookstore an hour later. I figured someone was trying to tell me something! I got it at the store, only to see that it's cheaper at amazon. Oh well. I'm glad I bought this book, because it is relevant and current, as the previous reviewer said. I'm really excited about all the ideas in the book, and I can see that it's also going to teach me all those decorating basics that I need. I didn't expect this from Better Homes and Gardens, but I must admit that I don't read the magazine. The book is over 400 pages and full of great color photos of very stylish rooms. A bargain!
Some of the only decorating books worth keeping are published by Better Homes & Gardens. This one, as well as the new edition which is not being shown on Amazon.com, are excellent. These are books you should OWN, have on your shelf, and refer to. Whether you're looking for colour ideas, window treatments, where to place lamps, how hight to hang a picture, etc. these books offer what you need to understand balance, scale, and how to make a room look perfect. I would also consider giving these books away as gifts - they are very useful and the pictures are BIG which is everything. Short on text, long on visuals, is what makes a decorating book worth buying.
Someone was reading my mind when they put this decorating book together. It has EVERYTHING. I've gone through so many books that propose one philosophy or one style or some other very narrow topic. What I needed was THIS. I needed some grounding in interior design so I could understand how everything might go together in our own home. Few books explain anything beyond the author's own point of view these days. This one explains the basics so I can make my OWN decisions. What a breath of fresh air. I found just about every style in here but I agree with one reviewer who said there isn't a lot of "contemporary" in this book -- thank goodness for that. I laughed when I watched a recent Trading Spaces episode in which the homeowners and the host were yelling, "No contemporary!" My feeling exactly. I did notice that this book (a bargain, by the way) is a soft-cover edition of a book that came out five or six years ago, so that probably explains the overriding traditional and cottage feeling. Fine with me. I'm looking for classics. - Interior Design - Cottage Decor - Decor - Decorate'
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