Elegant and Easy Rooms : 250 Trade Secrets for Decorating Your Home

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Summary: A fun book to read with truly useful decorating information.
Review: I've looked at many of those big, glossy books and gotten few usable suggestions. I wanted a book that could help me make specific design choices. For example paint colors: I wanted a yellow hall like the one I saw in a magazine. I used the yellow suggested in "Elegant and Easy Rooms," and it turned out beautiful! Much nicer that the first yellow I tried. Same with curtains, I used one of the treatments in the book and it turned out just the way I wanted it. I've had a lot of success using this book.

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Summary: A terrific investment!
Review: I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book, and I can understand that it's not for everyone. What I like about it is that it not only gives you ideas but tells you how to carry them out. The skill/expense level can vary, but there is a broad range of ideas to choose from. There are no photographs in this book. I think the idea is that you have looked elsewhere for inspiration, and now you receive the practical know how to make it happen. If you are a creative person who has ideas of your own and wants to learn how to create a highly personal environment, this is the book for you.

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Summary: Paint Chapter Helpful
Review: I've spent many an hour looking at paint chips hoping that I will be happy with the results which stems from my lack of confidence and the overwhelming selection available at the store. This book gives you some tried and true paint choices -- I enjoyed this section very much. I only wished they had fleshed the chapter out much further to give more suggestions on taupe and sienna colors as well and a few more common interior colors beyond what was offered. Their suggestions for white and the underlying color tones in whites and molding and ceiling tricks to make it all harmonize together are very good. Other chapters had some thoughtful information in it as well. This book does not replace a good design book, more it is to spark some ideas and other tidbits that perhaps you hadn't thought about before. I think it was worth my money solely on the paint chapter.

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Summary: There are better decorating books out there
Review: If you want pithy text that inspires and educates, as well as gorgeous photographs, there are better books on the market -- books that do both jobs beautifully. I like The New Decorating Book by Better Homes and Gardens, as well as Terence Conran's Essential House Book much better.

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Summary: Great insider tips to get a unified decorator look
Review: If you're tired of "Decorating in the Tuscany Style" or "The Country Home" books, this book is for you. I didn't want one look throughout my home, not to mention I don't have $25,000 to purchase the items needed to get that "one look" theme. I needed a book to help me create a unified look with the items I already own. This book gave advice on how to place accessories, matching tonalities of color, adding a decorator trick to really give a room that extra ummph. Great little insider tricks to painting ceilings, making a small room cozy, not cramped. Despite the lack of pictures, this was a must buy.

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Summary: Been there, done that
Review: The book is filled with many little tips, but the trouble is I've read them all before in other books, decorating magazines, etc. It's a collection of cliches, but I suppose it sells because it's worth the $10 or so that amazon charges for it.

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Summary: Some great tips & info, but not many examples
Review: There is some great information and tips, especially for the novices, just starting out. However, the book just has black & white illustrations, and not exactly detailed. No color whatsoever, yet a whole chapter was devoted to it. (I find that rather ironic) All in all, a lot of information even if you're a visual person. If you liked this book, try "Fabrique Technique" a system (with room photos) on how to actually coordinate 3 fabrics within a room.

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Summary: This is a handy decorating tool.
Review: This book has some valuable but simple information for decorating your home. Some of it may have been a little too simplistic, but definitely a worthwhile read.

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Summary: From the Simple to the Silly
Review: This book is a list of bullet points with specific decorating ideas from the simple (weave artificial ivy through the security bars on your windows) to the impractical (have your lampshades custom lined with gold or pink silk for a flattering light). If some of the ideas appeal to you, you may find the book worthwhile. If not, you won't find any general decorating theories to help you design own space. (And by the way -- if you can afford custom-lined lampshades, skip the book and hire a decorator.)

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Summary: Friendly advice and how-to's to make you feel like a pro
Review: This book is fabulous! My husband and I just bought our first home, and I wanted someone to give me some quick and easy ideas and kind of "jump start" my own imagination. This book has done just that! When it arrived, I read it cover to cover, and since then (I've had it about a month) I refer to it constantly! It's like having a good friend give you fresh ideas and a little nudge to let you know its OK -- you, too, can dare to be a decorator!