Rating: 
Summary: WIsh it had more examples
Review: I love to watch Michael Payne on "Designing for the Sexes" so I looked forward to reading this book. I was a bit disappointed in the format in that I had a pretty good idea of what Michael's responses to e-mails would be from watching his show. There was some useful advice but the book would benefit from more visual examples. Budget concerns were hardly addressed so it's hard to know how practical some of the answers would be to the average homeowner. It's a light and enjoyable read and might offer readers a bit of inspiration, but the book doesn't serve as a how-to for serious remodelers.
Rating: 
Summary: Really enjoyed this book!
Review: I read most of the reviews here before purchasing this book but had to see it for myself. I liked that the pictures and emails were from his show or private clients because it's a great point of reference. I'm a graphic designer, so he always made sense to me about color selections. Michael really listens to his clients and comes up with wonderful solutions, especially for couples with different tastes. I also don't think that you have to be a millionaire to incorporate his ideas, just smart about your budget and creative.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Impressed
Review: I was very dissapointed with this book. It had a few good decorating ideas. I love Michael's show and rarely miss and episode but I thought this book was not up to snuff. After going through the book and looking at all of the pictures carefully, I noticed that most of the before and afters were directly from his show. Considering the price tag of the book, I would recommend to just keep watching his show. Definitely not worth the money.
Rating: 
Summary: Poised to Strike
Review: Let's forgo the atomic fuzz-cloth shag carpets, unframed White Snake posters, and bottle-cap coffee tables for good. In fact, we'll leave behind the tasteless TV dinner stands and hypocritical, drapeless windowpanes, too, and give ourselves up to the ineluctable Gods of Modernity for once in our lives. I speak to all man. Never before has such a gloriously impish mind expressed its inner design so bloody well (and with such economy!). Michael Payne's first book is an astonishing array of decorating dilemnas, and to read it is to experience not just the utter re-imagination of the American household, but also the unraveling of a distinct conscienceness of style. Where do we live in the 21st century? In our minds and in our homes, and Payne hits the bullseye with this masterful take on the way we want to live, and the way we want to inhabit our most precious surroundings.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: Michael Payne has made his book as exciting and informative as his television show. This book is a wonderful source for anyone interested in good taste and good design. Bravo Michael!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous book
Review: Michael Payne is a design genius! I have been a long-time fan of "Designing for the Sexes" and I am thrilled that he released a book. I loved everything about this book- it's simplicity, personalization, it's how-to approach, the clean and modern graphic design- this book is impressive from all angles! His design ideas are by far the best of any I have seen. He is able to artfully extract the individuality of a person into his design. It is no wonder that he has been so successful at reaching a compromise for married couples. Buy it and heed his advice!!!
Rating:
Summary: Too many bubbles, not enough champagne...
Review: Michael Payne, the congenial host and designer of HGTV's "Designing for the Sexes", finally has a book out. A must for fans of the show, "Let's Ask Michael" is a good design book that could have been great.The book's layout is based upon actual customer questions that Michael has fielded over the years, most pages showing a before or after image of the rooms discussed (or something similar.) The hundred queries are a mix of broad and specific, covering the major rooms of the house. Michael answers each with that comforting grandfatherly style that he's known for. His solutions are top-notch and are the reason he is so sought after. If only the book were better. Though "Let's Ask Michael" captures Payne at his best and has roots in his show, the question/answer format may not the best way to approach a first book attempt. I'd much rather see Michael do a more typical design book and leave this format for a followup. His ideas do come through, but are somewhat constrained by the format. Also, the large typeface, though easy to read, masks the fact that the answers given are not very long. Large and overly bold side splashes on the page also consume a good amount of page real estate. Added together, stripping the splashes and cutting the type size would probably cut the 191 pages down to about 140 - truly "Design Lite." (The credits note that Payne's son designed the book. Oh well.) As for me, I want to know more. This lack cuts the rating on this book by two stars at least. Still, "Let's Ask Michael" is an enjoyable work simply because the author is fascinating. I was surprised to read in his online bio that his background is in physics and mathematics; he worked in the computer industry for many years before bolting to interior design. He's a genuine talent, so for the next book let's get more of Michael's ideas and less filler.
Rating:
Summary: I got it as a gift!!!
Review: My parents never get along, mostly because my father won't accomodate my mum, but for their anniversary I got them this book and, god bless them, they were able to laugh at each other over it. Before they couldn't even sleep in the same bed together without sometimes going feet-to-face, and now they plan their redecorating together. All that garbage my dad keeps in the drawers and on the shelves is currently being jettisoned -- old excercise and scientific books mostly -- in a concerted effort to open up the household, which is inspiring a new affection in my mum. Making it less cluttered helps halfway, but the book is giving them great ideas for changing things around, from elegant to simple, and from fairly expensive to surprisingly affordable. Our little house is a home! And cute! Thank you Mr. Michael Payne from the bottom of my heart.
Rating:
Summary: MIchael Answers With Inspiring Decorating Ideas
Review: Our TV fav host and ID does a neat thing: he answers emails and the publishes them with his answers and graphics. The show is really Michael's wonderful personality and design flexibility. Here it shows in advice on all rooms from kitchen to bath to living room to bedroom to dining room to family room and all others. His adept touch is in them all, such as this suggestion in regards to breathing new life into stale furniture on a tight budget: "have it professionally painted." It's answers like this that endure this guy to us in HGTV's audience. The index here is critical, since it cross-sections his answers not just by room, but by style, by topic e.g. wall color, by furniture piece, etc. 100 of them with good color shots and sketches and Michael. Only thing wish he'd included was a recommended bibliography for us who would like to go deeper.
Rating:
Summary: MIchael Answers With Great Decorating Ideas
Review: Our TV fav host and ID does a neat thing: he answers emails and the publishes them with his answers and graphics. The show is really Michael's wonderful personality and design flexibility. Here it shows in advice on all rooms from kitchen to bath to living room to bedroom to dining room to family room and all others. His adept touch is in them all, such as this suggestion in regards to breathing new life into stale furniture on a tight budget: "have it professionally painted." It's answers like this that endure this guy to us in HGTV's audience. The index here is critical, since it cross-sections his answers not just by room, but by style, by topic e.g. wall color, by furniture piece, etc. 100 of them with good color shots and sketches and Michael. Only thing wish he'd included was a recommended bibliography for us who would like to go deeper.
| 
