Product Description
Now available in paperback, this practical handbook is designed to help both beginners and aficionados decorate in the Arts and Crafts style. The movement's timeless appeal, characterized by superior craftsmanship and natural materials, is at home in any interior. Living in the Arts and Crafts Style helps readers understand what makes an Arts and Crafts space, from fabrics and wall treatments to warm lighting. For each element, whether a dining chair or a bathroom tile, photographs and drawings describe a range of typical styles. Special sidebar sections focus on classic designers of the era -- from William Morris to Gustav Stickley -- providing a look at their signature motifs and most famous pieces. Accessible text and glowing visuals give the reader the tools to take on home projects ranging from small accents to large-scale interior design. With hundreds of inspiring photographs as well as pictorial examples, this is the most comprehensive and useful guide available to decorating and dwelling in the Arts and Crafts style. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book!
This book helped kick off our interest in the Arts and Crafts style.It has a good smattering of examples showing everything from textiles to metalwork, furnishing to wallpapers.It also throws in brief bits of information about the Arts and Crafts movement and some of the "Who's Who" in the movement that were the leaders in the field.The author displays traditional rooms, modern rooms heavily decorated with the style and rooms featuring current adaptations of the style into modern settings.A great beginning book or for quick basic reference.Definitely recommended.If you like this book and want more information about the Arts and Crafts style, I'd also recommend "The Arts and Crafts Movement" (Sommer/Rago), "The Arts and Crafts Companion" (Todd) and "The Beautiful Necessity" (Smith/Yamamoto).

Good book
This is a good book for the person wanting to know more about the Arts and Craft movement and wanting to remodel, decorate, etc in that style.

How I'd Decorate a Bungalow
The Arts and Crafts style reached its zenith in the early twentieth century, just about the time the bungalow house style was spreading across the country. Today we are seeing a lot of bungalow houses built about that time being 'gentrified' into more modern residences as people are moving back into the urban areas and avoiding the commute.

This book is a guide to the styles in which these bungalows may well have been furnished when they were new. It shows furnishings that fit with the built in things like doors, light fixtures, fireplaces. The furnishings feature straight lines, beautiful materials, and honest craftmanship. They just seem to fit well into the bungalow.


This book shows the essence of the style, including both original furniture and modern derivations. It also spends a good bit of time talking about the colors that go with the movement. It's an inexpensive book that illustrates a timliness style. ... Read more

Product Description

• Page after page of rich, beautiful full-color photography will inspire homeowners.
• More than 30 home tours and nearly 300 photos showcase Country French style in every room of the house.
• Real homes illustrate the range of interpretations of Country French style, from rustic to casual to more formal.
• The book shows how to get the look with furniture, accessories, color, pattern, and architecture.

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Country French Style (Better Homes & Gardens
This book was pretty good but not great! I was a little disappointed but I've read many, many decorator books, so I guess I'm jaded, somewhat.

I'm a French Country gal and I really like this book
I've looked at several French Country books in the past that I didn't get because they were impractical,,,too fru-fru,,to much un-copy-able antiques or furnishings etc. This book worked for me because it gave many avenues of French Country from simple to ornate for real life people.I've gone back to the pictures many times and for the money it's cheaper than 2-3 magazines.

Inspirational
The variety of homes that have beautiful French touches is terrific.From simple country toquite la-de-da, I found lots of great ideas. And to hear in homeowners' own words how they did it was fun.

Don't Bother!
This book is nothing but a compilation of decorating magazines' photos, and photos from other books.Charles Faudree lends his photos out to everyone, including this book.His are the best, however.If you read the high end decorating magazines, don't bother with this book.I recognized every photo.What a waste of my time and money. ... Read more

Product Description
America's leading color expert shows how to choose the right color combinations for all your rooms based on Color Moods from your own personality, nature, and travel. Most decorating books start out telling readers how to achieve someone else's notion of how a room should look. This book is different. It helps you determine how you want yourself, your family, and your friends to feel when entering each room in your home. It combines psychology with a practical how-to and reveals which colors and color combinations will achieve the feeling and personal style you want to project in each room. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Understanding the Effects of Color
If you've ever wondered why you love one color and hate another, Colors For Your Every Mood is the book for you.It begins with a test requiring you to list your reactions to a list of colors.Don't worry, it's not something you can fail.There's no teacher looking over your shoulder.Then Eiseman examines each color providing historical contest was well as known psychological and physiological reactions to the color.Finally, she explains the connotations involved with the choice of colors in decorating individual rooms within a home.Colors For Your Every Mood also offers tips on color selection, matching, and balance.Whether or not you agree with her findings, Eiseman's explorations of each color are interesting.

Color mood answer book
In my opinion this Leatrice Eiseman book is much better than the "Colors for your every mood" (L.Eisman). You will find plenty of color resources and answers. Some time she is very focus in psychology and emotional reactions and forget the practical side.

No one who has seen this book has been able to put it down
This is a fun book on color that seems to appeal to just about everyone who sees it.The ability to step outside one's own sphere of personal preference and appeal to a wide variety of taste is, I think, one of the most difficult challenges to the design book author, and that is the greatest achievement of this book.I was drawn to the soft pastels of what the author classifies as "Romantic" and "Nurturing," as well as the icy blues of "Winter Frost".I am always amazed when someone picks up the book and pours over the insufferably ugly "Traditional" palate featuring a red carpet, forest-green walls and a plaid couch, but there you go.Something for everyone.

The author pairs photos of interiors, exteriors, and nature with a paint chips that approximate the look-and-feel of the illustration, which I found to be a fun approach."Parisian Cafe" and "Marrakech" are two intriguing examples of using a certain place to inform color selection.The essays on color are a little cliched, too ofen embroidering the obvious (blue is "the color of the sky," we are told; pink is "soft and innocent" and red is "the color of excitement") but the photos are lovely and the general approach teaches one how to deconstruct an image or aplace into a palette that can be used in an interior.

Color Me
This book explained things I never did know about colors and served a a tool when creating my web site.The author take you through the history and usage of colors.It is truely a worthty purchase.

Web Developers with no sense of color look no further...
As a web developer I spend most of my day writing code and worrying about the code working on all browsers, etc. Up until recently I had no desire to learn about color and the feelings behind it. If you are in a similar situation look no more. This book has made a permanent position on my desk and will continue to help me with the design and development of my future projects. Hats off to the authors....
I have fully recommended this book to the entire Long island Flash User's Group (LIFUG). ... Read more

Product Description
A source of both inspiration and practical ideas, Colonial Homes Classic American Decorating profiles six homes and explores indepth the specific elements that contribute to the overall look:color and pattern, fabric, furniture, and finishing touches. Readers are given the "big picture" -- an overview of the basic tenets of good design at work -- and then shown how to achieve it.

Rather than focusing on a narrow definition of "colonial," Colonial Homes Classic American Decorating features a classic Virginia farmstead, an 1818 Federal period house, a New York City apartment, and a Washington, D.C. townhouse. The homes are located in various regions of the country, and the story behind each captures the owners' passions.

A chapter on color and pattern instructs readers on the use of specific elements to enliven a room's dicor -- stenciling, floor painting, faux finishes, and wallpaper. The fabrics chapter covers slipcovers, window treatments, bed coverings, and rugs. The home furnishings chapter illustrates how homeowners have incorporated antiques and reproductions. Finally, a chapter on collectibles and finishing touches discusses how everything from artwork to candlesticks contributes to a classic American decor.

For a fresh look at home decorating -- and a new perspective on what constitutes classic Colonial Homes Classic American Decorating is thebook of choice!

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A sumptuous collection from the pages of COLONIAL HOME
Poor "Colonial Home" magazine.After decades as the premiere magazine of antique American homes, it changed its name to "Classic American Home" and then was out of business in the ad-pages slump that followed September 11th, 2001.It was a great loss to those who love viewing and learning about historical American homes.

Fortunately, even if you were never a "Colonial Homes" subscriber, you can still indulge your love for classic American style via Rosemary Rennicke's lovely "Classic American Decorating."The homes features herein are all taken from the pages of the magazine, and they amply show the magazine's high quality and standards.There is no country-kitschy stuff here--everything is distilled to its purest essence, whether it is a keeping room in an 18th century Connecticut home or the bedroom in a high-rise Manhattan apartment building.

The book is divided into chapters covering architecture, furniture, accessories, and so on.The photography is handsome, and the book design is pleasing to the eye.Rennicke's text is admirable not only for its insight, but for its restraint.She leads the reader gently along, pointing out what is of interest without being intrusive or overly pedantic.This is a coffee table book home-lovers will turn to again and again for a sweet indulgence in domestic day-dreaming. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether giving a current surrounding a makeover, or starting fresh in a new place, The Space Planner helps do-it-yourself home decorators identify the right design approach for the home. With an in-depth introduction and sections for each room in the house, this interactive journal provides the tools needed to turn an ordinary room into a haven that reflects both individual style and needs. Map out a room design on one of the included laminated grids, rearrange it until something clicks—and then get to work making that vision a reality! Includes: - Design tips and guidance - Sections for bedrooms, baths, kitchen, dining room, living room, family room, and office - Lifestyle questionnaire and budget worksheet for each room - Graph and note paper - Over 300 vinyl furniture stickers - Laminated grid pages - Pocket for inspirational photos and articles ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Home Space Planner
This is a great book for the do-it-yourselfer - very informative and the cutout templates for all the rooms in the house are very helpful and useful to see how the arrangement will work. I am a design student and love all books pertaining to design. I highly recommend this!

bed review
hi

It is almost a month and steel didn't receive the book{ The space planner}. what kind of review i can give? my credit card was charge right away but the book never came.
Kathy.

Larger scale would be much better.
This is a very complete space planner, templates for all sizes and shapes of furniture, and quite a bit of advice on space planning.However, the scale used was just too small for comfortable use.I ended up using my own larger scale graph paper and made my own larger templates, which is what I've done for years.None of the space planners available use a large enough scale in my opinion.But this is a very complete book and guide -- providing you have 20-20 vision.

A must for anyone decorating their home!
When we purchased our first home we had a million things to purchase and plan out when it came to rooms. This workbook has nice large grid pages as well ad"budget sheets" to help you figure out how much you are spending on paint/accessories.

This book went everywhere with me from getting carpet estimates to picking up gallons of paint.

The book even has a few pages of pockets to hold inspiration pictures as well as plastic furniture pop outs in the back to use when planning.

In terms of all the work books of this type I looked at I was most happy with this simply designed medium sized one.

great idea
if u just got a new home, or u are planning a move in the future this book is for you, it helps u decide how to organize and decorate every room, you cant go wrong with this one, great tips and ideas!! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Jessie Walker's country decorating
The book arrived damaged and the red dot on the bottom shows me that it was seconds and not in good condition. I don't like receiving books with bent corners.

Good and bad
Yes the book is beautiful and I'd love to have any of the rooms pictured.Nice relaxing book to sit down with in the evening and daydream.However the homes pictured already have tons of architectural detail before any paint or furniture was added.Stone or brick walls, plank wood floors, high ceilings with beams - gorgeous.But I live in a five year old home.I'd love a country decorating book that showed me how to take my builders standard to country beautiful.

country decorating
This is the best book to receive ideas on how to decorate "Country" Using items where their not usually use for. It's just wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Nitty-Gritty About This Book
This review relates to the hardcover edition...

A square, large format hardback with dustcover, and a sewn binding. 144 pp. Glossy, pictorial hardback boards. Color photographs throughout. Index.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Country Style
Country Color
Fabulous Fabrics
Painted Pleasure
Country Ceramics
Wood and Metal
Country Collections
Outdoor Country

(P.S. This is a beautiful book.)

Great country decorating ideas
I always enjoy looking through a book that gives me ideas.When I can look at picture after picture and see great decorating techniques I can copy, I want to share that with the rest of you gals looking for the same thing.So....if you're into country / primitive decorating, then this book is a great tool.Beautiful color photos that will make you run to your nearest antique store or flea market, because you'll be itching to decorate! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

wrong picture
The picture shown is not the book listed. Both books do have the same ISBN number some how. So if you order it you my get either book.

Taking care of the customer...
Unfortunately I never received this title because it was lost in the mail.World of Books did replace the item with a comparable item, and I received it shortly afterward.At the time, I was not completely satisfied and World of Books made note of the fact.They bent over backwards and sent me another comparable title on their tab. Although they did not have to do this, they took care of their customer.In today's business world, it is hard to find a company that lives up to customer service and satisfaction guaranteed... World of Books does exemplify this principle.
Thank you!

Very informative
This book is excellent for those who are just starting out with cake decorating.The book includes, what each decorating tip is used for and an actual size example of what disign it makes, icing recipes, how to prepare a cake for decorating, how to icing a cake, and many cake designs.The only reason I rated it four stars is because the cake designs are outdated for this time.I think there is an updated version of this book, but this one still is very informative.

Great information
I find this book very informative. Great pictures. This will really come in handy in the coming years.

Wilton Way Vol. 2
This was the last book I needed to complete my collection.While I love the book, the sellers didn't mention that it didn't have its dust cover, so I'm rather disappointed that that fact wasn't disclosed first.However, it was shipped VERY quickly and packed securely.I am a Wilton teacher, so this book gives much information for advanced techniques. ... Read more

Product Description
A Girl's Guide to Decorating is a hip, practical decorating guide full of insider advice, cool and original ideas, fabulously glossy photography and clever tips for turning your space into a fabulous stylish pad - without spending a lot of money. Internationally renowned designer and stylist Abigail Ahern imparts her expertise on all aspects of home decoration - from the initial planning of a space to make it work for you, right through to the small details that will add a touch of glamour and make it unique. Abigail includes simple suggestions for how to approach every room in your house and all major decorating techniques are fully explained - from hanging wallpaper and painting walls, windows and doors, to creating shelving and achieving different lighting effects. Easy to follow step-by-step instructions and accompanying photography will inspire you to try your hand at every suggestion. Chapters are based around the fundamental elements of home design: space, colour, light, texture and the individual touches that make it your own. Abigail encourages you to be brave with colour and pattern and to make a bold statement with your home.With Abigail's insider knowledge, you can effortlessly turn something cheap from the high street into a unique and luxurious focus piece. With her low cost tips and idea adding instant glamour that are super easy to put into practice, Abigail proves that style has nothing to do with money. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

colorful and edgy
Love this book. What a breath of fresh air when you're craving something totally different and can't get your Dominoe magazine anymore. Abigail Ahern's take on decorating is totally bold and courageous and she holds nothing back. I love decorating books from across the pond they always tend to be more ecclectic and this one hits a home run with it's modern but earthy texture. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Country Ideas
This book is excellent.It is loaded with tons of country ideas that are not too country but not too modern.Great book to have on hand for a reference for country decorating ideas.

Palatial
This book has 750 ideas...but they are all shown in mansions.There is nothing resembling a modest home for us little people.Yes; I can use my imagination and transfer parts to work in smaller areas, but it would take a lot of imagination.It is a beautiful book.There is not a lot of text cluttering up the pictures.Unfortunately, it is not geared for my bungalow.

Wonderful Book
This book is filled with wonderful ideas reflecting the overall styles of Country Living's publication.Some photos were a little less than top-notch in places but overall it is a lovely book packed with creative ways to kick-start your country decorating or to refresh what you already have. It's like a giant version of your favorite magazine without the advertisements and it just keeps going.

Nice to Browse Through
Such a great buy.The book is huge and filled with tons of great photos.Also, there is not a lot of unnecessary descriptions so that makes it a relaxing read.I keep my copy on my end table, and from time to time, I flip through it.I always seem to find something I did not see previously.I also must note that the book is a soft cover, so it's comfortable to hold.

Tons of ideas in this book!
Are you the type of decorator that needs to see photos of actual decorating ideas?....or (by contrast) are you the type of decorator that needs alot of writing to describe decorating ideas?

Hum?
...Well, if you are the type of "visual" decorator that loves to look at photos of decorating ideas ,in order to be inspired, then this is a GREAT book to own!

I am a visual learner, and I love to look at photos to be inspired when I re-decorate, so this book was an amazing find for me.

The title of this book says: "750 decorating ideas ", and the title is indeed, absolutely correct!

PS: I also purchased a similar book called "House Beautiful's 750 decorating ideas", and I loved that book also. Both are truly inspirational for the visual learners, like me.

... Read more

Product Description
The ultimate home decorating book with over 500 full-color photographs of actual rooms that have been transformed for every type of décor-classic, country, contemporary. Concrete action plans and illustrated step-by-step instructions show how to create a look that reflects each homeowner's personal style-in one strikingly visual volume. ... Read more

Product Description
Sometimes you’re looking for it, sometimes it just finds you

Treasures of home décor abound at flea markets, thrift shops, and garage sales. But how do you know a find when you find it?
In The Find, Stan Williams and some of today’s most clever style makers, including Simon Doonan, John Derian, and Real Simple’s Kristin van Ogtrop–all diehard devotees of New York City’s Housing Works–show not just what to look for, but also how to look at an object to identify a great piece.The trick is to see beyond nicks and wobbles, color and intended purpose and to focus on potential.For example, a vintage leather trunk encased in Lucite works as a stunning coffee table. Pages from old books wallpaper a foyer. A cushion fashioned from a baseball diamond’s home plate makes a garden chair comfortable.

The Find includes chapters on furniture, accessories, small spaces, and entertaining. From a suburban ranch to an East Village studio in New York, each abode illustrates unexpected ways that secondhand items can make statements (or space) throughout a home.

Elegantly photographed, filled with practical sidebars about refurbishing, styling, and treasure-hunting, and replete with the quirky sensibility that has made Housing Works one of the most popular destinations for great things, The Find is at once a handbook and inspiration for vintage decorating. Secondhand does not mean second rate when there’s always something special to be found. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Decent book, but nothing earth-shattering
This is a nice book to flip through when you're bored.For real decorating or thrifting advice, though, turn elsewhere.

Elegant Decorating
The book The Find is a very elegant version of decorating with "found" objects.It shows many surprising juxtapositions of disparate pieces in a harmonious blend.The photos beautifully illustrate the refined style of the author, confirming that style trumps the challenge of interior decoration on a limited budget.

I Am A Thrift Furniture Junkie
There is nothing more satisfying than finding a piece of furniture for that spot in your home that seems so lonely. First is 'the hunt', then 'THE FIND', then 'the remaking', and then 'the placing' the piece in it's long awaited space.I loved THE FIND. It described me perfectly as my envious friends will tell you. People always ask me how I decorate so well with found furniture ,cast offs, and objects. Now all I have to do to explain is send themto buy THE FIND and they will have more help than I can give them.What a great find THE FIND is......

eclectic, colourful, trad-with-a-twist interior details
As the title suggests, this is an interiors sourcebook featuring 'found' second-hand furniture and objects. I bought it after a recommendation on Anne Sage's brilliant blog ([...]), and I definitely agree with her glowing review.

I'm really enjoying scrolling through this book. The images are wonderfully inspiring and the book itself beautifully produced. It would make a good present (in this case, to myself!)

The text is surprisingly engaging for an interior design book - these tend to state the bleeding obvious, but not here. But obviously the pictures take precedence, and most are self-explanatory. There are definitely a few projects I'm keen to try: I am loving the giantess's blackboard on page 219 (blackboard paint and a frame made from salvaged picture rail moulding); the chest of drawers covered in grey linen bookcloth on page 110; and I am very taken with the idea of papering a wall in pages from old ledgers as seen on p134.

A shame that there isn't more how-to detail (as with Martha Stewart), but anyone reasonably handy, with a little bit of common sense and access to Google, could manage most of the ideas featured.

But how frustrating that we don't have Housing Works in the UK! The local flea market or boot sale might be your best bet, alongside county sale-rooms in unsmart parts of the land. If you're in London, Portobello and Columbia Road markets are a possibility, as is the Old Cinema in Chiswick, but none of these are cheap. Personally, I'm eyeing up my parents' garage...

I have taken one star taken off because there's a very distinctive aesthetic at play. It's wider-ranging than, say, the 'Domino' book, but it's still pretty hokey. That's my taste, but if you're into minimalist, modernist, glamorous or impressive interiors, it almost certainly won't be yours.

Not What I Expected
I was very disappointed with this book. The cover looked like what I like, but inside it didn't deliver. It has lots of pictures, which is great, but not what I was expecting.My favorite books are The Paris Apartment, Creole Thrift, and the likes.I am a "paris apartment" girl, love shabby chic and Rachel Ashwell type looks.I like bits of country and cottage chic, as well, and some others, but this was totally boring to me.A waste of $20 as I will probably never look at it again.Most of my books and magazines I go through over and over, over years even, so this is definitely a disappointment to me.It's all what appeals to your taste.It wasn't what appealed to mine.The reason I gave it 3 out of 5 stars is that it is a nice book and just because it isn't my style, doesn't mean it isn't a decent book for someone else. ... Read more

Product Description
From an enlightening discussion on such basic principles as function, style, and color to a straightforward look at issues of budget and time, Michael covers all the essentials of creating a dream apartment easily and affordably. A winning blend of creative inspiration and practical guidance, The New Apartment Book provides "tricks of the trade" that new home decorators need. Full-color photos.Amazon.com Review
There comes a time for most young urban dwellers when theytire of futons on the floor and brick-and-board bookshelves. That'swhen they discover that decorating an apartment comes with a uniqueset of problems. Most people don't want to spend a lot of moneyrenovating a place they may live in for just a year or two, andlandlords can be picky about renovations such as enlarging rooms byknocking down walls. The New Apartment Book illustrates how tocreate a stylish home in limited space on a middle-class budget,whether your preferred look is upscale-funky or clean and spare.Though many of the examples feature light, roomy, well-proportionedapartments, many are also designed around elements that one mightconsider a problem: a tiny kitchen, a bathroom with no storage, an oddbrick wall, or a single living/sleeping area. Treat these asinteresting design features and use the space creatively, as this bookdoes, and bingo! No more problem. The "smart tips" scatteredthroughout are easy and fast. Although there are a few rather dullstep-by-step projects for lampshades and the like at the end of thebook, The New Apartment Book really shines as an inspiringguide to the possibilities of an average apartment or condominium. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

....like having dessert
I have bought a couple of these books and given them to friends who are getting their first apartment. Then I had to buy another one to keep for myself.I love the pictures and the ideas that the author discusses.It is a book I go back to time and time again when I feel like a decorating failure:)For me, it is like a wonderful dessert at the end of the day....

If You Like Grandmom's House
I brought this book without noting when it was published.It's old and very tired.Who lives in apartments that look like this today?I'm 56 years old and it was really out of date even to me.Don't waste your money unless you like a NY 1970 look. I'm really disappointed.

Great book for small additions to your apartment
I actually got this book through paperbookswap and it was worth the swap. I flagged lots of ideas that I could use in my new apartment, small things that don't cost alot or damage anything.The book has pictures using old, new and modern furnishing.I personally liked the old shabby chic, country look. Not only does it have lots of great pictures, but the text is really good information too.

The New Apartment Book
At first I was disappointed by this book, because as I flipped through the book, I found a lot of decorating ideas that weren't to my taste, but after going through it slowly a second time, I could appreciate a lot of the ideas and it's now become a fun resource book.It's a lot better than several of the apartment/condo decorating books I've perused in the past.

Recommended!
This book has lots of wonderful ideas for making your pad unique and comfortable with very little money.There is a really great (yet short) section on one room living, and a DIY section in the back. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (42)

Creative Cookies Rock!
Another great book from master pastry chef Toba Garrett.Well written and easy to understand.Loaded with recipes, tutorials and photos or illustrations.Definitely worth the money.

Very Enjobale
Easy to apply and create joyful cookes for every occasion. Suitable for everyone who has minimum appliances to work with.

a design masterpiece
Ok..ok.. so im not into fondant on a cookie or a cake because, well, it tastes gross. HOWEVER..one can easily adapt each idea with color flow, royal icing or chocolate.I was entirely impressed at the quality of work and ideas. nicely done, in my opinion. if you like decorating cookies and need pictures for ideas...this is one i'd surely recommend for your confectionary library.

Disapppointed
This book wasn't what I anticipated.Not alot of pictures for decorating ideas - so if you are looking for decorating ideas, this book is not the one you want1

It's ok
I was hoping for more step by step photos and instructions. I was also hoping for a bigger Christmas Cookie section - there were only a few ideas for the biggest cookie making/decorating time of the year. ... Read more

Product Description
Honestly, aren't you tired of spending your weekends pouring over paint chips, trying to measure your own windows accurately; fighting shopping crowds and unhelpful, unknowledgeable sales people; putting complicated furniture together; and deliberating over which colors will make you happiest?

Now imagine the fun and convenience of having your own personal interior decorator come to your home to take care of your challenging design project - with talent, creative ideas, and an incredible array of brand names you love, all to fit your taste, your style and most importantly your budget - that's what this book promises.

Carol Donayre Bugg, a veteran interior designer who with her husband helped build 'Interiors by Decorating Den' into an internationally famous interior design franchise, takes you room-by-room into the homes of people she and her fellow decorators have transformed. Full color 'before and after' photographs show you what a decorator can do for you; and woven through out is Carol's own fascinating decorator's story illustrating how she solved her own decorating dilemmas and developed the style and grace for which she is known. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Any general lending library catering to homeowners will welcome this
Make your decorating plans come true with the help of a personal interior decorator who brings to this book her veteran interior designing business, following her into the rooms of homes she and her decorators have changed. Ideas, decorating tips and the underlying goals of different choices and approaches in particular make this an exceptional survey, packed with colorful leads to success. Any general lending library catering to homeowners will welcome this.

Lovely Book
Decorating...The Professional Touch by Carol Donayre Bugg This lovely book is filled with photos and commentaries by Carol, who has spent forty years in what she loves: helping people express themselves tastefully in their homes and businesses. Carol's husband, Jim, and she started their marriage and their franchise decorating business, Decorating Den, four decades ago and have decorated homes all over the world, working for average people and for stars, politicians, and royalty.They have experiences and credits to their business that make for a friendly, personal read, which will help you find your own style for decorating, or you can order their help.A lovely coffee table book to display, filled with great information and photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Love this book!
I really do love this book. It is an excellent source for some beautiful cake designs and has very clear instructions and photos. It is one of the best "summaries" of basic cake decorating that I have found. In fact, I lost this book and had to order it again!

Good overall guide
This book helped quite a bit in my cake decorating class- to the point where I probably could have learned all I needed from the book and skipped paying the $500 for the class. I even got a job as a cake decorator, so this book has definitely improved my skill to the point where I can make money off of what was once a hobby.

This book is good to show you basic skills- there are flowers, basic borders, and basic fondant instructions. It's good for starting out, and getting a feel for cake decorating before trying more advanced cakes such as tiered or completely fondant cakes.

Note: You'll need THICK frosting for the flowers in this book. Follow the Wilton recipe, and you should be fine.

There are also some very good ideas for cakes in this book. Not only the cake on the front cover, I showed an idea to a woman getting married from inside the book and she wanted it for her wedding (yes, that good.)

I would highly recommend getting this book if you want a good overall idea of how to start decorating cakes. But remember- always make sure your cakes are level, and ALWAYS get a good smoother comb. The book may say to use a spatula, but... it's so much easier to use a smoother.
... Read more

Product Description
Easy cake and cupcake decorating ideas to make any occasion special



With Betty Crocker Decorating Cakes and Cupcakes, you can turn a delicious cake into a work of edible art! Even if you're a beginning baker, you can make a Ladybug or Butterfly Cake for a picnic, a Bib or Bootie Cake for a baby shower, a Train, Teddy Bear, Kitty Cat or Purse birthday cake for a young child, or a Baseball Cap or Flip Flops masterpiece for a tween. You'll learn step by step how to create and decorate all kinds of delicious cakes for all kinds of events:
* Festive holiday cakes like New Year's Cake, Leprechaun Village Cake, Firecracker Cake, Black Cat Cake, Turkey Gobbler Cake or a Holiday Pinecone Cake
* Celebration creations like an exquisite Classic White Wedding Cake or whimsical Wedding Cupcakes, an Anniversary Cake, a Mother's Day Hat Cake, a Father's Day Hawaiian Shirt Cake, a Star of David Cake and more


Inside, you'll find everything from basic cake-baking tips and delicious recipes (including many that can be made with cake mix and ready-to-spread frosting) to detailed illustrations showing how to add the decorative finishing touches. The simple yet innovative decorating techniques and ideas here will make decorating a piece of cake!

For more great ideas visit BettyCrocker.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A great resource
This book is great for those who would like to decorate and make fun things, but may be a little intimidated.The creations are easy and fabulous.I gave it to my daughter and she's already sharing it with friends.I highly recommend this book.

Decorating with candy
I was disappointed in this book. It looked cute and I thought it would have some great ideas for cupcakes - specifically for Valentine's Day & my son's birthday. Most of the decorating in this book is using candy instead of frosting which isn't my thing. If you want easy decorating using candies, this book is for you. If you are wanting to expand your cake decorating library, maybe pick another book.

Fantastic Book
Sure this book is basic but it is fabulous for those of us who are not the best decorators....bakers....etc.There are many books out there that I am afraid to attempt the ideas but this one is GREAT!!Thanks Betty Crocker. I am so excited to make so many of the cakes and cupcakes in this book.

Not what it seems
The cover of this book excited me, but when I received it, the decorations and ideas were very basic and child-like. It was disappointing as the cover gave an indication of exactly what I was looking for, but the insides failed to ignite! Good recipes for frosting etc, but unfortunately not as good as it looked!

dissapointed
I thought this book would have some really nice looking ideas and info.It is a "cute" book more for beginners... I wasn't happy with the substance. ... Read more

Product Description
This manual serves as a valuable reference book for the painting and decorating industry. The textbook has been used with many apprentice programs and has been cited as an authority in litigation to settle issues arising from the alleged improper application or use of materials. Topics covered in the manual include materials, equipment, rigging, safety, color, procedures, failure and remedies, wallcoverings, application techniques, surface preparation and more. 350 pages, 1995. ... Read more

Product Description
Coastal Style is a magnificent celebration of simple shoreside life. Featuring hundreds of fabulous photographs of homes around the world, it covers all aspects of decorative seaside style—from the creation of light and breezy rooms to the selection of simple furniture and furnishings that echo the natural beauty of the surf and sand. Also featured are tips on the best fabrics to use—from nautical stripes to cool cotton canvas—and advice on coastal colors, from shades of oyster gray to bold splashes of aquamarine. Whatever type of home you have, from a high-rise apartment to a getaway in the country, you cancreate a beachy feel. Simply follow Sally Hayden and Alice Whately’s room-by-room guide to seaside chic, and you will discover how to make tranquil living areas, balmy bedrooms, and shipshape kitchens. Cool understatement is key—and this extends to marine-inspired bathrooms and outdoor living areas that celebrate the lazy elegance of sun-warmed decks and the pleasure of cooking and eating al fresco.• Fabulous photographs by Paul Massey.• Hundreds of photographs provide inspiration for coastal style,whatever type of home you have. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Beautiful Book that Got Me Ready for My Own Nantucket Experience!
This book is not only a beautiful book to look at, but it looks great on my coffee table!

Could have better pictures.
I got this because I wanted pretty pictures, like many of the reviews said it would. But many of the pictures are small and close ups. So I'm kinda disapointed.

Disapointed
I thought the book would be filled with inspiring decorating pictures and ideas. One word.BORING.

Inspirational Resourse & Coffee Table Book
I have seen this book in many exclusive homeware stores throughout Sydney [Australia] at quite a high mark up - so was easily tempted to purchase on Amazon with competitive pricing and AUD being quite good at the time. Overall this book is both an inspirational & aspirational book. It can easily sit comfortably on a coffee table or - as in my case in my design library as a resource to refer to for pure visual & wordsmith candy. I enjoyed looking through this book - however if you are thinking with will give you a blow-by-blow directive on how to set up a Coastal style - this is not the book for you - this is at a higher interpretive aesthetic level. All the same an incredibly gorgeous book and one worth adding to your library. Enjoy.

Coastal Style
I absolutely adore this book, I'm redecorating my home in a coastal style and it's given me so many ideas. It will also look gorgeous on my new coffee table. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

painting and decorating clay pots
I LOVEthis book...however I'm having a problem finding a BELLstyle clay pot. NO ONE seems to have this shape clay pot.I want to make the cat and mouse clay pot figure for Christmas presents but what can I substitute the BELL SHAPE POT WITH.I'm also having a problem finding an 11 inch straw hat.I've checked craft stores,, HomeDepot and Lowes with no luck. Can you help me....These are really cute items ... Read more

Product Description
Designer April Cornell walks home decorators through the mysteries of choosing and combing hues, of transforming a house from blah to brilliant, and of using colour to create a mood. Throughout, Cornell offers specific paint suggestions and quick decorating ideas, including plans for adding bright details (vivid duvets, vibrant tablecloths) everywhere, decorating a child's room in lively, happy tones, and even entertaining colourfully. ... Read more