Interior Design Books

A superb look a the Greene Brother's masterpiece ultimate bungalows. It includes some of the best Greene and Greene photography I've ever seen, and has a very good look at the details of the architecture, and the internals of the Greene and Greene houses. This book focuses more on the houses themselves, and the fixed appointments therein, rather than the furniture itself. Influences on the Greenes are coupled with a well laid out timeline give you a real view into the evolution of their style.

Excellent! The best book on this subject I've ever seen...

Superb photoraphic illustration depicts the design genius of the Greene brothers. A comprehensive study of leading architects of the Arts & Crafts movement...a high compliment to the monumental craftsmanship of those who executed their designs.

The book is beautiful, filled with both architectural ideas and furnishing ideas for items done in the craftsman style. I purchased the book for these ideas and was delighted with all the pictures. Some of the stonework illustrated is breathtaking in its beauty.

We were very disappointed at the quality of printing, inferior paper stock, and lack of clarity in the photographs. At the "coffee table" price we were expecting much higher resolution in the color photographs and better quality paper.

THIS WAS AN INTERESTING READ ALL AROUND. VERY INFORMATIVE, AND WELL WRITTEN. I ENJOYED THE SHORT CHAPTERS, IT MADE IT EASIER TO TO PICK UP WHERE I LEFT. THE AUTHOR DOES A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING LIGHTING IN A WAY THAT ANYONE CAN UNDERSTAND, NOT JUST PEOPLE IN THE LIGHTING FIELD. GOOOD JOB SAGE.

This book offers students a great introduction to the world of lighting design. It contains a logical path through this design process while giving the reader a sufficient amount of examples, pictures, etc. along the way. Having used this text myself, I feel it was an excellent course book and I am confident it will be a useful reference to have in the future.

This has sparked my interest in lighting design! This book is very useful. GET IT!!

This book is great, covering topics from reading manufactures cut sheets to the "physiology of vision." Its a great book to understand light and how light can be used. Perfect for design students!

INSPIRING, LEAVES YOU FEELING MORE KNOLEDGEABLE ABOUT LIGHTING DESIGN AND TECHNIQUES. GET THIS BOOK AND YOU WILL NEVER FEEL INTIMIDATED ABOUT LIGHTING LIKE YOU DID BEFORE.

I own many of the Better Homes and Garden books and have never been disappointed in their style.

This book, as the title states, is about "Garden Style. It is a hardback book filled with many colorful photos.

The book is divided into different areas regarding either living with the "garden style" or creating the "garden style" in your home.

There are a few BEFORE and AFTER photos included in the last chapters, but mostly, this is a pictorial book showing how to use garden accessories, and/or garden structures in your home , your porch, your shed, and/or your garden.

I have a single favorite place for soul restoring. It's a local plant nursery, but this one is more than that. The owners frequently change and update and relocate plants, garden items, things that hang on walls, in trees, nestle against fences, dangle from ceilings, embrace the earth, cozy in planters with fellow plants and dazzlingly different plants. The place has so many cubbyholes. After I wander this fairy world of greenery and flowery boudoirs, I leave refreshed, my mind ready for more of the knocking about that the world outside brings.

A second choice is a book like "BH&G Garden Style." I can sit with a book like this and imagine life in one of these pictures of garden comfort, inside and out. This is not plant gardening but the comfort of resting and entertaining and playing next to a garden, in a garden setting, just being outdoors or indoors with the ambience of outdoors. I have numerous books like this, but "Garden Style" is really special because it has such rich, imaginative, calming, creative rooms inside and out that are "garden style."

The important selling point for a book like this is how doable are the looks. There are actually affordable decorating tips here. Let me show you what I mean. Randomly opening to p. 38, I find a wicker chair with a side wooden stool, simple design, with a potted pink geranium and a colorful birdhouse. These items are available at local do-it-yourself stores or as is in others. Then surrounding the chair and stool are containers and containers of more potted pink geraniums, pink petunias, junipers, broadleaf plants--all in blue or white or clay pots, creating a calming scene to sip tea and read a book.

Here's another on p. 79. Take a small drop-leaf table, paint it white, put it in a nook or empty corner or wall, add matched botanical prints, two mismatched but coordinated chairs, and top the table with an assortment of plants for a quiet garden look in the midst of indoors.

One more: a mini-greenhouse in wrought iron filled with potted flowering plants set against a large window, anchored by two wicker chairs upholstered in green and white. A lovely garden look (p. 105).

I am currently creating a cottage garden outside my patio where I feed the birds. Some of my ideas come from this book. See you later outside for tea and Pennyroyal dumplings from my herb book, or maybe herb scones from a scone book.

This inspiring book is a wonderful guide for incorporating the pleasure of nature and garden accessories into a welcoming home decor. The author provides a wide range of possibilities to blend with the wishes and desires of any home decorator. Within the pages of this beautiful resource, the reader will uncover whimsical, country, cottage, mountain, old world, British Colonial, and a bounty of other styles that are adapted to the nature lovers vision of tranquility or fun. The interiors of the vistas that have been photographed are each the product of real people who have opened their homes to the author. The author also includes a visual display of home gardening boutiques and shops from around the country which present their lovely wares to assist this enchanting approach to home decorating.

This has quickly become one of my favorites. Every vignette has ideas popping off the page. I'm a designer in a small design firm and we have used it with clients. The other designers got excited about it as I did. Clinets are asking us to bring the outdoors in and indoors out. This book is loaded with ideas that are practical and don't break the pocketbook.

This book has inspired me to redo many of our rooms usingsimple and easy to find garden-style accessories. ............... the fabulous sequel to this book, Garden Style Projects. I may need a new house now so I can keep using all these ideas.

This was one of the 1st books that inspired me in faux. It is a must have in any faux finish library.


We used some of these clasic techniques and principles in the famous faux house captured in the hot new book "The House that Faux Built: Transform Your Home with Paint, Plasters and Creativity" The House That Faux Built

If you can't decide what to do to that plain ole drab wall look through this book!! Shows step by step exciting and new techniques that maybe one wouldn't' have thought of ((or have the nerve to do)). If you get get stuck in what to do, just flip through and it will get your " creative juices" flowing!!

I was looking forward to this book but was rather disappointed due to the extensive written instructions but the rather sketchy illustrative photos.

I bought this book more than ten years ago, I have an almost complete collection of books on painted finished, especially of wood and marble. The "Professional Painted Finishes" is absolutely the best I have, it is oozing QUALITY throughout. It is not for beginners but is The reference to return to again and again. It is also lovely just to browse through.

I liked this book because it contained great illustrations and it also had helpful information about the business side of faux finishing. The text is compact, so each page contains alot of data.

This is an excellent book for artists fo all kinds. Our company has a library we make available to Production Designers - this is a great addition.

A luscious collection of photographs of beautiful colors and textures to inspire any artist/designer and be used as reference again and again.

There are nice collection of the samples.You can enjoy to look through them.

This book is one of the best references for any designer and painter in the industry. Color Photos are amazing and complete. I have been wanting to purchase it for years now and am very glad to add it to my collection. All of her books are worth having in any artists library.

I think I was a little hard on Judy Juracek with reference to the included CD. What Ms. Juracek has done in the way of cataloguing is nothing short of miraculous and one should not expect that every image on the CD would be photographed dead on and shadow-perfect. I was just really irked by the image quality of a CD I had such high hopes for. I purchased this book when it first came out for a Hundred Dollars retail but the price I now see listed online seems almost a steal for the treasure trove contained within.

In any case, A recent search reveals that even more books in the series have been written by the author and I'm excited to purchase these as well--let's hope the image quality has improved on the included CDs for the new millenium we're in. I guess you could still expect "middlin'" quality for an image CD produced back in the "stoneage" of the 90's. The book is GREAT!

I have returned again and again to this book for new ideas. I feel I now have a new way of looking at decorating! Using eBay is such a great way to grab some bargains to get the look you're after! You'll be glad you have this book, it's fun to see how she did an entire house! Great detail shows how she did it step by step! You can plan your own house project or just get quick update ideas for a room. Enjoy!

A superbly produced book - with visually warm, personal and enticing colors, graphics and text, and beautiful photographs. Indeed, what can be done on Ebay at its finest. And one more thing...I loved the soft sock monkey touch.

You can decorate on a budget and stay in the range without even going to thrift stores and flea markets - not if you have a computer at home and DECORATING ON EBAY FAST AND STYLISH - ON A BUDGET in hand. Author Barbara Guggenheim is an art consultant who needed vintage items to decorate her Malibu beach house: she decided to try decorating an entire house using eBay and DECORATING ON EBAY chronicles her experiences. Tips include how and where to search within the sight, from locating furniture and fabrics to obtaining collectibles, and how to develop a personal decorating style on a budget. Her course in mastering ebay goes all the way from basic site navigation to winning bids and understanding the entire process. A 'must' for any decorating on a budget who wants to take full advantage of ebay listings; especially for those new to the auction/bidding process.

This is a book to pick up and kick back with, to scheme and dream effortlessly with, to have fun reading, giving, sharing, talking about. Ultimately, it will lead you to having a house embellished by your hobby, thanks to tips, hints and fun how-to's from Dr. Guggenheim, who is one of the few true art history scholars around who not only actually writes in readable English, but shares easy to use practical advice that can enable ordinary mortals to enjoy a good, rich slice of culture pie, anytime they feel like it. Having attended her art history lectures in the past, I always hoped she would start writing this kind of book, which like her teaching, makes us all not only believe, but know, that we can be true art collectors: that it's not about the size of our pocketbooks, it's about each of us giving freedom to our own very individual, very powerful imaginations.

Barbara Guggenheim's book was invaluable when decorating a home my wife and I recently bought in East Hampton, NY. We never had thought about using eBay for furniture and other home items, but following Barbara's guidelines ended up buying pretty much everything from sofas and beds to even rugs and curtains, and all while saving almost 30% of our estimated budget. The book is a MUST for anyone looking to redecorate, furnish, or replace items in a home. Also a great tool for any eBay hobbiests!

This is one of the best books on Country French that I've found. The illustrations are wonderful, whether you prefer the older designs or are looking for something with a more modern feel. I loved just looking at the pictures and getting a feel for the colors and styles. This is a book I'll return to again and again to get the feel of the French countryside.

The book was very informative. It gave me many ideas on how to include my furnishings with a French feel.

Wonderful book on French Country Style. This book is packed with lots of vivid photos but what sets this book apart from all the other styling books is the wealth of information that the author shares with the reader. It is truly a must for any Provencal styling fan.

Really a wonderful book - both beautiful to look at and informative. Very interesting reading, as well as artistically lovely with wonderful, colorful photography. I am not a decorator or designer by trade, but go to this type of book for creative inspiration, and this one was a winner.

I can see this book is going to sit on the top of the coffee table book pile for a long time to come. Aside from the fabulous photos of French Provincial homes, Dannenberg delicately picks apart the details that make a typical Provincial home and garden. It does the job so much better than we sitting in another continent can grasp from a few photos in a book. It teaches us how to copy this style and really appreciate the quality of each piece of furniture, artwork or chattel we acquire for own little pretend patch of France.
I love this book!

When you really want specifics on a topic, you just need a book by this author and you'll find yourself immersed in the kind of details and guidance you were hoping to get. Not one to mince words, Jennings lays it all out with precision, yet keeping the information interesting and practical and sometimes a little humorous. She's got plenty of forms, plenty of decorating training (dealing with the professional ways to arrange a client's furniture), and even more guidance on how to move a client's possessions, plus all the set up, promotional and business side of things. An excellent read.

Jennings has a number of excellent books for the interior redesign and home staging business that fit together and build upon each other into a cohesive whole so that anyone can start and build a business from the ground floor up. This is her basic manual, which is filled to the brim with great advice and guidance, and she also has an advanced book called "Advanced Redesign", along with a couple more books geared for the home staging market. This book, however, shows you how to start up and set up your business, how to get clients, how to do consultations and price your services, how to market and promote it properly, and a good deal of excellent training on the design end of the business - the kind of stuff you won't get from others. For instance, at the end of the book she literally shows you the most common furniture arrangements used by professional designers. In most situations, one of these should be suitable for a typical room a person would work in. She makes the process easy to understand and gives readers the tools and examples to understand what to do, but also why they work so well.

The other books she has written show you how to add related products and services to your business to get the most out of your business that you can get. Since most people want to make profits from their business venture, the book gives you an excellent picture of how to go about doing just that, all in a clear, concise step-by-step analysis. All the books by this author are excellent and well worth the investment.

If you're looking to do interior redesign AND home staging simultaneously, I highly recommend both books by this author as they are easy to read, provide outstanding guidance, give you information on additional helpful tools and are flat out the best you'll find on the subject. I am a teacher and always on the hunt for tidbits and gems I can pass on to my own students. I got far more than I bargained for which pleases me greatly. The information is really to the point, very detailed, very precise. Both manuals are large and packed to the brim -- no fluff like some others. Get both by this author. This is a no-brainer.

The furniture arrangement configurations in the back of the book are powerful examples of how to arrange furniture no matter what the shape or size of the room. This is worth the price of the book alone. In a nutshell, I can see the most common ways furniture should be arranged. All I have to do is select one and I should have a winning combination for any room I have to tackle. This is reassuring because I don't want to get to a client's home and not have an answer for their problems. And that's one huge gem at the end of the book, which I haven't found in any book out there.

From start to finish I found this book to be very practical, very thorough and very useful. It focuses on the single topic of starting a redesign business and doesn't get sidetracked. It also doesn't try to cover the subject with broad generalities and filler, like other books I've read. So it delivers exactly what it promises with the kind of details and thoroughness you would expect to get.

All the standard stuff about setting up a business is there, but it relates all that to a redesign business specifically. The author goes indepth on how to interview a client, how to start a project, questions you'll need to ask and the whole step by step process, including taking before and after pictures, collecting the fee and so forth. There are a generous supply of photos showing how it really is to be a redesigner (not studio pictures that are not the norm). So it accurately depicts the life of a redesigner and what we all face no matter where we live and work.

The author's style is easy to follow and conversational, which helped me stay interested throughout, even in the marketing sections that typically are less fun than the design parts. I mean, I'm a creative person, and it's harder for me to concentrate on the business side, but I know that's where I need to improve my knowledge and skill.

I enjoyed this book immensely and appreciate the tools and visual aids the author recommends. It's an excellent read.

As an interior designer, I was looking to expand my business into the home staging arena, but wasn't really interested in spending thousands of dollars on one of those 3-day courses. After ordering and reading the reviews from the author's Home Staging for Profit: How to Start and Grow a Highly Profitable Home-Based Staging Business, I stumbled across this book and am very thankful that I found it. As a designer, it provided knowledge that I already was trained in, however I thought it was a good refresher, because it reminded me of things that I had forgotten. I thought the author did a great job again in providing an in-depth guide about interior redesign. I found this book as well as her other to be quite informative, easy to read and chalked full of great tips and examples. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in running their own interior redesign business.

Lisa Quinn offers real life, wonderfully creative ideas and tips for budget challenged decorating in this book. Divided into four categories (dramatic, classic, exotic, children's)with four to six example rooms per category, Quinn provides multiple pages of details and photographs for each room. There are tons of ideas & easy how-to projects here & Quinn's witty approach has you laughing. Although I've read it several times now, I still reference it, not only for budget conscious ideas but also for general inspiration on color schemes & design styles. It's become an unexpected but welcome addition to my all-around decorating library. My only complaint is that it's just not long enough! Quinn's design and writing style are so enjoyable, you want more...hopefully there's a sequel in the works!

This was a great book that lived up to its title. All makeovers were indeed under $500 and most had at least a few dollars to spare. We'd be hard pressed to be able to replicate any of the rooms for the same prices however, as Quinn frequently uses Ebay to snag her deals. (This is not a bad thing, just an FYI.) Quinn illustrates many different styles from playful to elegance for many different types of people; baby, child, teen, college, first apartment, empty nesters, parents, retired... everyone is represented. She gives a bit of background on the the people and why they need a change, tells the reader what is good about the room and what is bad about it, tells you how much she spent and shows the before photo next to the after photo. She gives tips on what to be on the look for when trying to replicate the particular style, give tips (with diagrams) on what makes the room work, encourages alternate uses for household items and at the end Quinn gives a brief tutorial on how to do one or two of the projects she did for each room. I enjoyed this book and think others will too.

"Living in a home that doesn't reflect your personal style is like wearing someone else's shoes: They may do the job, but they will never feel right." --Lisa Quinn

I just love this idea. I have been looking for inspiration to make my house more of a home and I have found it in Miss Quinn's book. She is right your home should really be a place that suits you , not just a roof and walls.
She has so many great ideas to choose from like the pot rack over the bed as a canopy I love that. This book is great for someone who has a fear of interior design, it makes it easy.

What a great book. I love to redo my rooms for less and this is a book that everyone should have on their shelves.

This book is so creative and incredibly inspiring! Lisa Quinn really knows her stuff. She has innovative twists on everyday objects that can suit anyone's style (and you can mix and match between rooms). I especially love the "sexy bedroom" on the cover. What a brilliant idea to screw desk lamps into the wall! I highly recommend this book for people looking for some inexpensive inspiration to brighten up their abode.

If somebody wrote the true story of William Haines as fiction it would be universally panned as stereotyping - a gay man comes to Hollywood in the silent era, becomes the heart-throb of millions and a top box office draw, faces being outed and is ordered by his studio (MGM) to either enter into a fake marriage or lose his contract, picks love over career, and then goes on to have a sucessful 40 year career in interior decorating. However, sometimes fact is stranger than fiction and this is one of those times.

This is a beautiful book full of the decorating work of William Haines. I haven't found another book like it anywhere, and I highly recommend it if you've only heard of his reputation and are curious about what the man's design work actually looked like. It's a shame that his movie work isn't as well remembered as his design work. Haines made a successful transition to talkies, and probably would have continued to do well in the movies if L.B. Mayer hadn't forced him to choose between the love of his life - Jimmy Shields - and his MGM contract. Haines chose Shields, and that was the end of his film career. However, he and Shields worked together successfully for the next forty years decorating the homes of Hollywood's elite, with a little help and some recommendations from friends such as Joan Crawford, a lifetime friend of Haines and costar in several of his films. Besides photographs of Haines' work, this book includes quotes by Haines on his design philosophy, quotes by members of his firm's design team, and a pretty good biography of Haines including his Hollywood years.

Haines and Shields stayed together from 1926 until 1973, their relationship severed only by Haines' death. Their joint legacy lives on in their design work of which this book is an excellent record.

This is a very visual account of the life of one of the greatest decorators of our time. Billy Haines started out as a silent movie actor and when he refused to keep his sexuality in the closet he was fired, forcing him to change careers - and thank goodness. Schifando & Mathison take us on a journey, via photos, sketches, and other images, through the life of Haines and the evolution of his personal style. His classic interiors, which often included a touch of chinoiserie, a unique custom lamp, low chairs, quilted fabric upholstery, and other unique pieces will never go out of style.

Being an admirer of nearly all things vintage Hollywood, I was most eager to read a book on this almost forgotten silent screen legend. I was most impressed by the great detail on the man, his loves and hates and his metamorphosis into a highly successful interior designer in later years. The thoroughly entertaining anecdotes throughout also kept me interested until the very end. It gives the reader an insight into a period in Hollywood that has long since been buried by time and our bizarre fascinations with the likes of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton et all.

A must read for any reader of the good old days of Hollywood.

Having purchased most of the major design books in the past 4yrs...this one is right up there with the best...5lbs of old hollywood chic mixed with todays blue-blood..must have for any coffee table

I am so thrilled to have found this book. I have tried for years to find pictures of William Haines work. This is such a magnificent book. I just wished there were more of what there was. This book is an amazine find and a delightful addition to my collection.