Watson Books

This is a great book when I discover this one it takes my life upside down, and all that i want to do is make this sort of quilts, It is full of color and patterns to use for every quilter. To make splended paintings from fabric on the wall.

This book is a gem. I originally stumbled across it in a bookstore when I was wracking my brain about what to get my mom, who has strong arts and crafts interests. I picked it up and started paging through it, and it was...beautiful.

Previously, I had thought of quilting as the tiniest bit dopey: traditional patterns, "country" styles, very little in the way of innovation -- but this book completely turned me around. This is quilting as high art. Some of the quilts took my breath away. I almost kept the book for myself. I still might buy myself a copy.

My mom had a more lukewarm reaction to it, along the lines that she probably wouldn't ever use any of the patterns...but I can imagine that the ideas in this book might influenced even her more traditional designs.

Since then, I've given this book to both quilters and non-quilters. Anyone with an eye for beauty (especially if they love Monet) will love this book. It's a treasure. You would never guess.

This book is the most applicable info for beginning quilters using this technique which is really more artistic that most quilt piecing.

Traditional quilting somewhat bored me but I love collecting fabrics. Impressionist Quilts challenged me to use them! Ms. Perry takes you step by step through the process of watercolor quilting. This book will teach you more than just quilting but also color theory and design. I can't stop the ideas! I highly recommend this book and can't wait to get her next one!

Walking through Joanne's Fabrics, Gai Perry's book caught my eye. Having never tackled a quilt, I jumped right in and designed my first one based on my mother-in-laws beautiful English Garden at the shore. Using her easy to follow instructions, the wall hanging was a success. Now I'm quilting my interpretation of the Buchart Garden's on Vancover Island in B.C. On the drawing table is a moon light scene over a lake to be done exclussively in blues and purples.

Buy this book, you'll be glad you did when you read about floral fabric selection, mixing and matching, gradations, and on and on. I've peeked at the photos in her 2nd book and can't wait to read it when Amazon ships it.

This is a rich & informative antique jewelry book. The contents are categorized under materials, styles vs periods and the details of manufacturings. Great for jewelry designer and those who interested in jewelry history. One of my favorite jewelry collectibles!

This is amazing- a really comprehensive history of western jewelry from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection. The photography is just primo, and any jeweler or gem mad type needs this book. The text is clear and super informative. As a part time jewelry maker I find this an amazingly inspirational reference work, the pictures are so good you can see tool marks and technique. Period portraits illustrate fashion and the use of jewelry in different forms at different times.
Highly reccomended- and just plain pretty to boot. Even you all who just like to look at beautiful things will thoroughly enjoy this book.

"Jewels and Jewelry," by Clare Phillips, is loaded with full-color photographs of a rich assortment of jewelry. The introduction notes that most of the pieces pictured are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The book is divided into 3 main sections: "Materials," "Chronology of Style," and "Manufacturing and Distribution."

The book includes many informative and well-illustrated spreads on a number of topics: the pendants of the Renaissance, pieces celebrating Queen Elizabeth I, 18th century paste jewelry, the Art Nouveau style, etc. The book covers jewelry made from a rich variety of materials--gold, pearls, emeralds, cast glass, brass, coral, platinum, steel, etc. There are even pieces made from such startling material as a real fish head or recycled bus stop signs!

The book portrays the work of an international gallery of artists, together with interesting biographical facts about these creators. Among the many designers included are Gijs Bakker of Holland, Wendy Ramshaw of England, Fritz Maierhofer of Austria, Yasuki Hiramatsu of Japan, and more. Some really unforgettable creations are pictured, ranging from elegant pieces with a traditional flavor to futuristic or quirky pieces. Overall, a superb book that truly celebrates the tremendous imagination and skill of the world's jewelry makers.

This book goes into alloys. Mixing copper with gold turns it red, silver turns it green, arsenic turns it blue or grey. White gold the author says, is barely gold at all, it is simply silver with gold _added_ to keep it from looking too much like silver. Very helpful for jewelry buying as well as jewelry making, as I could use this to know how to extract silver or copper, assuming I manage to separate the two.

I must have a dozen books on jewelery and the history of jewelery. This is the best yet. First off the book very clearly organized. On any page that you might flip to there is a short chapter with a title, photos and supporting text. For instance, the section called "Jewelled Bouquets" shows five full color photos of flower themed broaches, descriptions of each an a well written history of the beautiful little things. Much of the jewelery is supported with photos of period portraits, to further illustrate how the pieces were worn. It's a wonderful, wonderful book and I'm not surprized to find it's from the fabulous Victoria and Albert Museum.

This book is so invenitive! I have been altering clothes for years and failing at least half the time but this book has made them all a success.It is a great instructional to get you thinking outside the box about some of your less than desireable clothes. The projects are understandable and clear and not full of out of reach materials. Sonya and her projects are relatable and inspiring.

This book is the best craftbook I have ever read (I'll be honest and say I've only read about 15 in my life). Anyways I stumbled across this book at my local book store last week when I was looking for a cook book. The projects in it are easy to follow and they are things that you would actually want to make (unlike most craft books). Anyone with a small dog needs this book since they also have a super cute outfit that took me no time/no money to make.

not only is this book awesome, but i had the awesome luck to be at a table next to sonya at a craft show recently, and she is just awesome!!! if one were to buy books based on the character of the author alone i'd say buy twenty copies of this one becuase this girl is just about the nicest funniest person around. AND there's lots of fun things to do in this book! i can't wait for her next one!

Sonya Nimri's JUST FOR THE FRILL OF IT tells how to put together a hot new wardrobe - with items you already own. These can be items which have lost their luster, or are shoved in back of a closet for some reason - but Nimri shows how to turn these once-appealing clothes into new styles, from pairing a scarf with an old sweater to produce a novel tango top to stretching old ties together to make a new shirt. The focus on contemporary styles for 20-somethings makes for a fun, appealing idea book packed with easy sewing instructions and color photos: perfect for libraries seeking something different and practical for a needlework addition.

this book was so much fun! I bought it and sat down for a night w. friends w. wine and dinner and we all brought what we thought was "junk" from our closets... who knew! by the end of the night we had bunch of new fun outfits to wear, tshirts, shoes, my fave black dress (worn a few too many) and even a garter belt! All new fashionable stuff -- who knew! It was super simple and so easy to follow, plus this kept me from a shopping spree, and it was one fantastic night w. friends!!!! I definitely recommend it!

I am sitting down w. my niece to redo her school wardrobe next week! I hope it goes as well as this!!!!!

When you are weary from toiling over your masterpiece, you must grab this book by Elizabeth Mowry, curl up in your favorite spot and just enjoy this wonderful book. The author & artist wants you to get involved with your painting and learn to FEEL what your eyes see, so that what you put on paper is part of yourself. It's your story, your vision of life. Ms. Mowry is a very talented artist who shares with the reader her thoughts & ideas that went into the many beautiful paintings she rendered in pastels & some in oils. The book is so beautifully done, with many, many beautiful landscapes she painted during her travels all over the world and her narrative about her travels and her personal thoughts about the many scenes she painted, that I didn't realize until I got well into the book that she was also giving the reader many valuable lessons in such things as structure of a painting, light source, theme painting, & individualizing one's work. Wow, what a book. It's a joy.

This book is so well done I can't do it justice. It is a treasure and valuable reference for any paselist beginner to advanced. Elizabeth Mowry
is indeed a Master,her work is breathtaking!!

I found this a very inspiring book. The paintings are really nice whether you are into pastels or oils.

I am absolutely in awe over this book. It has to be the most beautifully written and illustrated art book on the market. Ms. Mowry lives her paintings and her descriptive narrative transports you inside of her paintings. I will refer to this book again and again. Outstanding!

Every artist of every level and every art lover should read this book,for the artist the writings and paintings are inspirationalshe not only can she paint but she can write as well.

Ikeda's biography of Shakyamuni Buddha made him very real. The reader is taken into the life and times of Shakyamuni, providing a rich history that kept me turning the pages for more. I have read this book twice and each time I enjoy it more than the last. Most important, Ikeda uses language and concepts that Buddhists and non Buddhists alike can readily understand.

This book, "The Living Buddha, An Interpretive Biography" give the reader an glimpse into the life and times of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. (Also known as Siddhartha Gautama). Unlike many other books of its kind, "The Living Buddha" touches mostly on the personality of the Buddha himself, to help us understand his personal motivations and experiences.

Shakyamuni, the "Enlightened One," was a common mortal who achieved enlightenment as to the fundamental nature of life and the universe itself.

"The Living Buddha" is a lucidly written biography by Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International, the world's largest Buddhist organization and a United Nations NGO.

Through his book, we see that the world and society Shakyamuni lived in is not so different than ours now - that he was faced with the same type of problems we all face. The account of how he conquered these problems is what makes for an inspiring narrative.

Reading this book evokes the spirit of Shakyamuni as an enlightened person living in a troubled society who offers wisdom to humanity on how to overcome life's sufferings. The stories of his relationships with his followers and the guidance he imparts to inspire them to live noble lives transcends any specific time or age. A wonderful book to pick up whenever you want to feel close to the Buddha within you.

As a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism, and member of SGI-USA, I have found this book to be utterly enlightening, absolutely comprehensible, and totally fulfilling in way that makes Daisaku Ikeda's writings all the more valuable to me. His interpretation of the life of the original Buddha, Shakyamuni, has answered many lingering questions I've had on the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy and I encourage anyone with an interest in Buddhism to read this book!!!

This book is excellent ! The first in a series of three on the origin and history of Buddhism, it offers valuable insights from a unique perspective on the first man to reveal the Dharma and turn the Wheel of the Excellent Law. Dr. Ikedas' 'interpretive biography', approach is interesting and honest in it's effort to aknowledge the difficulties of putting such a work together at such a great chronological remove, and I feel he has dealt with these difficulties in a very useful way. I would reccomend this book to anyone seeking to acquire a knowledge of general Buddhist history, and even more so to those seeking to use this knowledge as the Buddha himself intended; to improve their lives, and the world itself.

The Longest Cave is a book which will hold you spellbound and wishing it would never end! Roger Brucker and "Red" Watson were young men 50 years ago when they first toured what was then known as Floyd Collin's Crystal Cave. This book is the story of how they and so many others dedicated days, months and years to seek out new passageways deep underground. In the case of Roger and Red, they dedicated decades and continue to work to preserve the very fragile cave environment.

This book has everything that you would want not only in a book but in a feature blockbuster movie! Adventure, Suspense, Humor, Friendship, Excitement, Discovery, Danger, and around every corner lurks the Unknown which would leave any movie-goer on the edge of their seat! All this without the gore and crime which seems to be the standard in so many books and movies today.

I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone of any age!!! What makes this even more amazing is that this is a true story.

What these men and women accomplished is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest in the DARK and without ever having seen a map of it! This is the American Dream of hard work, dedication, comraderie, and perseverance.

We have movies of Everest and Space Exploration and I look forward to the movie based on this book!
Without a doubt "The Longest Cave" will far surpass any movie on the above-mentioned topics.

Thanks Roger and Red for an AWESOME book!

This book is the best book I've ever came across! Outstanding adventure of how the World's Largest Cave System ever came about. The discoveries in this book are amazing! Suspence to the fullest! The people in this book who made this discovery should be noted as the best exploration team of all time! I can only amagine the feeling they got knowing they had made the biggest connection in cave history to this day. It would be almost impossible for anyone else to top the discovery in this book. An amazing adventure!! I couldn't stop reading this book over and over. The authors of this book should give the story to Hollywood to make into a motion picture. I could imagine this story making the best adventure movie of all time. Ron Howard or Steven Speilburg should be given a copy of this book! It would be a hit! I wish I had the full video tape of this expidition. National Geographic's short segment in "Mysteries Underground" was a tease. If anyone knows where or if there is such a tape, please post it! This is a must read if you like adventure to the fullest!

If you like adventure, if you like caves, if you like drama and suspense, or if you breath in and out regularly and have a pulse, you really ought to read this book. The story of the years it took to connect the Flint Ridge/Mammoth cave systems, it sweeps the reader into the wonderfully obsessive world of the Flint Ridge Cavers. A great book. Strongly reccomended.

I bought this book about 15 years ago while visiting Mammoth Cave National Park. I still enjoy rereading it from time to time. It is the sort of book one hates to see end.

The book narrates the history of the discovery that Kentucky's Flint Ridge-Mammoth Cave system of caves is by far the world's longest known series of continuously-connected caverns. The writers and their many cohorts are not only daring adventurers, but a collection of cavers who deeply appreciate the mystery, beauty and science of caves.

A very interesting part of the book is the well-developed character sketches of the many explorers, a good number of whom participated in parts of the long, arduous struggle to discover the connections between five different large caves so as to make them one.

The overriding star of the show is the cave system itself, and the book contains many facinating portions about the beauty, danger, wonder, and history of the things found there by explorers dating back to prehistoric Native Americans, forward.

After a frustrating series of events, including an initial startling lack of interest/resistance by National Park personnel, progress begins to be made in leaps and bounds. When the Ohio cavers find that the Flint Ridge system is the longest then know, an effort is taken up to connect it with Mammoth Cave.

In a spine-tingling narrative about going past the "Tight Spot", a very small passage, the cavers eventually make the connection by going down in Flint Ridge and emerging in a well-known Mammoth Cave tourist gallery. The sense of truiumph and relief is overwhelming and excellently captured.

My size and age prohibit me from doing the things described in this book, and I have never done them. But I was captivated from start to finish by the story of these brave, resourceful people and the cave system they explored and charted. It is as if I am there myself.

My only quibble is that the photographs are limited and in black and white, but the excellent descriptive writing overcomes this factor. I love the book. Very, very highly recommended.

Caves have been intertwined with Kentucky history since a man named Houchins chased a bear into Mammoth cave in the late 1700s. Later on, the valley north of Mammoth Cave was named after this early settler, and the ridge north of Houchins' Valley was called Flint Ridge. Starting in the early 1950s a group of cavers began a lifelong ambition of connecting the caves on the northern ridge (Flint Ridge) to the caves on the southern ridge (Mammoth Cave Ridge). Their goal was simple: To map the Longest Cave. This book covers that time. Along with 'The Caves Beyond' and 'Trapped', this book constitutes an informal trilogy about Mammoth Cave. It is a story of determination over hardship, of perseverence over fatigue, of triumph over nature. Roger Brucker and Red Watson write this book with the confidence of people that were there. From the very beginning, their influence on the project helped mold it into what it was to become. We see them age, from young men in their ealry twenties, to grizzled Flint Ridge veterans to seeing their children caving alongside them. There is a real sense of the passage of time here; people come, people go, the cave is eternal. Fiction should hope to be so true. Dominating all this is the cave. It is all pervading. Over three hundred miles of passage lies under their feet, and the reader fells as if he is crawling, climbing and squirming along with them. We feel the explorer's chill they wade through Hanson's Lost River, we feel their pain as they crawl through Agony Avenue. We satand alongside them as they are awed by the vastness and remoteness of Unknown Cave. Above all else, it is the story of the people who explore the cave. For fourty years, cavers have been gathering in Central Kentucky to explore this cave. To mankind, the cave is eternal. We may choos to protect it, we may, in our ignorance deface it. Either way, we live our lives by interacting with it. Or to put it in the books words: "That is where life is, that is where your friends are".

Read this b! ook.

Readers interested in fiction about prostitution may also enjoy Naked in Haiti: A sexy morality tale about tourists, prostitutes & politicians. It is probably more entertaining than Yama, and perhaps a bit more generous to prostitution.

For some reason I had never even heard of Yama until recently. Just imagine my surprise upon picking this up and finding a spectacular classic. Kuprin does indeed tread that fine line between cheese and morality (both being boorish methods of storytelling) to create a truly human picture of Russian society. If you are interested in the glorification of vice and youthful indiscretions, please reread Burroughs, Miller or Selby. Likewise, if you are interested in moral high ground, stick to Tolstoy. Here, Kuprin deftly defies the clichés to create not only a wonderful illustration of Russian life but a great story as well. This is amazing considering the time period in which it was written.

Alexander Kuprin dedicated this book to the motherhood and the youth. And even though it deals with unspeakable horrors of people living and acting worse than any beasts imaginable, it's at its heart about friendship, love, and devotion. These virtues, most often absent in the world of the riches, are found in what seems to be the deepest pit (yama) of social injustice.
I read this book in high school, lured in by Kuprin's other famous stories, such as "The Duel" (his first success, just as impressive as the later ones), "Gambrinus" or "The Bracelet of Garnets." Back then the emotional punch of "The Pit" pushed me to become a strong believer in women's rights, and helped me to form a solid idea of what a true man is as opposed to the dispeakable "men" portrayed by Kuprin's stinging prose.
Now, as an adult, I firmly believe that this book is a must read for any growing man, so that he learns how to be human in the highest sense of the word, as opposed to "respectable" and heartless "consumers" like so many showcased in this story.
NB: why do the words "a novel of prostitution" appear in the title? It's not in the original and absolutely unnecessary. What should appear instead is "a novel of real life".

This book was widely praised by the Bolsheviks during and just after the Russian Revolution even though the author fought with the White Russians and was forced into exile in Paris at the conclusion of the Revolution. The book was made into a film in 1936 by the Japanese director Kenji Mizoguchi.

ALEXANDER KUPRIN (1870 ~ 1938) was a Russian who opposed the Bolshevic revolution and thus found himself an exile in Paris. he wrote strong novels of realism. Yama: The Pit shocked the world with its graphic presentation of life in Russian brothels and the inherent violence prevelent in the underside of Russian urban life. It is a brutal, but honest portrayal and, even through translation, one realizes that Kuprin was a great writer with a strong style.

This book was everything you want in a good read, funny, exciting, sad, inspiring. I also found a new book to read from one of the last diary entries in the book!!!! i have 3 kids and life is insane most of the time so to sit down and laugh that other people are certainly going through the same things i do on a daily basis makes me feel better.

Mommyhood Diaries: Living the Chaos One Day at a Time by Julie Watson Smith is a wonderful and insightful book. Fanatic and honest stories, connecting each one with the bond of motherhood. I loved it!

Julie Watson Smith has captured something very real in this book: the need for mothers - from all walks of life - to find something that unites us all. We're not alone on this journey, and we ought to delight in the chaos. Even on our worst days, (this book addresses those bad days, too) motherhood is a gift, and this is celebrated on every page. A wonderful book, like a warm cup of tea for the mommies collective soul.

What a wonderful collection of diaries/stories in this Mommyhood Diaries anthology! It is filled with thoughts and stories that will make you laugh and cry and I am honored to be a part of this inspiring and captivating book!

Paula Schmitt
Award-winning author of Living in a Locker Room: A Mom's Tale of Survival in a Houseful of Boys (Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, Inc 2005) www.paulaschmitt.com

This is a great collection of stories from around the world! There are some that will make you think, cry, laugh and above all open your mind to Knowing that no Mother is alone in this world.

If you are a Mom, know a Mom or even want to impress a Mom, try reading or giving this book as a gift. I am also very proud to have been a part of this and think that there is something in this collection for everyone.

This book gives a thorough overview of Monotype printing. It starts out with materials needed, then goes on to talk about hand transfers, press transfers and doing monotypes in acrylic, watercolor, oil and printmaking inks. It covers mixed media and stencils, masks, etc. It has much practical/useful information in each section on both techniques and materials. There are examples of each type of work covered, athough I would have liked to see a larger "gallery" of work by different artist. A very good book if you are interested in monotypes.

This book answered many questions that other artists and I were asking regarding monotype. It gives you permission to proceed in any direction, using any materials you choose.

I agree with the previous reviews - if you're creating monoprints, and particularly if you're looking for non-toxic methods, this is a great book. It's full color with many inspiring illustrations, and full of useful, practical information written in a friendly, down-to-earth manner.

Re. recommended paints: I recently had the pleasure of taking a monoprinting class with Julia Ayres and her daughter Gail Ayres (at the Art Methods & Materials Show in Pasadena, CA, Oct 2004). The Ayres now recommend using the new Akua-Kolor waterbased inks by Rostow & Jung (www.waterbasedinks.com) which I assume were not invented at the time this book was originally printed. The advantage is that these inks are non-toxic, clean up easily, and they stay moist for days. You then print to DRY printmaking paper, and the inks dry instantly once they hit the paper. Now you don't have to worry about the inks drying on the plate, or handling fragile, wet paper. (I shoved my Createx paints in a bottom drawer after the workshop!)

(If you get the opportunity, take a class with the Ayres if you're just getting started, as there's nothing quite like seeing the process in action and the book will make even more sense! They also teach using the PinPress Roller for making monoprints by hand; very useful if you don't have access to an expensive printing press.)

There seems to be very limited information available on the technique of monotype. This book fills that void by demonstrating the incredible variety of effects possible using the monotype method. There are no projects, per se, rather it teaches techniques that help you create your own masterpieces. Many pieces of example artwork are found throughout the book.

A monotype is a one-of-a-kind print made by transferring a painted image to paper. The book starts out with an introduction to materials including plates, mediums, solvents, panting tools and paper as well as hand and press transfer equipment. It also covers studio safety and finding workshop facilities.

Techniques are next including working into a light or dark field and both hand and press transfer.
These include step-by-step instructions accompanied by demonstration photos. Working in specific mediums including watercolor, acrylics, water-soluble writing instruments, monoprint paints (Createx), oil paints, water-based oils and alkyds follows. A section discussing special oil-based printing inks for lithography, etching, printing and serigraphy is also here. There is even a chapter on special techniques including using masks & stencils, embossing and creating collages.

The final chapter gives an overview of monoprints, which combine monotype with other print making processes, and mixed-media monotypes. This includes intaglio, drypoint and engraving, as well as linocut and collagraphic monoprints.

There is a nice list of suppliers as well as interesting biographical notes on the artists featured in the back. This is a great book that displays the great diversity in mediums and results available with monotype.

I'm so glad I bought this book. It is one of those I take down regularly. The author thoroughly understands monotype in many mediums. A previous reviewer mentioned how well the toxicity issue was dealt with. Lots of good color illustration.

Mood Indigo, like the song of the same name, is smoky, sensuous, and quite beautiful.

If you love rich colors, you'll love this book.

If you're afraid strong color won't work in your spaces, one look at these rooms will change your mind.

Showcasing interiors using browns, blacks and grays, purples and reds, blues and greens `Mood Indigo' works with all shades from the strongest, darkest of the hues to the lightest.

There are tips on how to use strong colors, discussions about rooms size, light needs, finishes, textures, a short history of paint, pigments, and color trends.

Color is used not only on walls but in accessories, on fabric, floor coverings, lampshades ... well, just about anything you can think of.

Room designs run the gamut from country to traditional to eclectic to rustic. You'll see color used in hallways and kitchens as well as the more usual bedrooms, dining rooms, and living rooms.

Inspiration abounds. Add the fact that this is a great coffee table book, if nothing else, and you'll be happy you bought it. Everything about this book is quality.

This book was exactly what I've been looking for. Lots of color without being garish. If you want some ideas on home decorating, and you are weary of the tried and tired neutral schemes, but don't want to feel like you are living in a day-glo home or a Fisher Price retail outlet, I definitly recomend this book. It's also not just about paint, but also mentions flooring, trim, wallpapering, accesories and furniture.

This is a beautiful interior design coffee table book. It is packed with large photos of exquisite interiors that use strong colors including blues, greens, reds, purples, browns, grays and blacks. The wonderful photos are printed on high-quality glossy paper making them appear even more vivid.

In additional to the gorgeous pictures there is also advice on color, texture and light. Color scheme basics are covered with a discussion of tone, shade, balance and the moods each color creates. There are also suggestions for sources of inspiration for each color in nature, history and various cultures.

The interiors shown are simply fantastic and filled with rich, dark colors. There are no large rooms of empty white here. I loved a relaxing bathroom with shades of plum and a cabinet decorated with multiple hues of green, blue and yellow. I also enjoyed a Japanese style bedroom with red walls, a wood chest and a huge hanging white kimono. A dark blue living room with nude outlines on the wall and an artistic cozy brown couch is another of my favorites.

I really appreciated a great list of suppliers and helpful index included in the back. This is a great book of useful ideas as well as being a wonderful display piece or gift.

I passed by this book and just by accident, the word "Indigo" caught my eye. As I love all things purple, I just had to pick it up and flip through it. WOW. Finally, I found a book on home decorating that didn't include lots of *beige*. I absolutely love the pictures in the book, which range from some very interesting country motifs, to Victorian, to post-modern. The book's divided into sections describing the treatments of different shades; a chapter on reds and purples, blue and greens, browns and so forth. Pick your favorite color, find the chapter, and browse.

I have to admit I haven't even read the text, and still feel the money I paid for this book was more than made up for in the quality of the full-color, gloss-page plates... It really goes to show that with a little inventive color selection, you can create a really outstanding, comfortable environment.

Now I just have to find a house to buy and redecorate. :)

I had been looking at design books for months now and was bored out of my mind seeing page after page of white-on-white color schemes (most of which were heralded as 'fantastically innovative' -- how innovative can they be when they're filling every single book?!) I knew that wasn't what I wanted, but I needed some ideas to spark my creativity.

And then I found this book! It's big, it's beautiful, and as other reviewers have pointed out, it does an excellent job of showing different styles of rooms. (Yes, dark colors don't have to be baroque or ultra-modern! Although those are pictured here too.)