Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #933108 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• 208 pages

Amazon.com
Not quite a directory and far from complete, The Complete Surfaces and Finishes Directory might still be useful as an idea book for readers who are just beginning to think about tackling a home-redecorating project.

Finger-tabbed sections on paints, paint finishes, plaster and concrete, wall coverings, tile, wood, and glass and metal, each about 20 pages long, provide the basic information you need to start planning: Will you have to use an undercoat with satinwood paint? What's involved in polishing or waxing a plaster wall? What are the advantages and disadvantages of laminated wood flooring? Can you effectively integrate a trendy rubber or industrial-metal floor into your kitchen design? As a general reference, the book answers these questions adequately; if you're looking for more detailed advice on how to use, say, glass blocks or antique tiles, check out one of the many books dealing with the specific project you have in mind.

At the end of each section are two sample projects. Some are simple, like painting vertical stripes on the wall (using a plumb line); some are more complicated, like laying a patterned border in a tile floor, but the directions for all of them are straightforward, and the final results are tasteful and attractive. --Liana Fredley

From Library Journal
This handy reference is designed to help consumers make knowledgeable decisions about the various choices available for home decorating. Each section provides an overview of the different choices, a two-page list of the advantages and disadvantages of each, and two projects using the materials discussed, which include paint and paint finishes, tile, wood, wall coverings, glass, and metal. The book concludes with a chapter showing each room in a house and detailing how the elements can be attractively combined. Purchase for large public libraries.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

More like 'Surfaces and Finishes 101'...
When you picture a "directory", what comes to mind? Perhaps a huge, bulking monstrosity, with the weight of a phone book and the sort of exhaustive info you'd expect from Encyclopedia Britannica. At least that's the type of visualization I have; and, that said, a massive volume is what I expected to pick up from my local library when I put THE COMPLETE SURAFCES AND FINISHES DIRECTORY on hold.

Alas, SURFACES AND FINISHES is more like a "home décor 101" guide than a directory. In seven chapters, author Emma Scattergood introduces newbies to simple paint techniques, paint finishes (faux finishes), plaster and concrete, wall coverings, tiles, wood, and glass and metal, in that order. The final chapter offers some suggestions for tying the materials together. While marginally useful for the beginner, SURFACES AND FINISHES doesn't offer any advice that can't easily be found online (for free, to boot!) using The Google (as GW would say). Any one of dozens of home improvement websites are just as informative, if not more so. If you're a first-time homeowner who needs some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing, SURFACES AND FINISHES might be worth a look (it does have some pretty pictures, I'll give it that). However, it's hardly the be-all, end-all directory it claims to be. Rather, it's a decent starting point; nothing more, nothing less. Save your dinero, unless you can browse SURFACES AND FINISHES via your biblioteca.

Great idea book for home decorating, nice projects
This is a wonderful idea book for home decorating. It is a guide to a variety of surfaces and finishes including paint, plaster, concrete, wallpaper, tile, wood, glass and metal.

The book is divided into sections on various materials and finish types such as types of wood, paint types, paint effects, and glass styles. Each section includes background information and sample pictures. I have lots of interior design reference books and I found more examples I liked in here than in many of the larger books. A chart listing all the finishes in the chapter and their applications concludes each section.

Each section includes one or two full projects as well as many other ideas. The projects are rated by difficulty, but they are very brief and do not include step-by-step demonstrations. Some projects include colorwashing a wall, tinting and polishing plaster, using fabric as a wall cover, making a tile border, creating tongue and groove paneling and building a copper paneled cupboard.

In the back there is a nice section on putting it all together. Here you find advice on everything from using texture to choosing upholstery. It also helps you choose your own style and decorate every room in your house. There is also a good list of suppliers. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys creatively decorating their home.