Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76334 in Books
• Published on: 1998-03-17
• Released on: 1998-03-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Amazon.com Review
When you look past the cover of Martha Stewart's latest effort, you find it's not all about framing your fern collection. (Whew!) It is, however, about defining your home's style using accessories that look expensive but (generally) aren't. There's some very practical and budget-conscious advice here in the chapters about pictures, tables and stools, lamps and shades, shelves, screens and mirrors, and pillows and throws. You can disguise the humble origins of inexpensive adjustable shelving by adding wood trim around the edges and painting everything, including the metal standards and braces, to match the wall color. You can break up or conceal space with screens you make yourself from plain wood panels or old windows. You can update small outdoor tables with do-it-yourself mosaic tile that goes on in one piece. You can, of course, make a large framed entryway mirror from an $800 slab of mirror glass, as Martha does-- but really, no one will check your bank statement to see how much you spent, and it will reflect just as clearly with inexpensive hardware-store mirror glass. Some of the best projects are for sofa pillows, bed and table linens, and lampshades. Though Martha's voice isn't much in evidence in the text, her concepts are definitely here: the instructions are simple and straightforward and the look clean, comfortable and unfussy. --Barrie Trinkle

Customer Reviews

simple, uncomplicated home living
I'm in the process of simplifying and optimizing my home's living quarters. I have to admit that I get depressed after looking at other decorating books - for instance, where rooms have dreamy coordinating wallpaper, border, paint & fabrics. This is a decorating book that doesn't stress me out wishing I had a particular piece of furniture or a million dollars. It's the projects themselves that remind you don't need to have to go and buy expensive things around the world. With a little creativity and some elbow grease, you can pick up items from the local home or fabric warehouse and keep it simple. I'd like to make the folding screen (p. 98) from lightweight boards, hinges and casters. I may cover them with fabric instead of paint. But I'll probably start with the linen pillowcases (p. 130) simply because I've got the materials for it. Notice that all the rooms are quite simple. The living room has a couch, a couple of chairs, some nesting tables. period. The projects are "light bulbs" that go on and make us remark: "why didn't I think of that?" OR: "that's what I am aiming for."

Some good ideas but I can't get past the expensive furniture
This book is a compilation of projects from the magazine and TV show. The pictures are very nice and the projects could produce some beautiful results. But if you are looking for quick decorating ideas, then this book isn't for you. There are some simple projects here, but many of them are complicated.

One pro is the lengthy source information (including prices) which is organized by page number. However many of the "companies" are listed more than once and only the first listing gives the address and phone. Subsequent listings have the words "see above" written after the company name. How inconvenient to thumb through six pages of small print for a phone number! Adding an alphabetical listing of all sources seems like a no-brainer.

One more thing while you are thumbing through the source guide - notice that the sofa on page 18 can be had for a mere $8,870. If you want to spend that much money for something to sit on, why not pay somebody to make your lampshades for you?

Interesting, practical ideas
This book is the follow-on to "How to Decorate," Martha's first book. This book concentrates on the small details: how to display pictures, how to arrange your collections, and so on. The introductory chapter on how to display pictures and photographs is particularly good, giving ideas (complete with beautiful photographs) on how to display pictures and explaining principles such as where to place pictures, how to arrange them, and why certain arrangements of pictures work in certain places and not others.

The book emphasizes Martha's trademark, which is finding inexpensive but beautiful pieces at garage sales, refinishing them, and adapting them to new uses. Many of the ideas she presents, such as refinishing an old footstool and turning it into a stereo stand, are practical and attractive.