Review of Terence Conran Kitchens: The Hub of the Home (Hardcover)

I love this book and found it very inspirational when I designed my kitchen. I had already thumbed through the various decorating house and kitchen magazines one might see at Barnes and Nobles. Most of those showed your typical cheesy American kitchen with lots of over-the-top materials badly paired together in one space. The kitchens in this book appealed to me because, as a generalization, they were a little arty, sophisticated and unexpected, without being kooky. I even borrowed a color them from one of the examples. Granted some of the kitchens didn't work but the majority did - and there was a lot of variation among those that did.

Product Description
Updated with all-new content for 2002, Terence Conran's invaluable reference on kitchens tackles the most complex design project in the house.

In many ways the heart of the home, the kitchen is a place where style and function can coexist magnificently. International style king Terence Conran shows us how to do just that in Terence Conran Kitchens. In terms of planning, the kitchen makes unique demands, and Conran covers both the overarching style concerns and the nitty-gritty practicalities of making your dream kitchen a reality. The book ranges from the basics of good design (whether you're starting from scratch or fitting new appliances into an old layout) to an encyclopedic look at all the materials (storage, lighting, worktops, and more) available to the kitchen designer today. As always, Conran provides case studies and floor plans, bring-ing the best kitchens within reach of every reader. No one embarking on the demanding task of redesigning a kitchen wants to do it without the right book for reference and inspiration. With up-to-date information on the latest styles and a thorough look at classic appliances and materials, Terence Conran Kitchens does it all.

From the Inside Flap
Updated with all-new content for 2002, Terence Conran?s invaluable reference on kitchens tackles the most complex design project in the house.

In many ways the heart of the home, the kitchen is a place where style and function can coexist magnificently. International style king Terence Conran shows us how to do just that in Terence Conran Kitchens. In terms of planning, the kitchen makes unique demands, and Conran covers both the overarching style concerns and the nitty-gritty practicalities of making your dream kitchen a reality. The book ranges from the basics of good design (whether you?re starting from scratch or fitting new appliances into an old layout) to an encyclopedic look at all the materials (storage, lighting, worktops, and more) available to the kitchen designer today. As always, Conran provides case studies and floor plans, bring-ing the best kitchens within reach of every reader. No one embarking on the demanding task of redesigning a kitchen wants to do it without the right book for reference and inspiration. With up-to-date information on the latest styles and a thorough look at classic appliances and materials, Terence Conran Kitchens does it all.

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Review of Living with Dogs: Collections and Traditions, At Home and Afield (Hardcover)

I am an avid collector of dog memorabilia and motif items and this book was an inspiration! My husband just thought I was obsessive about dog objects! Your book gave me new ideas for old dog items that I never wouldhave thought of.The photography is beautiful and the subjects are warmand true. I know that I am not alone in my endeavor to collect and displaywhat I love!

Product Description
Man's relationship with the world of dogs is not only universal, but also frequently all-encompassing, influencing how we live, what we collect, and how we spend our leisure time. Living with Dogs explores the multitude of ways that dog owners share their lives with their pets. In 26 delightfully written stories, a witty, admiring text, and 400 full-color photographs, the authors of The Sporting Life and A Passion for Golf capture the experiences of dogs and people--at home, in the country, in the city, and even at work, with a special focus on the nostalgic memorabilia that remind people of their devotion to their pets.

The authors visit passionate owners, breeders, trainers, and collectors across the country and offer a look into their dog-filled lives. Profiles include an interior designer who has amassed a lifetime of canine art; a collector with a house full of four-legged porcelain figurines; a bibliophile with an outstanding assortment of dog-literature first editions; an artist who specializes in dog portraits; and a veterinarian who proudly displays antique tools of his trade. The authors also focus on other aspects of dog devotion, including the Philadelphia All-Terrier Show; a hotel decorated with canine appointments; a New England camp exclusively for dogs; a boutique devoted to canine accessories; the American Kennel Club; and a Manhattan gallery specializing in 19th-century dog art.
Whether they are devoted to a particular breed or have simply fallen in love with dogs in general, the people featured here have succumbed to the "Slipcover School of Dog Management,allowing their dogs the complete run of their livesas well as their hearts.
With an extensive resource list that includes dog art galleries, dog shows, kennel clubs, breeders, supply houses, and more, Living with Dogs is the ultimate tribute to canine companions.

In 26 stories and 400 full-color photographs of homes, collections,galleries, meets, shows, kennels, and camps, Living with Dogs celebrates the devotion and passion of the millions of Americans for whom a life without dogs is not worth living.



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Review of Good Things (Best of Martha Stewart Living) (Paperback)

In the introduction to this book, Martha Stewart defines what she and her staff consider a "good thing". It must be uncomplicated, useful, aesthetically pleasing, interesting, pertinent, unusual, and done with materials that are easily found. I would say that about 75% of the projects in this book meet those criteria as I would apply them.

The book is well organized into seven sections: entertaining, cooking, celebrating, giving, gardening, decorating, and homekeeping. I found useful ideas in each section - some sections were better than others for me - but even the ones of lesser interest to me were still lovely to look at. At the end of the book, Stewart includes a source guide for most of the materials used in this book.

I especially liked the kitchen tips (in the cooking section); the easy instruction for handmade soaps; tole painting on tin buckets; and the organizing hints which included record-keeping.

Some of the ideas did not appeal to me at all (like gluing live ivy leaves along the edges of a tablecloth, making a linen table-sized mat, making linen basket liners, and constructing wraps for bottles) but then again, they were fun to look at!

The beautiful arrangement of this book and its photos made it worth buying.

Product Description
Culled from the best of the "Good Things" columns in Martha Stewart Living magazine, this book offers a varied selection of wonderful crafts projects, recipes, hints for home decorating, organizing, and gift-giving. 200 color photos.



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Review of A Home for the Soul: A Guide for Dwelling wtih Spirit and Imagination (Hardcover)

If you are looking for lots of ideas for floor plans, design or decorating ideas, this is not the book you want.If you are looking for a book that will help you create a space that feels like "home," this book will help you think about what that means in terms of your space.

Lawlor takes an unusual approach to his subject by first examining each living area with respect to the Greek gods typically responsible for that space.Before one dismisses this as a New Age thing, study the ideas behind the activities represented by that god.It's simply his "hook" to get the reader to continue on, to think about what this space is intended to do in the routine of life.As a storyteller, I was thrilled to read of his ideas for planning one's living area, which should be a space for stories, music and social interaction.He does not ignore the ever-present television, but he does suggest planning for lively, involved social interaction, which we all crave but often lack in our busy lives.

He does give general suggestions for room layouts if you are in the planning stages of construction, and closes each chapter with his vision of the ideal layout for that living area.He suggests materials, colors, furnishings and accents for each specific area, so that if you are looking to change existing space, you'll find that, too.Anyone who places a priority on books as a major furnishing component will win me over every time, but his vision of planning for a home, not a house, has appeal as well.

Product Description
A Home for the Soul
by Anthony Lawlor

Anthony Lawlor is known as the architect who brings soul to design. His acclaimed book The Temple in the House showed how to and the sacred in architecture. Now, in A Home for the Soul, he reveals how our houses and apartments can become havens of inspiration and renewal.
"From the moment we're born, we seek to find home." Lawlor says, "Yet, despite this primal longing, our dwelling places often disappoint us." In A Home for the Soul, we discover that the depth and meaning we seek is right in front of us if we but have the eyes to see. Lawlor teaches us how to develop a consciousness about the spiritual possibilities inherent in our interior surroundings; he shows how to recognize the sacred in material form. "Each time we bathe," says Lawlor, "we not only cleanse the body,
we refresh the spirit. Each time we open our front door, we enter a universe of connection and signifcance."
Lawlor leads us on a journey through each
room of the house, opening our vision to hidden possibilities. We discover, for example, how a stove expresses the transforming power of nature, how clothes closets reveal our inner personalities, and how home offices display our talents. Lawlor shows us the mythological
and archetypal meanings within the common objects of daily life--such as a bed, a bathtub, a pair of shoes, or a loaf or bread.
The author also offers practical suggestions
for arranging or building soulful homes.
He explains how to use wood, tile, brick, and stone to express qualities of the spirit and
how to use furniture and personal objects as allies in creating meaning.

Finally, Lawlor shows us how to construct a Mandala of the Soul--a wood cabinet with compartments for housing the symbols of home that have particular personal meanings for
each reader.
In these pages, we come to understand how all the rooms we live in can form a sacred place of wholeness, a home that cares for and uplifts the totality of mind, body, and soul.



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