Finally, finally, a practical home-decorating book for the reader who is not a millionaire! Rather than call in a professional design consultant to tell you which walls "must go" and throwing out everything you own in favor of new and expensive designer fabrics, furniture, and fixtures, Ward starts with what you already have and makes dramatic transformations by arrangement, use of color, and a few inexpensive additions of objects or materials. Her idea is to use what you already have and like, and operate on a budget you can afford to make your home more satisfying and aesthetically pleasing to you without being a slave to passing trends, fads, and radical transformations that end up making you feel like a stranger in your own home.

Among the many tips and guidelines, Ward starts with the top 10 decorating mistakes that professionals all know about, but that anyone can recognize and fix. She covers diagnosing problems that jar the eyes, offers suggestions on items to banish and others to borrow from elsewhere in the home to create more visual appeal, talks about how to shop for furniture that will work with what you already own, offers tips for new homeowners and people just starting out to make older furniture work in new spaces, and covers the kinds of dramatic improvements possible through the use of the right artwork, accessories, and lighting. This is a great gift book for newlyweds, new homeowners, or anyone interested in creative, lively home decorating without breaking the bank. --Mark A. Hetts

Author: Lauri Ward
Paperback:  240 pages
Company: Perigee Trade  (1999-10-01) (1999-09-13)
ISBN: 039952536X
List Price: $16.95
Amazon Price: $9.00
Used Price: $5.00

1st Book Dedicated to Nuno Felting--all things yarn and fiber continue to be hot sales. Nuno felting is a new technique to traditional felting, resulting in lightweight garments and accessories that have drape and flexibility.

Great mix of projects. From scarves to home décor, from surface embellishments, color mixing, fiber blending -- this books develops a rich vocabulary of design ideas and methods.

Quick and easy patterns working with diverse fibers. First the first time, felting working with diverse fibers such as silk and wool, to mix and match for distinctive results.

In this unique collection of nuno felt projects, the author inspires the reader with innovative ideas for combining beautiful woven fabrics with handmade felt. The author gives clear instructions about how the nuno process works and demonstrates how it can be used on various fabrics and fibers to create very different results. Each of these techniques is fully illustrated with detailed photographs and clear step-by-step instructions.

Author: Liz Clay
Paperback:  128 pages
Company: North Light Books  (2007-12-26)
ISBN: 1600610366
List Price: $19.99
Amazon Price: $12.21
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Uncover the glory in your home! Use paint to create inspired living spaces that reflect your style and your home's character.

Once upon a time, there was a sad little Victorian house on the corner, abandoned by its previous owners and abused by time. Your Home, A Living Canvas is the Cinderella story of that house and its transformation into a charming, historic home, thanks to the loving care of acclaimed decorative artisan, Curtis L. Heuser.

From the grand staircase to the cozy third-floor master suite, this book takes you along on the complete floor-to-ceiling, room-by-room makeover. You'll learn about the design concepts and inspirations for each space, along with real-world how-to's behind the wall treatments, ceiling features, architectural highlights, and other exquisite details.

• A series of 25+ step-by-step demonstrations show how Heuser used murals, trompe l'oeil and faux finishes to blend old with new, reclaiming the spirit of the house's former glory, while incorporating unique personal touches.
• Covers a range of decorative styles, from the exotic crackle-finish bookcases in the study, to the Italian country villa-inspired kitchen, to a sophisticated dining room that embodies the Old World ambiance of classic European interiors.
• Offers a wealth of expert decorating advice on using color to evoke mood, displaying your collections, mixing and matching eclectic furnishings, and more.

Whether you're interested in a simple faux finish technique or are dedicated to preserving the architecture and charm of your own historic dwelling, this book will help you create a living environment rich in color, texture and atmosphere ... a place called "home."

Author: Curtis L Heuser
Hardcover:  144 pages
Company: North Light Books  (2007-10-24)
ISBN: 158180783X
List Price: $29.99
Amazon Price: $18.25
Used Price: $14.96

Author: Elissa K. Meyrich
Paperback:  112 pages
Company: St. Martin's Griffin  (2002-08-20)
ISBN: 0312269099
List Price: $23.95
Amazon Price: $13.17
Used Price: $11.85

Dave Eggers is a terrifically talented writer; don't hold his cleverness against him. What to make of a book called A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: Based on a True Story? For starters, there's a good bit of staggering genius before you even get to the true story, including a preface, a list of "Rules and Suggestions for Enjoyment of This Book," and a 20-page acknowledgements section complete with special mail-in offer, flow chart of the book's themes, and a lovely pen-and-ink drawing of a stapler (helpfully labeled "Here is a drawing of a stapler:").

But on to the true story. At the age of 22, Eggers became both an orphan and a "single mother" when his parents died within five months of one another of unrelated cancers. In the ensuing sibling division of labor, Dave is appointed unofficial guardian of his 8-year-old brother, Christopher. The two live together in semi-squalor, decaying food and sports equipment scattered about, while Eggers worries obsessively about child-welfare authorities, molesting babysitters, and his own health. His child-rearing strategy swings between making his brother's upbringing manically fun and performing bizarre developmental experiments on him. (Case in point: his idea of suitable bedtime reading is John Hersey's Hiroshima.)

The book is also, perhaps less successfully, about being young and hip and out to conquer the world (in an ironic, media-savvy, Gen-X way, naturally). In the early '90s, Eggers was one of the founders of the very funny Might Magazine, and he spends a fair amount of time here on Might, the hipster culture of San Francisco's South Park, and his own efforts to get on to MTV's Real World. This sort of thing doesn't age very well--but then, Eggers knows that. There's no criticism you can come up with that he hasn't put into A.H.W.O.S.G. already. "The book thereafter is kind of uneven," he tells us regarding the contents after page 109, and while that's true, it's still uneven in a way that is funny and heartfelt and interesting.

All this self-consciousness could have become unbearably arch. It's a testament to Eggers's skill as a writer--and to the heartbreaking particulars of his story--that it doesn't. Currently the editor of the footnote-and-marginalia-intensive journal McSweeney's (the last issue featured an entire story by David Foster Wallace printed tinily on its spine), Eggers comes from the most media-saturated generation in history--so much so that he can't feel an emotion without the sense that it's already been felt for him. What may seem like postmodern noodling is really just Eggers writing about pain in the only honest way available to him. Oddly enough, the effect is one of complete sincerity, and--especially in its concluding pages--this memoir as metafiction is affecting beyond all rational explanation. --Mary Park

Author: Dave Eggers
Hardcover:  416 pages
Company: Simon & Schuster  (2000-02-17)
ISBN: 0684863472
List Price: $24.00
Amazon Price: $5.00
Used Price: $0.41

The House that Faux Built is a unique project-turned-book with a dual purpose: To raise money for the New Orleans Habitat House that Faux Built in support of Katrina Victims To showcase the very latest in painting and plaster home makeover techniques. The Artist s Version of We are the World --More than 100 top artists from across the U.S. and Europe volunteered to help. Together they transformed the rooms of a 1940s colonial in Metro DC and an old Chicago church into unique works of art. This new book captures the project in over 500 full color photos and is being snapped up by homeowners, D-I-Y ers, realtors and designers eager to see the latest in faux and home transformations. Readers will learn home makeover solutions including: 15 tricks to make a small room look larger, 5 secrets to make ceilings appear higher, 5 ways to transform cement floors & new techniques for wood floors, 3 Inexpensive methods to customize existing cabinets and appliances, 3 ways to make old brick, tile, and counter tops look like stone. Dozens of ideas and products that did not exist even a year ago

Author: Adrienne Van Dooren
Hardcover:  144 pages
Company: East Cambridge Press  (2007-04-15)
ISBN: 0977896706
List Price: $34.95
Amazon Price: $22.63
Used Price: $24.77

Author: Kaari Meng
Hardcover:  128 pages
Company: Lark/Chapelle  (2006-10-28)
ISBN: 1579909965
List Price: $24.95
Amazon Price: $14.48
Used Price: $14.14

Author: Nathalie Metivier, Leslie Conron Carola
Paperback:  128 pages
Company: St. Martin's Griffin  (2007-02-06) (2007-02-06)
ISBN: 0312367090
List Price: $24.95
Amazon Price: $5.76
Used Price: $5.00

Nate Berkus, regular contributor on The Oprah Winfrey Show, contributing editor of O, The Oprah Magazine, and nationally renowned decorator, has created a book inspired by his belief that everyone should love the way they live. This step-by-step guide to achieving your own beautiful rooms is based on Nates signature style and innovative approach to design. As a small boy, Nate could often be found rearranging his room (as well as helping his mother and the other neighborhood mothers rearrange theirs). Throughout the years his passion continued to grow, and soon Nate was heading his own award-winning firm with an elite roster of clients. But it was Oprah Winfrey who gave Nate the chance of a lifetimethe opportunity to go into millions of homes around the world and join her mission to help people live their best lives. It has been a dream come true that has absolutely changed my life, explains Berkus. Not only has working with Oprah helped me redefine my own vision and purposebut she continues to challenge me to use my own life to help others live better. And there is nothing that makes me happier or more grateful than to be a part of that. As Oprah always says, your home should be a reflection of who you truly are. Nate says, no matter how much money you have, he believes that is so very true. I am honored to share my love of design to help everyone make that dream real for themselves with this book.

Author: Nate Berkus
Hardcover:  176 pages
Company: Hyperion  (2005-11-01) (2005-11-01)
ISBN: 1401301371
List Price: $27.95
Amazon Price: $6.89
Used Price: $5.00

A beautiful collection of collage art and techniques exploring the theme of home

In This House showcases a collaborative art project that explores innovative altered art and collage techniques by top mixed media artists. Using the theme of "home," each artist designed five altered art rooms to complete an individual 9"x12" 'house' that closes like a book or can stand accordion style. Each house is a part of a larger whole; a neighborhood of twelve unique and fascinating art-full houses, varying in execution, theme, and style, yet united as part of the larger neighborhood. Each "house" is a unique interpretation on the theme, reflecting the artist's style and incorporating the mixed media techniques for which each artist is most well known. The thirteen artists have created an inspiring collage technique workbook for readers. The back of the book includes a blank "house" template and a clip-art gallery of home-themed imagery that readers can alter and use in their own collage work.

Author: Angela Cartwright, Sarah Fishburn
Paperback:  144 pages
Company: Quarry Books  (2007-07-01)
ISBN: 1592533612
List Price: $24.99
Amazon Price: $14.88
Used Price: $14.87