cover image Ideal Home Book of Stylish Interiors

Ideal Home Book of Stylish Interiors

Janet Donin. Blandford, $0 (192pp) ISBN 978-0-7137-1856-0

Interior design writer Donin offers more than 300 color photographs, culled from the British decorating magazine Ideal Home, as a stimulus for those ""seeking inspiration.'' This modest and vague premise, however, results in a book with limited appeal. Loosely organized by specific styles (romantic, city, country, classic, bold, etc.) and by rooms of the house, the book provides terse suggestions for all levels of decorating: picture and furniture placement, painting, and light construction, such as building bookcases or enclosing a radiator. Most of the rooms appear livable and not overdecorated, but the book's monotonous layout detracts from their impact. Categories overlapfor example, bold colors are found in the bath and again in the children's room, giving the impression that chapter designations and photo editing are somewhat arbitrary. (June 1)