Tricia Guild's Design and Detail: A Practical Guide to Styling a House

In this lush and lavish picture book, designer Guild takes us through her London house, explaining the rhyme and reason of her renovations. She recommends an effusively colorful, eclectic style while introducing principles of interior design and giving technical advice. Permanent design solutions are not for her; an evolving home and sensibility are. She enjoys debunking conventions, to a point, and recommends boldness in making a space one's own, including the use of asymmetry and occasionally riotous period, pattern and color mixing. The book's weaknesses include unimaginative suggestions about gardens and pictures. Also, the text too often refers readers to Guild's own design company for materials and consultation, a self-serving strategy. Guild's Midas touch (putting frescos in a kitchen) is not within average reach, and her designsaggressively vivid, plumply elaborateare not for everyone. However, her rules of thumb in thinking about design are useful and appealing. (Oct.)