This new offering in Creative Homeowner's "Smart Approach" series (which includes Kitchen Design
; Bath Design
; etc.) presents decorating ideas for people "who don't know where to begin when shopping for furniture or choosing fabrics." Schemes for sprucing up a baby's room or creating a nursery from scratch run from basics like "Where Will the Baby Sleep?" to the complicated demands of "Meeting Special Needs" for children with physical disabilities, allergies and asthma. Handy tips on everything from choosing between cradles and cribs to finding the proper diaper-changing table are interspersed with suggestions for mixing and matching colors and fabrics. Advice on paint and wallpaper mingle with suggestions for fabrics and materials for most budgets and tastes, though a bias for the traditional ("antique wicker is sweet") shows. Chapters begin with suggested design parameters and ideas for formulating how to best use spaces. "Smart Tips" sidebars, such as "Essential Nursery Furnishings and Accessories Checklist," are illustrated with numerous photographs, and each chapter ends with "A Gallery of Smart Ideas," which showcase more photos of possible layouts that should offer plenty of design inspiration. Furniture templates and a hefty resource guide will help do-it-yourselfers find suppliers and purchase materials. A glossary of design terms and an index complete this comprehensive guide, which will be of tremendous help to amateur interior decorators and new parents alike. (Oct.)
