Rating: 
Summary: Huh?
Review: And the concept is? I'm mad at myself for buying this. I'm tired of being sold meaningless concepts. I wanted a book, dammit. I want something meaningful, visual, substantial, and fun between the covers. Unfortunately, I didn't get that. This is nothing but some sort of silly push for a concept or product line created by what looks to be people who don' t have real homes or lives. Silly, meaningless, and superficial. What will they try to sell me next? An empty book? Well, in a way, that's what they sold me this time.
Rating: 
Summary: it's swell
Review: Cynthia and Ilene's book is great because it captures the Swell spirit from the original Swell. I love that they get inspiration from everyday life and show the reader that is does not cost a fortune to redecorate. The book is about getting away from what's in and what's out; what's uptown, what's downtown and show us it's all inclusive. The best part is that the book has illustrations instead of photographs so they encourage us to use our imagination instead of trying to copy what somebody else has created.
Rating: 
Summary: yawn.
Review: I actually had put this book on my wish list before it had come out - but decided to check it out at the bookstore before ordering on Amazon. First off you'll notice the book is thin, at only 192 pages, and remember that includes the intro, index, and bibliography, etc. Keep in mind that this is not coffee table sized hardcover either, but around 9 X 7. There are also no real pictures (save for one of the two writers/designers on the last page). A decorating book with no pictures? There are illustrations, but c'mon, we're not talking detailed images or even very imaginative ideas. I kept on going back to the table of contents thinking that I must have missed something, that they were somehow hidding pictures, or projects, or different colour schemes or anything, but alas no. If you're really looking for a swell guide to designing your digs this is surely not it. I'm pretty sure I wrote something like this book a few years back for a college 'zine. Trying for a groovy 'It' girl look? try checking out my lists, or check out design books by period, get a feel for your style, which designers you like, which period you like. If your interested in this book, i'd put the time periods around 1940s and on. PS for some kooky rooms but great projects check out Pad: The Guide to Ultra-Living -- by Matt Maranian.
Rating:
Summary: total fluff, total waste of money
Review: I agree with the reviewer who said that the swell concept is forced. This entire book is forced, trying to be cool when it's simply a regurgitation of old ideas or commonsense basics that I've read, like, a zillion times. The book is not worth the money. I was disappointed at the book's size and how few pages it had. Add that to the fact that the pages say nothing, and you get nothing for your money. These people are trying to sell some sort of attitude, but they aren't putting anything real or helpful behind that attitude. Personally, it makes me very angry. Don't waste your money on this.
Rating:
Summary: silly bit of fluff
Review: I got this as a gift, flipped through it and threw it away. The title suggested that it was old, and the content proved the point. The ideas are nothing new. A weird, dated little book Not mch book for the money either. The word "swell" is oddly used here. What the heck does that mean?
Rating:
Summary: Such Fun and Inventive
Review: I love Cynthia Rowley and Ilene Rosenzweig's "Swell" series. I have every edition and must confess that I am a bit of a "Swell" addict. I found "Home Swell Home" really up my alley. I love home design and decorating. I love Cynthia Rowley. And, I love illustration (which is very glorified in the "Swell" series). This great book is a mix between Martha Stewart (traditional) and modern chic. I find each idea very creative and while some thing's I would never attempt (way too "out-there") but there are many ideas that I have and WOULD do. I love their sense of fun about everything. From throwing a dinner party - to painting a room. It's all done with a sense of style and humor. I really love that and I will always try to bring that into my design and home. Love the entire "Swell" series and I will continue to follow their work for as long as they do it.
Rating:
Summary: SUPER!
Review: I NEVER READ THIS WHOLE BOOK CAUSE IT WAS SOO BAD! DO NOT BUY IT, PLEEAASSEE DON'T, IT'S JUST A WASTE OF MONEY!
Rating:
Summary: not so great
Review: I should have read the reviews before I bought this. It comes off as trite (no new ideas here) and more than a little tacky and cheap in tone. And the authors, if one can call them that, come off as snooty and self-satisfied. Sounds like a snooty little book for Yuppies in the 1980s -- definitely not the right book for TODAY. There are so many great decorating books out there. This is NOT one of them. I wasted my money.
Rating:
Summary: YUK
Review: I should have read the reviews before I bought this. It comes off as trite (no new ideas here) and more than a little tacky and cheap in tone. And the authors, if one can call them that, come off as snooty and self-satisfied. Sounds like a snooty little book for Yuppies in the 1980s -- definitely not the right book for TODAY. There are so many great decorating books out there. This is NOT one of them. I wasted my money.
Rating:
Summary: I had expected more inspiration and fun than this
Review: I thought this book would be more inspiring and have more new ideas than than it turned out to have. Its philosophy and its ideas are no different than a lot of the decorating books and magazines I already own. (Do your own thing? Gee, I never heard that one before....) The book is kinda thin too. It's sort of a magazine more than a book and not worth the money.
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