Rating: 
Summary: a good place to start
Review: His rooms are lovely to look at, but I can see how his style would not be for everyone. Personally, I would hate to have to sweep and dust any of them. They are "overstuffed", with no room even to push the furniture aside and have a bit of a dance if the mood takes you. A bit stifling for me, but his basic theories are very logical and practical. Worth a read. (I have never seen his television show).
Rating: 
Summary: My favorite decorating book, but not for everyone
Review: I absolutely love this book! Talk about well written! I can't tell you how much money I've spent on decorating books that told me absolutely nothing. I felt more intimidated after having read these books than I did before I read them. Christopher explains everything in such a way that you can't wait to start decorating!This book is informative and fun. Most decorating books tell you how to decorate once you've decided on a particular style but provide little to no information on how to develope your sense of style. They tell you to paint your walls but tell you nothing about how to go about picking a color you'll absolutely love. Christopher helps take out all of the guess work. This is a book worth purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: A Road Map to decorating success
Review: I am a big fan of Christopher Lowell and generally like the decorating solutions he comes up with. Granted, many of them are not my lifestyle and not what I could live with, but I can appreciate the thought and talent behind each project. Since his background is theatrical, one would expect a degree of the theatrical in his style - sleight of hand, smoke & mirrors, dramatic touches - is what makes him so much fun to watch. Think of the book as a road map that shows you how to get to your destination - a successfully decorated room. By breaking any project into seven clear and logical steps, what might otherwise be a daunting task becomes a relatively painless process. I'd suggest this book to anyone based on the Seven Layers alone. The only real fault with the book is that it isn't long enough!
Rating:
Summary: Help for the decorating dazed and confused
Review: I enjoy Christopher Lowell's television show, and found his book equally terrific! The advice about interviewing and working with an interior decorator is worth the cost of the book by itself. The projects are challenging but definitely add to your home's look without putting you in the poorhouse. The best thing about Christopher Lowell? He starts with *paint*. Paint is cheap, and can simply be painted over without incurring thousands in re-dos and "buying mistakes." Paint also makes a huge impact, and you don't have to change furniture or buy expensive accessories.It's not brain surgery, but home decorating can reduce the most self-assured woman to a tearful wreck. This book can either be followed to the letter or used as a springboard to other decorating books and magazines. Christopher's breezy writing style and easily understood explanations make the most fearful home decorator ready to finally pick up that paintbrush and get busy!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I had very high expectations for this book...and Christopher sure came through!!!!!!!! All the tips were great and Chris looked great as always!!! I love his show and now i love his books!!!!! I can't wait to read his next book. thanks lowell...i love you man!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: No Fear Decorating
Review: I have read several decorating books and this one is by far the best. The author shows how to make "safe" decorating choices on expensive items (like furniture) and save the fancy embelishments for less expensive and more easily changed items. He also has great tips for how to pick colors for walls that won't scare off prospective future buyers and also blend well with the furnishings, whatever you may choose - even if you change them later. The first 1/3 of the book explains the "how tos" and the rest of the book shows real-life before and after examples of how to apply the 7 layer theory. The author is obviously a big believer in re-using, recycling, faux finishes, and flea markets to save money.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book!
Review: I was never much of Christopher Lowell fan until I became a stay at home mom. I started watching his show and now have read his book. His approach helps take the fear out of decorating. I love the fact that he is on a "no white walls" campaign. I'm a huge fan of painting walls and adding color. It truly is the cheapest way to warm up a room. Christopher is right when he talks about keeping your large furniture pieces in a solid, neutral color. I made the costly mistake of buying a sleeper sofa in a floral pattern print 3 years ago. Although I still love the colors, I'm not so crazy about the pattern anymore. Also, finding coordinating fabrics has been nearly impossible. Where was Christopher when I needed him?! It is too expensive to get it reapholstered, so I plan slip-cover it in a neutral fabric for a fraction of the cost per his suggestions. No other books break down decorating in such easy to understand steps.
Rating:
Summary: go for the principles, not the taste
Review: i've browsed through tons of interior design books in my day, and while i wouldn't say that christopher lowell's taste is anywhere near mine, i would still recommend this book as one of the first books you should buy for decorating help. i can't recall any other decorating guide for non-professionals that is as comprehensive as it is with instructions on how to piece a room together from top to bottom, and the "layer" concept is a very helpful thinking-tool. the vast majority of design books out there that claim to describe the principles in design are either very limited in scope (such as 'be cute and space saving') or far too abstract to show you how to join the different layers of a room together using the principles they describe in a systematic way (such as choosing a color scheme or keeping the architecture of the room in mind). in other words, christopher's 7 layers helps you integrate both the macro- and micro- levels of design in a room, no matter what your taste or style. this approach would be especially helpful for those of you that are very object-oriented when you start a designing project--by this i mean that you focus on the "stuff" (whether furniture or decorative accents) that people fall in love with when they decide what has to go into a room. if you understand how the 'layers' function, you'll be able to piece together a room-canvas that will really show off what you want on display!
Rating: 
Summary: Pictures were nice, but pretty over powering.
Review: It seemed like everything in the book was just as over the top as he is. Instead of showing you a really tastefull way of going about decorating something, everything was just bigger, and more colorful, and fluffier. I think that is kind of his style, and I guess I'm just not a fan of it. I think if you really enjoy him, you will like this book. I guess I don't enjoy him or this book.
Rating:
Summary: Pictures were nice, but pretty over powering.
Review: It seemed like everything in the book was just as over the top as he is. Instead of showing you a really tastefull way of going about decorating something, everything was just bigger, and more colorful, and fluffier. I think that is kind of his style, and I guess I'm just not a fan of it. I think if you really enjoy him, you will like this book. I guess I don't enjoy him or this book.
| 
