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Rating:  Summary: Ugh! What taste? Where is it? Review: Don't expect to get anything useful out of this book other than a good chuckle at all money and no taste. Unbelievably poor.
Not only that but all the stars are two bit or less celebrities.
The rooms are dated and in hideous taste, the stars are obscure, the design details are revolting and these are 40 rooms I would never want to live in.
Admittedly some are less repulsive than others but on the whole, don't spend the money.
Not a great deal of bio on the celebs, this book is useful as a curiosity only.
Kotori 2004
Rating:  Summary: Bedroom lovers delight Review: If you love bedrooms, you'll love this book which gives you a glimpse into the sanctuaries of 40 celebrities. Each profile is an average 3 page spread which shows one photo with a brief introduction and then has a page on the "design details" (palette, bed and bedding and furnishings) and a concluding page on "What Makes The Look". The author seems to have chosen her subjects carefully, as a wide array of styles are represented here - from the opulent, Renaissance inspired rooms of the Versaces to the cold, spare, ultra modern rooms of Derrick Colman and Marshall Coburn. Other styles include the Southwestern motif (Stanley Weston), Moroccan (Tyra Banks), and Oriental (Mary Tyler Moore). Some rooms show how carefully selected colors can evoke a calming mood (like in Deborah Norville, Joan Rivers and Paula Abdul's bedrooms). And some may just make you want to go "UGH" (sorry Mary Higgins Clark and Blaine Trump). Other celebrities included are Cher, Princess Diana, Patti Labelle, Ali MacGraw, Natalie Cole, Angel Sanchez, Lillian Vernon, Junior Johnson, Wesley Snipes, Mickey Rourke, Renzo Rosso, Peter Vitale, Charles Shaunghnessy and more.
Rating:  Summary: Finally, a decorating book that does reveal Review: the kind of things designers never tell you. This is more than just a beautiful book showing beautiful bedrooms that belong to the beautiful people, it really does show all the little tricks that make the rooms click. The best parts are the "make the look" boxes and the fact that every significant item in the rooms is identified by either the maker or the seller, which is referenced in a section in the back. The fun parts are the celebrities - maybe it's not surprise that Wesley Snipes has giant-sized mirrors all over his bedroom, but who would think that Joan Rivers would have such elegant taste? For the record I liked her bedroom suite the best. Now those freestanding fireplaces they have at Home Depot are calling my name.
Rating:  Summary: The benefit depends on your purpose for reading it Review: This book is best as a novelty item, rather than an informative interior design book. You might find inspiration from this book, but not many helpful tips. Pluses: All the rooms are opulent, but the book shows many different styles. If you like the stars in the book, it will probably interesting to see how their personalities are tanslated into their design style. Minuses: If you want to copy a star's style, it might be difficult to translate the ideas from an unlimited budget to one that is more realistic for the average person. There is no substantive information about the stars themselves in addition to information from their designers about the rooms. Recommendation: If you want to see how the other half live, then this book is for you. It also would be a fun gift. Those on a limited budget can probably find more useful books on interior decoration.
Rating:  Summary: The benefit depends on your purpose for reading it Review: This book is best as a novelty item, rather than an informative interior design book. You might find inspiration from this book, but not many helpful tips. Pluses: All the rooms are opulent, but the book shows many different styles. If you like the stars in the book, it will probably interesting to see how their personalities are tanslated into their design style. Minuses: If you want to copy a star's style, it might be difficult to translate the ideas from an unlimited budget to one that is more realistic for the average person. There is no substantive information about the stars themselves in addition to information from their designers about the rooms. Recommendation: If you want to see how the other half live, then this book is for you. It also would be a fun gift. Those on a limited budget can probably find more useful books on interior decoration.
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