Homes & Gardens Designs for Living: Living Rooms, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Bedrooms

Rating:
Summary: Good reference
Review: If you're new to interior design or need a good book to keep as a reference - this is a good buy. Neatly laid out (in small print and double spaced), easy to understand with full coloured pictures, this book explains all the basics. For example, it explains the difference between contemporary and traditional design for each of the rooms highlighted and how to use colour and texture effectively. Function is also considered - as in the section on kitchens. Here 'Kitchens to eat in' and 'Kitchens to relax in' are two of the headings. In the section on bathrooms, there is information on 'Special needs' and 'Dual purpose' baths. The drawback is that if you're looking for new ideas, only a few are found as most of the rooms pictured are not practical, so ideas have to be picked from here and there. Also, the wide range of topics covered means that less depth of information is available although the most important points are mentioned. I also found that some of the pictures should have been taken at a wider angle to give a better effect of the whole room instead of just focusing on one aspect of design.