House Beautiful Style 101

October 3, 2011
In a book that groups decorating ideas by idiosyncratic styles (glam; new ruralist; traditional with a twist; modernist; accessorator), there’s something to intrigue (love the little pink refrigerator) and horrify (zebra pillows against purple walls? really?) everyone. A quiz at the beginning helps readers fit their tastes into the author’s schema. Designers comment on photos of their work, explaining their choices. A “master class” poses questions (“What’s the best way to display books?”) to a variety of designers. Fabricators of all items are identified, so readers can find them or simply be inspired by them. There’s not much to study in depth. The book is photo heavy and text light, so it functions essentially like a shelter magazine, with ideas to dream on.