Decorating Small Spaces

Small, cramped spaces are common even if the overall house is not small, and this book recognizes that. It focuses on small entries, tiny dining areas, inadequate cabinet space, and everything in between. Then, in clear language, it suggests solutions to that particular problem. This is an overview that will make you think, and you'll enjoy examining each photo in detail. While it doesn't tell you exactly how to do stuff, there are other books for that. It does teach you to look at your small-space problems through new eyes, and then you can solve them with style!

I ranked seven "decorating small spaces" books, and reviewed and ranked them. That was before I found this book, which is the best of the lot. Useable ideas not only for every room but for every nook and cranny...excellent photos...helpful illustrations...this book has it all.

I gave this 4 stars on the wealth of large, colorful photos and the ideas you can get from those. Had to knock off one star for the difficulty of reading the text. Sentences 25 to 35 words long are difficult to digest (and I have a masters degree). The photo captions are grouped together, forcing the eye to jump back and forth trying to see what is being described. Even the picture captions are such dense text that they require re-reading to figure out what the author is saying. By page 100, I'd abandoned the text and just examined the photos. There are some great ideas to be gleaned from this book. I liked the sliding mirror that revealed a television inset into a bedroom wall. Also great was the hidden storage in stair treads. It's too bad that the text just didn't flow well.

This book is a GREAT tool for making your house a home. It's loaded with tips and basic principles that will improve any room. Decorating Small Spaces teaches its reader the "rules" and then actually shows how to break them with style. For instance deep colors on the wall of a small room might actually make it seem larger because the walls appear to recede. Starting with basic principles-color, furniture placement, storage, etc-the book then goes room-by-room showing how those principles can work. There are pictures to exemplify these principles on almost every page. This book won't show you how to organize a kitchen drawer or books on a shelf, but it will show you how to arrange everything in a room to make the room more spacious. I highly recommend this book. It has helped me transform my awkward small condo into a beautiful & livable home.

I am so excited about this book. It's just what my husband and I needed. The book combines style with practicality. What I mean is that the photos show rooms that are current and stylish and and even inspiring and the writing explains how I can use those ideas in our home. An excellent book. Handsome and helpful.