Flip! for Decorating: A Page-By-Page, Piece-By-Piece, Room-By-Room Guide to Transforming Your Home

I have read a lot of decorating books. I've even written some. It's the rare book that actually gives you useful advice in a very accessible manner. Elizabeth Mayhew has come up with a clever, fun concept--a flip book in which you see how each of four rooms come together, step by step. But she's also filled this book with tons of practical advice that helps you narrow down the overwhelming breadth of options out there, and cuts to the chase by coming right and saying what you need to know--sisal isn't really practical, what coffee table to buy if you can't choose, no-fail paint colors, why you don't need elaborate swoopy curtains, and how to style a tabletop so it looks fabulous. It makes decorating look fun and do-able. Even if your style isn't anything like hers, you will find lots of valuable advice here.

As an interior design student, I've met design teachers who are great designers but not good teachers. Trust me, it is NOT easy to articulate "Why this and that would look good together." One of my experienced and certified designer teachers said to us that "This can't be taught. You have to feel it yourself. When you practice enough, you will know when it works." as a response to my question of how to put things together with a designer feel to it. Well, I am so glad that someone could! The author of the book does a marvelous job at explaining in great details how to combine different elements to make a beautiful presentation on a corner or a side of the room. She is specific, concise, and easy to be understood. The only flaw I'd be able to point out is the color of the text. I'd suggest the black color for the major part of the text, instead of the olive color that looks good but is not easy to read in print. I love the book, and I find it to be very useful even to myself as an interior design student.

I have followed Elizabeth's column in House Beautiful as well as watched her on The Today Show. Finally, all her helpful advice is in a book! Flip! For Decorating is a helpful, practical, EASY-TO-READ guide on how to give your room a facelift. She provides wonderful tips from start to finish, floor to ceiling, wall to wall. Everything is clearly outlined and decorating does not seem as daunting with this fresh guide as Elizabeth has spelled out the golden rules.

I always watch Elizabeth on Today and read her monthly column in House Beautiful, so I knew purchasing her book was a no-brainer. It had to be good, and I was right. I'm doing a house renovation and her book couldn't of come out at a better time. I felt stuck in a rut with my decorating scheme, even though I wanted a change I kept going back to the same things I've done before time after time. Elizabeth's book helped me pick a whole new color scheme for my house. Elizabeth's first chapter titled Color is my favorite. I was obsessing through the Benjamin Moore palette for weeks until I read her book. FLIP is full of great tips and ideas and it has a great resource guide at the end. You won't be disappointed. I'm already looking forward to her next book!

This is the book to buy if you actually plan on decorating a room instead of just thinking or talking about it. Lots of practical instruction and step by step photos covering topics like "how to make a room appear larger." The author recognizes that we all have different budgets. Lots of ideas can be done cheaply or expanded based on available budget (wallpaper instead of paint for instance). Some suggestions help make more out of a room without buying anything at all. Highly recommended for anyone starting a decorating project.