Leslie Linsley's High-Style, Low-Cost Decorating Ideas: Fresh, Easy Ways to Liven Up Every Room in the House - Softcover

Linsley, Leslie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312199082 ISBN 13: 9780312199081

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 1999

Synopsis

A collection of hundreds of insights, hints, and ideas from a top designer offers creative, practical, and inexpensive ways to give a home the personality you want, discussing such topics as distressing furniture, effective paint use, and "controlled clutter." Original. 20,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

Nowadays, busy homeowners are looking for decorating ideas that are not only inexpensive but easy to implement as well. Leslie Linsley meets both challenges head-on with her High-Style, Low-Cost Decorating Ideas. Linsley's tips focus on the creature comforts that make a house a home--what she calls the "details that make a difference." She emphasizes using pillows, blankets, candles, curtains, linens, artwork, and holiday decorations to create an atmosphere of warmth that will envelop homeowners at the end of a long day.

Many of the ideas can be implemented in just a day or two and without breaking the bank. For instance, Linsley explains how pillows can be used to introduce a new color to a room, create a seasonal look, or add interest to a monochromatic scheme. Try adding an element of surprise to a home by painting a hall or bedroom closet a bright, cheerful color or by lining plain white drapes with a floral or other bold print that's noticeable when the curtains are pulled back.

Linsley does cover larger-scale decorating techniques such as painting walls and refinishing furniture, and she includes time-saving shortcuts--such as wiping down furniture with denatured alcohol to avoid having to strip it before painting. Pictures in the book are limited to black-and-white line drawings, but her directions are explained simply and clearly. Her tips are heavily influenced by what she calls the "clever, comfortable, and carefree" style of decorating--a formula that should appeal to homeowners looking for a cozy but low-maintenance living space. --Kris Law

About the Author:

Leslie Linsley, one of America's leading designers, is the author of more than 50 books. A syndicated columnist, she contributes to many craft and home-decorating magazines, including House Beautiful, First for Women, Women's Day, Good Housekeeping, and Redbook. She lives in Nantuket, Massachusetts, where she and her husband, designer/photographer Jon Aron, run a noted design store, Leslie Linsley Nantucket.

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0312199082
• ISBN 13: 9780312199081
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240