DÃ‰COR ENTERPRISES' DESIGNING WITH FABRICS AND COLOR

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DÃ‰COR ENTERPRISES' DESIGNING WITH FABRICS AND COLOR

Name: DÃ‰COR ENTERPRISES' DESIGNING WITH FABRICS AND COLOR
Author: Brenda Weiss
ISBN: 978-1-4257-9368-5

by Brenda Weiss ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

A practical, vivid guide to the use of color in interior design.

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An interior designer’s guide to help amateurs select colors and fabric designs.

Weiss’s book, with ample photographs and color samples, is intended to walk amateur designers through the basics of interior design. While the introduction on how to use the book is dense and overly busy, it quickly picks up from there. The section that explains color relationships–i.e. the definitions behind contrasting, analogous and monochromatic colors and the difference between warm and cool–is a pithy, informative guide for anyone who has difficulty selecting colors. In addition, Weiss takes readers through five steps to choose fabrics. First, the reader must select what style they’re going for–traditional, contemporary or transitional–then the color and the color temperature. Then, they must determine the value of the lightness or darkness of the color. Lastly, the scheme–contrasting, monochromatic or analogous–must be picked. Much like a map for color- and texture-coding, the book is organized with easy-to-follow sections and designer’s tips. Additionally, the author breaks down each style into its color choices, reflecting both warm and cool tones, with fabric and pattern selections shown for each and complementary paint colors at the bottom of each page. There are more than 300 fabric samples to view here, all materials that are available from the author’s design company as well as websites to peruse for help and additional information for DIY-ers. Weiss has organized her book to combine style, color and scheme in a logical fashion. Her explanations behind why tones and textures work will undoubtedly help those less-than-secure in their design skills. In fact, it will likely instill confidence in the design-challenged.

A practical, vivid guide to the use of color in interior design.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 978-1-4257-9368-5

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.