Review by Booklist Review
For those who adore books and all forms of the printed word, the very idea of decorating with them might seem to akin to sacrilege. Yet, after a few paragraphs\b , \b0 House Beautiful 0 magazine contributor Hueston persuades with a few chosen quotes--like Jorge Luis Borges' "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library." The ways in which books can become a vibrant design theme are multiple--stacked on ottomans, piled on floors, lined up on benches, and draped over ladders. Each chapter delves into specific ideas: libraries, throughout the house, as focal points, as architecture, and practical matters like shelving, lighting, and caring for books. And each features a few pages called "a closer look," a few-page pictorial examination of specific design details in a room or two, pointing out, for instance, a London antique armoire-credenza perched on a black plinth. Remember that in the most physical of senses books are three-dimensional objects possessing a variety of colors, sizes, and textures. --Barbara Jacobs Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Typically, books are valued for what's written inside them. But as a collection, they also tell us a lot about their owner, which is why Hueston, an author and contributing editor at Country Living magazine, believes they are so effective as decoration. Here, she demonstrates how a display or library of books can enhance the look of almost every room in your home. Using copious photographs to illustrate her sparse text, she captures the aesthetic appeal of books and how they add color and texture to a space. With a broad sensibility that expands far beyond traditional configurations, Hueston encourages readers to keep books "stacked on an ottoman, piled on the floor, lined up on a bench, or ... draped over a ladder," in addition to keeping books "confined to shelves and tabletops." Judging books by their covers, as it were-as objet d'art, without regard to content-Hueston includes tips for displaying, organizing and caring for book collections of any size, which should give any book owner more than one new way to enjoy their favorite titles. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Review by Library Journal Review
The title is a bit misleading since this book primarily shows how to house a book collection attractively rather than merely using books as decorative accessories. From the luxury of a home library to shelving niches carved in rooms throughout the house to books displayed throughout a room, Hueston, contributing editor to Country Living, provides ideas to get a handle on taming an unwieldy collection. Every few pages, a specific arrangement is highlighted to point out its special features. A concluding chapter explains how to determine shelving needs, care of books, and proper lighting. Illustrated throughout with color photographs; recommended for large interior design collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
