The Serene Home: Decorating Secrets & Inspirations

by Eileen Cannon Paulin

Take a pictorial tour through seven houses, each soothing to the eye and soul, and with a unique approach to design. Boxed “Serene Secrets” suggest simple, quick techniques for transforming rooms; close-ups focus on the small details; and easy-to-make projects. “Simple redecorating solutions for creating calm, soothing home environments.”—Publishers Weekly.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2003

Reviews

[Sam (Hissing Potatoes) · Rating 1 out of 5]

The designs in this book are NOT serene as promised in the title and introduction. They are perfect if you're interested in examples of throwing together tons of antiques and vintage patterns into busy-looking rooms. Personally I found them garish.

The introduction states that the "very simple formula for creating a serene home" is that it "has to make you feel good," and the book provides barely any more specificity than that.

A couple of the sidebars have relatively practical DIY advice, but nothing you couldn't find by just glancing at Pinterest.

A special thank you to the pets that showed up in some pictures, providing me with a cute distraction from the overwhelming setups.

Also for a journalism graduate with 23+ years in publishing, including editing, the author sure did butcher the use of punctuation in this book (and that assessment doesn't even include the lack of Oxford comma).

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Very inspiring and well presented decorating ideas and methods. The photos are wonderful and the text is well written and concise, full of helpful information.

[Lora]

Inspirational and calming way to decorate.