What Would You Do With This Room? My 10 Foolproof Commandments to Great Interior Design

by Mark Lewison, Sherri Houtz, John R. Haigh (Collaborator)

Get the book on home design that's been downloaded over 90,000 times... Discover the insider secrets top designers keep to themselves with these interior design essentials...right at your fingertips. Savvy, bold, and highly readable, "What Would You Do With This Room? My 10 Foolproof Commandments to Great Interior Design" is a gem of instruction to design types who have the heart to do-it-themselves, but need a little direction. Design doesn't have to be frustrating, puzzling or expensive. On the contrary, the key to home decorating is having fun. Interior designer, Mark Lewison, shares his proven commandments so everyone can design with confidence. The book is divided into three easy-to-read sections, beginning with Mark's "Ten Commandments" of home design told in a manner both amusing and easy to remember. Next, "Executing the Design," will drive home these commandments in more detail, while providing the knowledge to make important decorating decisions. Finally, "Dear Mark," further illustrates how to use the Ten Commandments by using real-life situations and pictures. It also includes simple-to-use appendices that explore color usage, decorating styles, window and floor treatments, lighting, fabrics and textures—enhancing the understanding of interior design knowledge. With a mantra to keep it simple, Mark provides a touchstone and a template on how to create spaces that are balanced and beautiful personal expressions that fit in your budget. Style has a new face—yours! Now, you too, can think big and learn to master and hone your creative visions, and better yet, how to implement and create them. It takes effort to execute design plans, but with these easy-to-use tools and insights, designing your rooms is a breeze! TOP TEN REASONS FOR YOU TO READ "WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THIS ROOM?" - Impress your friends and family by knowing the difference between a Boucle and Matelasse - Be able to understand and use "trickorating" techniques - Redesign your entire space without losing your lease deposit - Easily apply "makeup" to your room for eye-catching flair that makes it pop - Learn how to save 50+% on your furnishings - Discover how to look fabulous in your own home - Avoid the deer in headlights look when visiting furnishing showrooms and home stores - Fool your friends by making cheap look expensive - Turn mistakes into clever design - Make sentimental eyesores blend seamlessly into your space And one more reason to read "What Would You Do With This Room?": know when it's time to grab a can of kerosene and a match, and courageously begin anew... Happy designing! Download FREE BONUS BOOK, "How Do I Hire an Interior Designer? Tips for Finding, Hiring and Working With an Interior Design Professional on Your Budget" from a password inside the book app at

158 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2008

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upbeat, encouraging, quick read good for those who want the basic knowledge needed to get started putting livable rooms together. Not a comprehensive overview of all design styles and history, but a taste of what is most relevant to the contemporary eclectic philosophy encouraged by the author.

I was annoyed by the incorrect definition of complementary color in the color theory section. Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel which, when mixed, produce gray, but here he says they are adjacent colors on the wheel.

I would have liked more explanation of how a "spine color" works to tie other colors in the room (or neighboring rooms?) together.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did it end so soon?! Is there a part two to this? I loved this book and how practical the tips were. I am an inspiring Interior Designer looking for some books to start me off with and this was a GREAT start. I love that he paired the commandments with real like examples, it really helped illustrate his point. I also like that he referred to fashion ofter. I would agree that "rules" or style in fashion is similar to those in Interior Design.

Overall: I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good basic ideas about what to do with problem spaces. The ten commandments of decorating according to Mark are helpful and can be applied to most decorating questions and problems.