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Title: Let's Ask Michael : 100 Practical Solutions for Interior Design Challenges by Michael Payne ISBN: 0-07-141627-7 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Pub. Date: 20 March, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.22 (18 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: What a Gem!
Comment: What a delight! Michael Payne is just as a much a joy in print as he is on TV. Not only does the book offer creative solutions to designing problems, it is a great read as well. I found myself enjoying the book cover-to-cover, not just as a solution-generating resource. The graphics, photos, and overally layout are first rate. I highly recommend it to anyone who lives within four walls (perfectly decorated or not)!
Rating: 3
Summary: Too many bubbles, not enough champagne...
Comment: Michael Payne, the congenial host and designer of HGTV's "Designing for the Sexes", finally has a book out. A must for fans of the show, "Let's Ask Michael" is a good design book that could have been great.
The book's layout is based upon actual customer questions that Michael has fielded over the years, most pages showing a before or after image of the rooms discussed (or something similar.) The hundred queries are a mix of broad and specific, covering the major rooms of the house. Michael answers each with that comforting grandfatherly style that he's known for. His solutions are top-notch and are the reason he is so sought after.
If only the book were better.
Though "Let's Ask Michael" captures Payne at his best and has roots in his show, the question/answer format may not the best way to approach a first book attempt. I'd much rather see Michael do a more typical design book and leave this format for a followup. His ideas do come through, but are somewhat constrained by the format. Also, the large typeface, though easy to read, masks the fact that the answers given are not very long. Large and overly bold side splashes on the page also consume a good amount of page real estate. Added together, stripping the splashes and cutting the type size would probably cut the 191 pages down to about 140 - truly "Design Lite." (The credits note that Payne's son designed the book. Oh well.) As for me, I want to know more. This lack cuts the rating on this book by two stars at least.
Still, "Let's Ask Michael" is an enjoyable work simply because the author is fascinating. I was surprised to read in his online bio that his background is in physics and mathematics; he worked in the computer industry for many years before bolting to interior design. He's a genuine talent, so for the next book let's get more of Michael's ideas and less filler.
Rating: 5
Summary: MIchael Answers With Great Decorating Ideas
Comment: Our TV fav host and ID does a neat thing: he answers emails and the publishes them with his answers and graphics.
The show is really Michael's wonderful personality and design flexibility. Here it shows in advice on all rooms from kitchen to bath to living room to bedroom to dining room to family room and all others. His adept touch is in them all, such as this suggestion in regards to breathing new life into stale furniture on a tight budget: "have it professionally painted." It's answers like this that endure this guy to us in HGTV's audience.
The index here is critical, since it cross-sections his answers not just by room, but by style, by topic e.g. wall color, by furniture piece, etc.
100 of them with good color shots and sketches and Michael. Only thing wish he'd included was a recommended bibliography for us who would like to go deeper.
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Title: HGTV Before & After Decorating by HGTV, Amy Tincher-Durik, HGTV Books ISBN: 0696219093 Publisher: Meredith Books Pub. Date: 15 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Use What You Have Decorating : Transform Your Home in One Hour With Ten Simple Design Principles -- Using the Space You Have, the Things You Like, the Budget You Choose by Lauri Ward ISBN: 039952536X Publisher: Perigee Pub. Date: 13 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Design on a Dime by HGTV Books, Amy Tincher-Durik ISBN: 0696218496 Publisher: Meredith Books Pub. Date: 16 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Christopher Lowell's You Can Do It! Small Spaces : Decorating to Make Every Inch Count by Christopher Lowell ISBN: 1400047277 Publisher: Clarkson Potter Pub. Date: 09 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Christopher Lowell's If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It! : Dream Decor on a Budget by Christopher Lowell ISBN: 060960970X Publisher: Clarkson Potter Pub. Date: 10 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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