Domino: The Best Interior Design Book for Non-Designers
Domino: The Book of Decorating
If you're going to buy just one book on interior design then this is it. Domino is with out a doubt my favorite. Not only is it packed with great ideas and inspirations but it has loads of useful advice for novice as well as advanced design enthusiasts.
Domino is one of the best books for answering the all elusive questions of What Makes Good Design and How can I Personalize My Style? It was put out by the publishers of Domino magazine which is now (unfortunately) defunct. It starts out with the usual "find inspiration", "determine your style" and "consider how you'll use the room" pages but then it takes a turn for the better when it gives you lots of tips on how to assess and integrate or weed out your belongings.
The rest of the chapters are based on rooms of the house. Basically for each room you are given several different styles to assess then these styles are broken down so that you understand exactly how the styles are classified and how you could imitate your favorite look with your own pieces.
Every room has its "big piece" (which you should always buy first)
and domino covers these big pieces in depth; explaining their style and
what other kinds of pieces coordinate well with them. They then give
"very important tips" which are gems of good advice. For example "A
Two-Timing Space: Your entry is a way station, but it's also the
mood-setter for your home, so practical and design concerns need equal
attention" taken from the chapter on Entries.
Each chapter starts to wind down with specific decorating tricks which for the most part can also be applied to any room in your house. They also give specific advice on how to accessorize and solutions for typical decorating problems. Finally, they show the evolution of a room taken from real live (albeit, stylish) people so you can see how it all works and comes together.
Whether you are just trying to re-decorate your bathroom or your whole house you will find the Domino Book of Decorating and invaluable guide.
Article by Anne Alexander Sieder all rights reserved. For hardcore interior design fans, check out my blog www.prettyhaus.com.