The Interior Design Shelf

The Handbook of Home Design
Laura Jane Clark
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781914239267, $26.99

https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Home-Design-step-step/dp/1914239261

The Handbook of Home Design: An Architect's Blueprint for Shaping Your Home=
offers budget-minded home designers solutions to common remodeling and bui= lding issues. It represents architect Laura Jane Clark's years of working w= ithin budgets of all kinds. Clark takes a step-by-step approach to the proc= ess, teaching new homeowners and budding designers the basics of reading a = plan, sketching a workable design, understanding technical requirements, an=
d using the appropriate language and instructions to get the most from the = home renovation effort. Full-page color photo examples accompany considerat= ions of flow, zoning spaces, and tackling ancillary spaces in homes, and ar=
e powerful keys to understanding the basics of home remodeling options and = the revitalization processes that work. Libraries and homeowners alike will=
find The Handbook of Home Design an empowering guide.

Create at Home With Old & New
Ali Heath
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784728557, $39.99

https://www.amazon.com/Create-At-Home-Old-New/dp/1784728551

Create at Home With Old & New will reach interior design artists and collec= tions catering to them with a focus on juxtaposing antiques with modern pie= ces to create displays that seamlessly integrate and old new design pieces = and concepts. Specially commissioned photography provides a visual key to u= nderstanding and absorbing these concepts, which appear in three sections: = Establishing Your Style, Developing Your Eye, and Inspiring Your Journey. T= hese neatly separate the basic concepts of employing Ali Heath's unique sty= le, allowing readers to easily identify and tap into their creative impulse=
s to get started on their own projects, define unique approaches to mixing = antique and modern pieces, and learn from others who have successfully inte= grated these ideas. The colorful approach and displays make Create at Home = With Old & New a delightful display and a lesson that should be in any arts=
library.

Interior Motives
Debbe Daley
Advantage Media
https://advantagemedia.com
9781642256499, $16.99, PB, 146pp

https://www.amazon.com/Interior-Motives-Designing-Career-Passion/dp/1642256= 498

Synopsis: "Interior Motives: Designing a Career With Passion" takes the rea= der on a journey through Debbe Daley's attempt to establish a career as an = interior designer in the New England area. Along the way, Daley offers read= ers insight into the role that negativity plays in keeping people from doin=
g what they love.

"Focusing on the monetary costs of the change we want to make is one of the=
most convincing ways that we set up obstacles for ourselves", Daley writes=
, before offering readers a hearty dose of encouragement. " If you want to =
do something that's going to make you happy, there will always be alternati=
ve paths than the first ones (or the easiest or fastest or most expensive o= nes) you imagine. There are always other avenues to take. The important thi=
ng is committing to taking the journey, believing that it's worthwhile, get= ting on that path in some way or other, and seeing where it goes. "

Daley's career narrative is intricately interwoven with stories of family, = friends, and love, and even offers readers a unique take on design industry=
challenges. She tracks a field undergoing its own major transitions from t=
he 1980s, "...when a room full of traditionally trained designers gasped at=
the suggestion that there would be a major shift within the profession awa=
y from a more formal aesthetic," to the 2020s, where she joins, "a room ful=
l of relaxed and talented young people dancing and celebrating everything t= hat was new and different about the design world."

Having made her way in life and career by laying claim to the value of hard=
work and independence, Daley leaves readers with an equally convincing mes= sage about the need for entrepreneurs to be surrounded by people who can pu=
sh them forward, keep them learning and engaged, and cheer on their success= es. "In the end, there's no going it alone," she writes, reminding her read= ers that answering the question, "What is going to make me happy?" always i= nvolves and reflects our relationships to the people closest to us.

Critique: Nicely illustrated and inherently interesting, "Interior Motives:=
Designing a Career With Passion" is exceptionally well written and fascina= ting read as it showcases a wealth of positive insights into what it was li=
ke for Debbe Daley to launch a career in the field of interior design and h=
ow she discovered what was required for not only success but self- fulfillm= ent and personal happiness. While a highly recommended pick for community l= ibrary Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections, it should be not=
ed for personal reading lists (especially for those with an interest in bec= oming an interior designer themselves) that "Interior Motives: Designing a = Career With Passion" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8= ..99).

Editorial Note: Debbe Daley (https://www.debbedaleydesigns.com) is an award= -winning interior designer with more than thirty-five years' experience. Sh=
e started her career as a self-taught designer making custom window treatme= nts. Today, she is known for the extraordinary service she provides to home= owners in New England and around the country. She is an associate member of=
the American Society of Interior Designers, and a member of the National S= peakers Association and the International Furnishings and Design Associatio=
n.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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Midwest Book Review
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Midwest Book Review

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