Flip! for Decorating: A Page-by-Page, Piece-by-Piece, Room-by-Room Guide to Transforming Your Home

by Elizabeth Mayhew

In this fresh, fun, and unique book, design consultant and Today show lifestyle expert Elizabeth Mayhew shares essential insider tips for making any space stylish and timeless in a snap. Forget expensive fixes or labor-intensive endeavors, Flip! for Decorating can show you how to redecorate with what you have on hand, or with the simple purchases you’ll need to create the room of your dreams. Flip through the upper right hand pages, and watch four rooms receive an instant makeover! Inside you’ll • step-by-step instructions for decorating the four most commonly used living room, dining room, family room, and bedroom• the fundamentals of color, including no-fail wall and trim colors, when to use wallpaper instead of paint, and the facts on different paint finishes• the ways to treat a window, from Venetian blinds and Roman shades to simple curtains–and the secrets to making a window appear taller or wider• the art of picking the perfect sofa, chairs, tables, and lighting• strategies on how to prioritize your decorating decisionsFlip! for Decorating also features time-saving “reality checks,” handy shopping tips, and easy and informative sidebars that will give you instant solutions if you’re stumped, stymied, or need to add a quick jolt of style to virtually any room in your home. With this amazing, practical book, decorating is so easy you’ll flip!

Genres: Nonfiction, Design, Interior Design

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2009

Reviews

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent basic design guide for interiors.
She covers several rooms, delving into the major elements in each. ( i.e dining room - table, living room - couch )

It's very simple and to the point, filled with very good tips geared
for the novice or people like me who think they know what looks good but
have no idea what the rules are that will make your room better.
How big should a couch be to fit well in a room? How big should the coffee table be to appropriately scale to the couch? How big should a rug be? She gives easy tips on all this kind of stuff.

I didn't love her rooms per se, but she does give valuable information
that is easy to read and helpful to anyone furnishing a home. A good reference I will go back to in the future.

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your “style” comes from Pinterest and television shows like Fixer Upper, you may believe this book is not for you. I thought this way at first. However, a basic premise of the book is that, if you fill your home with things you love, you will love your home. That means things do not have to match; it means opening your mind to colors, shapes, textures, and combinations that will be original and authentic, instead of the same, tired, lookalike combinations that make for great TV or photos, but that you’ll be tired of within two years. Believe me, I love trendy decor pins as much as anyone, but in putting those looks to work in my own home, I felt like I was living inside a catalogue. It felt so fake and impersonal, and I hate that. This book really shows you how to break free from the trends, so you can curate your own unique and comfortable space to really live in. I learned so much!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very helpful, practical decorating book written over a decade ago. The advice is as fresh and timeless as ever. It inspires the reader to put together rooms you will love, I am so happy to have a copy in my personal library.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. A practical, easy to guide book when you want to decorate or redecorate your home. I loved the simple explanations and practical how-tos.

[Candy Man · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I was looking for. It's just enough without being overwhelming. You get the general rules of thumb and basic measurements to get started customizing your home to your style and needs.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Mayhew provides a fun, step-by-step guide to decorating each room. She gives easy, but comprehensive information about everything from selecting quality furniture to layering and decor.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that this book provides a very edited suggestion list. It shows about six room colors in the paint section and tells you why they're good colors to start with. Then it moves on to specific rooms of the house and sets them up from empty shells to fully decked out spaces (lots of pictures along the way). It's pretty practical, but still maintains its focus on aesthetics. This book is close to ideal if you've got some ideas in mind already and just need some suggestions here and there on how to bring things together.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the sections on choosing paint and window treatments. I actually really enjoyed the suggested basic paint colours and made note of them. However, I wasn't a fan of the rooms that they decorated. There were a few ideas that were neat but nothing that I would replicate in my own home.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, step by step approach to room arrangement...take you through living, dining, sleeping areas and entry ways...just wish it was in a real house not a funky NY flat. Somehow NY is a different world....

[Mary Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for true beginners. Not for anyone who has a lot of knowledge about decorating. But nice format and photos.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there were a few good ideas in the book, I didn't like any of the rooms or most of the furniture. Just not my taste, I guess.

[Sarah Ryburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another loan from Wendy, the Czarina of Style (both personal and home). Currently pouring over it. I could sit and devour these books for days.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some good ideas.

[Relyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

too gimicky - not for me