Creating a Room: A Designer's Guide to Decorating Your Home in Stages

by Charlotte Moss, James Steinmeyer (Illustrator)

Showing how to choose and arrange the countless details that give a room its personality, a renowned designer offers a series of increasingly detailed drawings and color illustrations to trace the progress of ten rooms through successive levels of accessorization.

Genres: Interior Design

138 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1995

Reviews

[Jan Deelstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was REALLY excited to get this book by Charlotte Moss. Her style aligns with my own sensibilities, and I find that my library shelves are more and more filled with her works.
With that said, although I enjoy the voyeuristic peek into the interiors presented in this small, too brief, and resultantly less substantial "how to" book, much of it seems unrealistic in most homes, simply because most homes do not have such massive rooms to decorate.
As a Realtor, Mortgage Officer, Certified Designer, and on-site Sales Manager for multimillion dollar custom built homes in Southern California, I've had ample opportunity to assess space in even some of the most high-end properties. None of the homes I've sold, or designed for, or provided mortgages for are near as majestic in size as are the rooms presented in the pages of this book. But don't let that deter you if you have less than majestic room sizes. There are still some smart concepts presented for the process of decorating your home regardless of the square footage. The stages for decorating, and the suggested variations can be of immense value in creating your personal nest. And unquestionably, the section on upholstery is fascinating, and is some of the best design information I've ever run across. Just be prepared to possibly hone down the concepts to meet your level of room size. Still a highly recommended book for its clarity of the stages of decorating.

[False · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the principles of decorating rooms are sound and timeless, and the furniture which is more or less "classic," the fabrics come across as dated: heavy-handed chintz, country ginghams and plaids. Very 1990's. I would have preferred photographs of the rooms over illustrations. I do like how she showed rooms developing in stages.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this baby 5 stars because James Steinmeyer, the artist/illustrator is amazing! I Seriously can't put it into words, I love his work.
The book itself is a pretty good guide and there are a lot of great quotes placed periodically throughout that I like.