Thank you thank you for doing this topic!!!!

I just did a topic on the convo side asking the same thing.

If anyone can help me, here's what I need. Someone on my Christmas gift list recently bought an old, redbrick "stately" type house. Yeah, I don't know the style. lol. Wood floors, old tiled bathrooms.

She'll be decorating in a traditional style and I want to give her a really good hardback book with a lot of pictures just to give her ideas.

Ellen, I'll check out your link. Thanks!

Ok .....
Your over the mark now.
We know you love Houzz .
You post 4 times a day with the link there.
Do they pay you ?

I'm sorry but enough is enough.
This is the first time you have started a thread linking to Houzz.
Nothing you can find to link to ?
I've kept it in too long ....
And I'm sorry if you truly only have 2 web sites that you visit and feel the need to link the them together.

Side post : Sorry for being such a b@#ch...

Okay, what did I miss? lol.

I did order a Charles Faudree' book though. :)

Great topic! My new favorite book is Decorate by Holly Becker. Great tips and beautiful photos.
Forboystoo- I see your point but there must be a nicer way to say things. BTW- I also love Houzz :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Decorate

I'm so happy to see that my question sparked some other great suggestions and people are happy that I asked. I really enjoy being a part of this forum and am so happy that we can all share our design inspiration and love of home decorating. To the negative comments, I am speechless.

I am interested in hearing replies too, and some good recommendations for books.
The negative post by forboystoo just floored me...............where did that come from? I guess I have not been keeping up with things here.

Ellen, I've (supposedly) quit collecting books so I don't have any must-haves. I do own a few decorating books that were such an incredible bargain at a book sale that I couldn't resist but I'm to lazy to walk downstairs to get the titles/authors right now. However, as an avid reader and decor junkie I collect bookmarks of books I might like to have if I start collecting again and I'll post those. These are books I felt might be an interesting read for me. And for suspicious minds I'm not being paid by Amazon! LOL

This one was recommended by Debbie Travis (for what that's worth): "Mulberry at Home"

"Seasons at Seven Gates Farm"

"The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details"

"The Home Within Us: Romantic Houses, Evocative Rooms"

"Creating the French Look"

"Cottages in the Sun: Bungalows of Venice, California"

"Woodland Style"

I heard an interview with Deorah Needleman about her new book
"The Perfectly Imperfect Home" It sounded interesting. She has another book
out dealing with rooms - that looks interesting too. Any thought on either of these two books?

I am very interested in checking this book out and have it on my list. She also wrote Domino the Book of Decorating.

Here is a link that might be useful: Deborah Needleman: The Perfectly Imperfect Home

I bought the "Perfectly Imperfect Home" after Amazon recommended it for me. One weird thing about it is it has no photographs, only little drawings. One of her pieces of advice is not to buy chairs that match a couch, which I just did, so oh well...

I think the fact that there are no "Glam" photos just simple drawings and
her ideas on home decor is what appeals to me. I have not seen the book
yet, but I am looking forward to it.

The Internet has almost entirely obviated any need for me to own reference and how-to books and such. That's fine with me, since what I really love are decorating and gardening "eye candy" books. Photos (quantity and quality) and overall high-quality printing are two key criteria for me. Good writing is one too of course. Because of that, I wouldn't bother buying those Needleman books; instead, I might conceivably check them out of the library.

I particularly dislike drawings in gardening books, since one must rely on the artist to accurately depict plants. But that's another topic.

I currently have a list of ~$600 worth of decorating books that I'd love to buy. The BIG challenge is to create a short list!