Last June, I posted my first book review – a write-up on my kitchen designer/Blogger 19 buddy, Kelly Morisseau’s top-notch Kelly’s Kitchen Sync book. Today, I’m covering another blogger’s book, Design Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney, based on her incredibly popular Design*Sponge blog.
This fun, fat, hardcover volume is both useful and attractive. Design*Sponge readers will be very familiar with its casual tone and funky flair. Non-readers, especially boomers like me, may find it a bit random compared to the typical design book – that’s the online influence, I’m sure.
Despite my old-school orgnizational quibbles, I really like this book and expect that I’ll pick it up often. I especially like Bonney’s everything-goes, you-can-do-it approach to home design. There’s something for pretty much everyone in its 371 colorful, photo-packed pages. Here are some of those delicious images.
In addition to the super-fun photos and helpful captions, there’s a very good resource guide with flea markets, DIY suppliers, furniture and other suppliers that are worth checking out. I like the fact that the very thorough Index imposes searchability on the book that the table of contents doesn’t. It’s a bit like having Google custom search in print!
This book is a wonderful buffet of design ideas, resources and inspirations, rather than a fast food primer or formal seven-course soup to nuts reference guide. I recommend it for someone looking to personalize their interiors or give a stylish gift to a favorite design maven. Click here if that’s you!
If you’d like to win a copy of Design*Sponge at Home, subscribe to Gold Notes today, using the subscribe box below! All of my subscribers – both new and old – who are based in the U.S. will be entered into a New Year’s Eve drawing of this book. The winner will be notified the first week of January and asked for his or her snail mail address by email. The publisher’s representative will send the book your way early in the new year. (If you want to give this book as a gift for someone, you’ll have to break down and buy a copy or it won’t make it under the tree or menorah in time!)
Design*Sponge at Home Room Photo Credits/Top to Bottom: Neryl Walker & Tony Owczarek, Graham Atkins-Hughes, Johnny Miller, Patrick Cline, Jean Randazzo.
