Mad about the House: The budget how-to guide for smart home decorating with style

The author is a very successful blogger in the UK after spending years as journalist writing on interior design. The book is an easy read with lots of advice, some of it not a repeat of the stuff repeated in every decorating book. It is worth buying.

Great author - humorous and engaging. The advice is solid with the added bonus of a unique perspective that I rarely experience in other books. I enjoyed what she said about rugs (so happy someone finally talks about layering! With more then just two rugs!) and painting with darker colors. A small room doesn’t necessarily get a miraculous change in size as soon as it’s painted white...there are other factors involved, and often times (and this has been my experience as well), a medium to dark shade applied to the walls (especially in a satin or gloss finish) can make the room feel more grand. I’m looking forward to reading her first book and hopefully there will be more to follow.

This is the main idea of the book. I guess I hoped to find more theory about interior design and decorating. Nicely put for a beginner in this field.

Love this book, I've gotten loads of inspiration for decorating my house from it. Love the design of the book also. There isn't many photos in the book but if you have any kind of imagination it shouldn't be a problem for you :) will definitely be buying the second book.

I was hoping for beautiful photos for inspiration. There are some line sketches, but that’s all.

Repleto de buenas ideas. Muy bonito y cuidado. La entrega muy rápida.

Great book. Suitable for interior designers and decorators or even a home owners for decorating their house. The language style is easy to absorb

Innerhalb von zwei Tagen habe ich das Buch bereits halb gelesen, es sind wirklich wunderbare Tipps enthalten, die ganz logisch sind, aber morbid so klar waren. Kate Watson Smyth hat einen lustigen und klaren Stil, ich musste bisher oft lachen und nehme einiges für unser Haus daraus mit. Klar ist es recht englisch. In Deutschland stellt sich die Frage nach Teppich kaum, bzw auch nicht nach Teppich Läufer auf der Treppe.

A lovely book. Written in the author's inimitable style which is friendly and funny - she has a knack for making you think you are sitting round a kitchen table together. Agree with another reviewer's comment re it perhaps feeling "light" to some readers. But in some ways this is part of the charm of the book - it takes you back to basics and puts the focus on the things you should really be thinking about for your home. Unlike most interior books, it is not another glorified Pinterest board full of images and has very few glossy pictures. Instead it is one of the few such books that I have actually READ. It is also very refreshing in that - while its principles would apply to all - the book appears to be aimed at people without extravagant budgets and makes one realise that having a lovely home is achievable.

Just received this lovely book a few days ago. It's got lots of great advice and says "This book will help define your style". Because frankly most homes are functional when you have a family and you don't want to make expensive "mistakes". Our kids are grown up now, so I want to get "my style" put back in our home. The book hasn't stylised photos but has a few drawings and photos but that's the point. It's a guide to find what YOU like and WANT to live with, not what an IKEA or Habitat catalogue suggests (love both shops though).