Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-28 05:50:56
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Lauren Liess
- ISBN：1419717855
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Lauren Liess， an interior designer and founder of the popular blog Pure Style Home， fuses her love of design and the great outdoors into all her work。 In Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating， her first book， Lauren invites readers to bring nature inside by mixing the textures of natural elements such as wood and stone with eclectic groupings of modern and quirky vintage pieces。 Readers will be inspired by the unique style of these rooms， which include lovely framed botanical prints and Liess’s own textile patterns inspired by wildflowers and weeds。 The book is divided into three sections: Part I focuses on the fundamental elements of design， with each chapter devoted to a particular element， such as color， lighting， and furniture; Part II addresses the intangibles of designing a space， such as aesthetics and creating a mood; and Part III tackles unique room-specific challenges in every part of the house。
Reviews
Kerliza
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Expensive AF。 The recipe for a perfect _____ is spend a lot of $$$$$$$。
Julaine
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I love the images in this book。 My favourites are the groupings of art on the walls and the kitchens。
Kalisha Grimsman
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I did enjoy this book and the interiors。 For me this book was closer to a 3。5。 I found the beginning sections that were organized by design and home elements very informative and helpful。 I like how she compared materials， styles， and feels。 The second section， the "je ne sais quoi" was a little。。。vague。 Then the last section where you go room by room just felt like an add-on at the end。 Not that this is a big deal but I don't really feel like the cover represents her style well。 She had some go I did enjoy this book and the interiors。 For me this book was closer to a 3。5。 I found the beginning sections that were organized by design and home elements very informative and helpful。 I like how she compared materials， styles， and feels。 The second section， the "je ne sais quoi" was a little。。。vague。 Then the last section where you go room by room just felt like an add-on at the end。 Not that this is a big deal but I don't really feel like the cover represents her style well。 She had some good tidbits but either they were repeated multiple times throughout the book or not organized as effectively as I would have liked。 I'd like to look at her other books because I do like her ideas though。 。。。more
Jane H
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I love this book， esp the second section on the intangible elements of design。 But I need new glasses before I finish this！
Maya Goree
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Excellent introduction to the elements of interior design and decorating。 In Habitat， Liess provides comprehensive topical discussions as well as room-by-room advice。 I loved this book because Liess provides actual advice and information on how to use the elements of design to create well composed spaces， instead of just pictures of beautiful rooms with a description。 Whether you share her aesthetic or not， you can learn a lot from this book about the basic elements and process of interior desig Excellent introduction to the elements of interior design and decorating。 In Habitat， Liess provides comprehensive topical discussions as well as room-by-room advice。 I loved this book because Liess provides actual advice and information on how to use the elements of design to create well composed spaces， instead of just pictures of beautiful rooms with a description。 Whether you share her aesthetic or not， you can learn a lot from this book about the basic elements and process of interior design and decorating。 。。。more
Hannah Poh
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Generic， pretty read。 Lots of details about the author's own life。 Not that useful。 Generic， pretty read。 Lots of details about the author's own life。 Not that useful。 。。。more
Lisa
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I liked the unusual way this book was organized。 It was indeed a field guide， with more than one way to look for and find useful information on all aspects of decorating。 Tons of gorgeous photos and easy-to-understand information。 Every now and then I pick up a book like this just to absorb good design and find inspiration。 Gice yourself time to enjoy it。
Phyllis
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I read about this book and was intrigued by the description and the subtitle The Field Guide to Decorating。 I knew nothing of the author and it turns out she's got an industry going on - in addition to being a decorator， textile designer， and author of two books， she writes a popular design blog and has five young children。 Her husband partners with her in the business and it is possible to get a sense of an unrealistic lifestyle - I wanted to know who did the cooking and parenting in her househ I read about this book and was intrigued by the description and the subtitle The Field Guide to Decorating。 I knew nothing of the author and it turns out she's got an industry going on - in addition to being a decorator， textile designer， and author of two books， she writes a popular design blog and has five young children。 Her husband partners with her in the business and it is possible to get a sense of an unrealistic lifestyle - I wanted to know who did the cooking and parenting in her household， and how she found clients with such big budgets。The book has an abundance of beautiful color photos which illustrate many of her decorating guidelines。 Fundamental elements of design include rugs， lighting， window treatments， floor plan， color。 Intangible elements are comfort， charm， and authenticity。 The captions describing the photos are productive and descriptive and if that's all you read you will still enjoy the book and its helpful information。Despite her guidelines， Lauren does say "let go。" It comes down to being comfortable and "to realize that real homes have a bit of mess at times， and that's OK。" Thanks， Lauren！ Because otherwise readers could feel depressed that their homes will never live up to those you have designed。 I didn't like all her design choices， but appreciated her explanations for those choices。 I was encouraged to see that she admires quirks and inconsistencies。 So if she ever comes over to my house， I hope she will enjoy its authenticity and personality。 。。。more
Renee Dougherty
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One of the better decorating books I've read; still lots of photos of huge rooms in mansions but the principles are clearly stated。 Liess' affinity for the natural world is evident in her style。 One of the better decorating books I've read; still lots of photos of huge rooms in mansions but the principles are clearly stated。 Liess' affinity for the natural world is evident in her style。 。。。more
Mariel
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As a nature-lover and book-lover， I loved Lauren Liess' approach to decorating！ Lots of great info and ideas in this book for anyone wanting help figuring out how to decorate their space。 Even though I didn't love all of her examples， this was a great resource to spark some ideas to match my own esthetic。 As a nature-lover and book-lover， I loved Lauren Liess' approach to decorating！ Lots of great info and ideas in this book for anyone wanting help figuring out how to decorate their space。 Even though I didn't love all of her examples， this was a great resource to spark some ideas to match my own esthetic。 。。。more
Alex
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Had some good ideas and inspirations， and definitely got me thinking more creatively about interior design， but parts of it （and A LOT of her examples） also inadvertently come across as coming from a place of privilege （assuming your kitchen has an island， assuming you have an entryway/foyer， etc。） To her credit， the final chapter does say that worrying about this stuff is a mark of privilege， and that there's no such thing as a "design emergency"， but that really should have been at the beginni Had some good ideas and inspirations， and definitely got me thinking more creatively about interior design， but parts of it （and A LOT of her examples） also inadvertently come across as coming from a place of privilege （assuming your kitchen has an island， assuming you have an entryway/foyer， etc。） To her credit， the final chapter does say that worrying about this stuff is a mark of privilege， and that there's no such thing as a "design emergency"， but that really should have been at the beginning of the book rather than the end。 If you're decorating or moving， it's worth a skim and maybe making copies of her worksheets and checklists at least。 。。。more
Kendra Goings
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This was really interesting but not very practical in real life
Becca
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Beautiful book- skimmed book at pictures and chapter beginnings so inspiring。
Ashley
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This is the best design book I’ve read。 I’ve followed Lauren for years online， so some of got spaces in the book I’ve seen before。 Still though， so good！
E W
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A bit disappointing when I realized I had seen the bulk of the author's house in a blog post and I am not in love with her particular decorating choices （WTF was with that sea sponge chilling in someone's living room- HIDEOUS）。 The basics in this book are frankly well worn to me as I've been on a design books binge and needless to say， there is nothing new under the sun。 Photography was on the whole uninspiring and I wish there had been more on architectural detailing as that's what makes or bre A bit disappointing when I realized I had seen the bulk of the author's house in a blog post and I am not in love with her particular decorating choices （WTF was with that sea sponge chilling in someone's living room- HIDEOUS）。 The basics in this book are frankly well worn to me as I've been on a design books binge and needless to say， there is nothing new under the sun。 Photography was on the whole uninspiring and I wish there had been more on architectural detailing as that's what makes or breaks most of these rooms。 。。。more
Juli Anna
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I really loved Liess's approach to home decorating in this book。 In addition to a wealth of practical advice （how high to hang light fixtures， how to make a floor plan， etc。）， this book also touches on the intangible elements of decorating， such as how to cultivate a sense of style， add comfort to a room， or how a well-placed risk can invigorate a design。 I also love Liess's aesthetic， which is timeless， organic， and contemporary， with a a hint of romance。 I really loved Liess's approach to home decorating in this book。 In addition to a wealth of practical advice （how high to hang light fixtures， how to make a floor plan， etc。）， this book also touches on the intangible elements of decorating， such as how to cultivate a sense of style， add comfort to a room， or how a well-placed risk can invigorate a design。 I also love Liess's aesthetic， which is timeless， organic， and contemporary， with a a hint of romance。 。。。more
Amanda Knox
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I had hoped that this book would focus on bringing nature into your home， but it is more creating your own natural habitat （whatever that means to you）。 Her style is a bit too clean， or empty， or modern for me， and it seems somewhat inflexible。 As a book to sit down with and take in， it didn't feel quite right。 However， if you skipped around to whatever section applies to you （as she does suggest） it could be inspiring。 The final section with a room-by-room breakdown was my favorite exclusively I had hoped that this book would focus on bringing nature into your home， but it is more creating your own natural habitat （whatever that means to you）。 Her style is a bit too clean， or empty， or modern for me， and it seems somewhat inflexible。 As a book to sit down with and take in， it didn't feel quite right。 However， if you skipped around to whatever section applies to you （as she does suggest） it could be inspiring。 The final section with a room-by-room breakdown was my favorite exclusively because she provides checklists of key items that should go in that room。 。。。more
Eva Koeller
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A look into an interior designer's thought process， with specific advice for analyzing proportions of furniture to each other and how to make a room the desired level of "busyness" that appeals to you。 Lots of pretty pictures of a clean aesthetic with mixing of old and new pieces。 A look into an interior designer's thought process， with specific advice for analyzing proportions of furniture to each other and how to make a room the desired level of "busyness" that appeals to you。 Lots of pretty pictures of a clean aesthetic with mixing of old and new pieces。 。。。more
Katie
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As a twenty-something who knows nothing about interior design and about to rent my first apartment without 3+ roommates for the first time in my life， this was a really good & simple how-to-decorate intro。 Even if you're not into her style， the guides， basic principles and resources on where to buy furniture and other home goods （which do lean towards the expensive side， but there are some budget-friendly options） she provides are clearer and more practical than other interior design books and w As a twenty-something who knows nothing about interior design and about to rent my first apartment without 3+ roommates for the first time in my life， this was a really good & simple how-to-decorate intro。 Even if you're not into her style， the guides， basic principles and resources on where to buy furniture and other home goods （which do lean towards the expensive side， but there are some budget-friendly options） she provides are clearer and more practical than other interior design books and websites I've come come across。 Having said that， I got this on loan as an e-book from my library， and I'm not at a point in life where I'd pay $20 for it。 A lot of the advice + products cited are also clearly geared towards wealthier homeowners， but I still found it good for inspiration/guidance。 。。。more
Ellie
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I think I will be buying this one （just returned it to my library）。 I really like Lauren's style。。。 and her philosophy that your house should reflect you and your family in a timeless way， not have a certain look or follow a trend。 I also like that she teaches the reader about general guideline and provides checklists for rooms。 Not to mention the beautiful photos。 This is a design book I actually read through！ I think I will be buying this one （just returned it to my library）。 I really like Lauren's style。。。 and her philosophy that your house should reflect you and your family in a timeless way， not have a certain look or follow a trend。 I also like that she teaches the reader about general guideline and provides checklists for rooms。 Not to mention the beautiful photos。 This is a design book I actually read through！ 。。。more
Steve
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Well written， a great overviewWas easy to read and had some great guidance and ideas for designing a home's decor。 Definitely recommended reading when deciding how to furnish rooms。 Well written， a great overviewWas easy to read and had some great guidance and ideas for designing a home's decor。 Definitely recommended reading when deciding how to furnish rooms。 。。。more
Christopher Shawn
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I've been reading a lot of interior design books in an attempt to be more of a grown-up， and less of a dude。 This is one of the most attractive books I've found yet。 Each topic is broken down into readable chunks， and the photos are gorgeous。 Most importantly， Habitat not only tells you HOW to design a room， but WHY certain design decisions make more sense than others。 I've been reading a lot of interior design books in an attempt to be more of a grown-up， and less of a dude。 This is one of the most attractive books I've found yet。 Each topic is broken down into readable chunks， and the photos are gorgeous。 Most importantly， Habitat not only tells you HOW to design a room， but WHY certain design decisions make more sense than others。 。。。more
Jean
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When I visit the library， it is hard to resist snatching up a decorating book or two。 "Habitat" was on the new book shelf and I did not hesitate to check it out。 It is a lovely book， full of advice and beautiful photos。 Unlike many interior design bibles， it does not exclude the average homeowner from its intended audience。 The author explains basic design principles in an understandable fashion and provides checklists that the reader can follow while they decorate room by room。 I actually read When I visit the library， it is hard to resist snatching up a decorating book or two。 "Habitat" was on the new book shelf and I did not hesitate to check it out。 It is a lovely book， full of advice and beautiful photos。 Unlike many interior design bibles， it does not exclude the average homeowner from its intended audience。 The author explains basic design principles in an understandable fashion and provides checklists that the reader can follow while they decorate room by room。 I actually read this book， cover to cover， unlike most interior decorating books which have persuaded me to focus solely on the photos。 Unless you are a serious designer， you may not want to purchase this book。。。 but you may want to see if it is on the shelf at your local library！ 。。。more
Mary Lynn
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For me this book was all about the details。 Not my particular style of decor but I enjoyed the writing and the simple design of the book and photos allows the reader to focus more on the small things that make a space work well and look great。
Kayla Hollatz
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It reads like a decorator's rule book but I liked a few of the designs inside。 At least it was nice to look at even though some of the rooms weren't in my style。 It reads like a decorator's rule book but I liked a few of the designs inside。 At least it was nice to look at even though some of the rooms weren't in my style。 。。。more
Debbie
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I really liked the format of this book and the sensibilities Liess stressed。 While my style isn't necessarily the same as hers， it didn't matter for me to get something out of the book， which I find as a strong positive。 I can appreciate what she is doing， and she gave tips for all types of styles and sensibilities。 It's really about using what you love， and identifying your vision so you decorate with a filter。 I really liked the format of this book and the sensibilities Liess stressed。 While my style isn't necessarily the same as hers， it didn't matter for me to get something out of the book， which I find as a strong positive。 I can appreciate what she is doing， and she gave tips for all types of styles and sensibilities。 It's really about using what you love， and identifying your vision so you decorate with a filter。 。。。more
Nicole
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Beautiful book！ I would consider buying it to have it on hand when I feel like daydreaming。 Although I will probably never have enough money to replicate most of the designs in this book， I love the idea of "collecting" items to make your home - if you truly love the things in your home and aren't just deferring to whatever's trendy， they will find a way to work together。 Beautiful book！ I would consider buying it to have it on hand when I feel like daydreaming。 Although I will probably never have enough money to replicate most of the designs in this book， I love the idea of "collecting" items to make your home - if you truly love the things in your home and aren't just deferring to whatever's trendy， they will find a way to work together。 。。。more
Charlene
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This is another one I read for work。 She really gets into the nitty-gritty of decorating rules and advice。 It read like a textbook a bit， but there was a lot of reading material， especially for the cost of the book。 This book is definitely for someone with more traditional style choices。
Margie
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I like a lot of decorating books， but this was one where I consistently thought， I wish my house looked like that。 One of the first ones that I have seriously considered purchasing for myself， as her style was the right amount of family friendly but nice， clean surfaced but decorated。。。 Will either need to go pin all the images or just buy the book。
Trish
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