Every home has its tiny room, oddly shaped hallway, empty landing, or other difficult-to-decorate area--but these innovative and quick approaches are the first step in turning neglected spaces into models of decorative style. The topics covered range from Themes and Collections to Perfecting Your Palette; some of the ideas are as simple as varying the sizes of objects in a display to create visual interest. Other concepts--such as creatively mixing formal and informal elements--will free home decorators from tired and dull design tenets and bring "fresh air" into any decor.

Organizing and interior design expert offers tips, strategies, and resources for bringing style and order to any space.

“I want to put the mystery back into the heart of garden design, where it needs to be. It’s what lures you in through the gate, keeps you moving through the landscape, and fills you with excitement along the way. The sense of mystery is what turns a mere display of plants, paths, and ornaments into an adventure.” —James van Sweden Guided by world-renowned landscape architect James van Sweden and horticulture expert Tom Christopher, any gardener can learn the secrets of the gardener’s art and absorb the essence of inspired garden design. In their gifted hands, creating your own perfect garden, with its own alluring mysteries, turns out to be not only easy but a delight. Whether it’s a ten-foot-square city terrace or a ten-acre expanse, the same principles apply: the intelligent use of positive and negative space, of form and scale, of light and shadow, of rough and smooth textures. Do you want a garden you can immerse yourself in? A garden you can smell and listen to as well as observe? An exuberant garden or a contemplative garden? In this elegantly written and visually stunning book, van Sweden reveals the secrets of famous gardens around the world and encourages you to find inspiration in the arts—in painting (from America’s classic regional artists to the abstract expressionists), music (from classical to jazz), sculpture, even dance. He introduces you to famous artists who share how their art has influenced the design of their own gardens, and teaches you to think not in terms of borders and beds or even paths and meadows but of a tapestry woven from sky, trees, rocks, vines, flowers, grasses, and space. Richly illustrated throughout with magnificent photographs, The Artful Garden both tells and shows, sharing with beginning and experienced gardeners a wealth of inspiration and practical help. “What’s my message?” van Sweden asks in conclusion. The wise answer: “Don’t squander the potential for surprise and wonder.” This beautiful book guarantees everyone who reads it a priceless store of gardening wisdom.

You can enjoy an organized, beauty-filled life no matter what size your space is. In this practical book, you'll learn how to perform an audit of your space to see if it's functioning at its best, make the most of existing storage space and find clever ways to add more, find creative ways to arrange furnishings and accessories that maximize space and bring harmony and style to the home, and live graciously in a small space with others. Whether you're an empty nester who's downsizing, a newlywed setting up your first nest, or someone who just needs some creative new ideas, you'll love these strategies, tips, and solutions.

This 28-hour free course looked at the process of design, its complexities and how designers operate. It also discussed what comprises innovation.

Reminiscent in both spirit and design of the beloved Whole Earth Catalog, Country Wisdom & Know-How is an unprecedented collection of information on nearly 200 individual topics of country and self-sustained living. Compiled from the information in Storey Publishing's landmark series of "Country Wisdom Bulletins," this book is the most thorough and reliable volume of its kind. Organized by general topic including animals, cooking, crafts, gardening, health and well-being, and home, it is further broken down to cover dozens of specifics from "Building Chicken Coops" to "Making Cheese, Butter, and Yogurt" to "Improving Your Soil" to "Restoring Hardwood Floors." Nearly 1,000 black-and-white illustrations and photographs run throughout and fascinating projects and trusted advice crowd every page.

Packed with advice, tips, how-tos, and patterns for DIY crafts or crafting with kids, Craft Wisdom & Know-Howis a must-have home reference for both aspiring and experienced crafters alike. Covering dozens of the most popular projects in one complete, all-encompassing guide, this book is organized by type of craft, and also illustrated with line drawings and photos throughout. There is invaluable information about numerous crafting topics, including: Sewing Knitting and Other Needlework Paper Crafts and Bookmaking Glasswork Jewelry Making Pottery and Clay Mosaics Candle-making and Decorating Woodworking and Furniture Making, plus so much more. Each chapter covers a specific craft, with step-by-step directions and projects for crafters of all levels, from beginner to advanced. Hundreds of projects are included, such as Super Sock Monkeys, Crocheted Hats, Etched Glass, One-Afternoon Skirts, and Beading Vintage-Style Jewelry, among so many more. This book is also a part of the Know-How series which includes other titles such as: Country Wisdom & Know-How Woodworking Wisdom & Know-How Garden Wisdom & Know-How Natural Healing Wisdom & Know-How