My Name Isn't Martha but I Can Decorate My Home: The Real Person's Guide to Creating a Beautiful Home Easily and Affordably

There are a lot of home-decorating books out there that don't do more than show you a bunch of pretty pictures of expensive rooms, but this is not one of them! It is probably the most valuable primer available on everything that goes into the decoration of a house. Sharon Hanby-Robie knows what home-decorating newbies really need to know. The book is organized with a let's-start-at-the-very-beginning approach, containing an enormous wealth of very basic information (such as the internal construction of a sofa). There's a heavy emphasis on furniture--four chapters are devoted to various aspects of it, from case goods to built-ins to upholstery; other chapters deal with flooring, walls, windows, and fabrics. Important tips, many of which can save you a great deal of money, are included in sidebars. (For example, when you have furniture reupholstered, be sure to ask for any unused fabric to be returned to you--you might need it eventually, and you've already paid for it!) When you finally talk to a decorator, painter, furniture salesperson, carpet installer, or other professional, you'll be armed with the right questions and information to avoid silly mistakes (such as buying a sofa that won't fit through your doors) and getting taken for an expensive ride.