Design Rules Giveaway

My friends, I just finished reading the first nonfiction book that I. COULD. NOT. PUT. DOWN.

I hereby boldly predict that DESIGN RULES: The Insider's Guide to Becoming Your Own Decorator, by Elaine Griffin will soon become the BIBLE of home decor for us fanatically amateur decorators. (I say soon because this book just came out yesterday!)

Reading this book is like meeting your best friend, who happens to be an interior designer, at Starbucks, and picking her brain for hours on end, never realizing that you've missed three meals and the laundry is growing mold in the washer.

Ahem. Not that that's ever happened to ME, mind you.

The inside cover of this book says that Elaine is "one of the country's leading interior designers and style experts. She is a graduate of Yale (!) University and attended the New York School of Interior Design."

Uh-oh, I thought, she's one of those snobby designer types. The ones whose only clients are ultra-rich and stylish. She's probably never worked with a Mom in central Ohio that only has $25 to redo her powder room.

Boy, was I WRONG. This book is written in a delightfully conversational style. Elaine is down to earth and downright chatty.

The book is divided into twelve chapters: the first nine are full of ideas for specific rooms (even the laundry room!), numbers nine and ten cover window treatments and flooring, respectively, and number twelve is all about choosing colors.

Each chapter covers the "design rules", as well as how (and when) to follow them, break them, or just plain ignore them. Elaine offers tips for furniture arranging and accessorizing for small city apartments, palaces, and everything in between.

This is a fabulous book to read straight through, like I did, or to use "encylopedia style" and look up information as you need it.

Here's my favorite "rule": "Rooms should look like the people who live in them. Because if your house doesn't look like you, then, sugar, you never really get to go home."

Nuff said.

NOW FOR THE SURPRISE: YOU CAN WIN A COPY FOR YOURSELF!! Gotham Books is offering a free copy of DESIGN RULES to one lucky REINVENTED reader.

Just leave a comment on this post to be entered to win.

Living with Lindsay is giving away a copy of DESIGN RULES too! Head on over there to double your chances!

(Note: I was contacted by Gotham Books (wheee!) and received a copy of this book in exchange for this review. I was not paid for my opinion, my awe and excitement over this book are my own!)