More Splash Than Cash Decorating Ideas: A Book Review

Over 1200 tips, tricks, techniques, and ideas to decorate your home By Donna Babylon

One of the first things you will notice about this book, as opposed to any other decorating book, is the lack of photographs. There are occasional sketches but no photos. There is a reason for that.

Ms Babylon believes we should each decorate to our own vision. If she shows us a picture of how she did it we will try to copy her style, her vision. If she tells us what she did and gives instructions on how to do it, we will do something similar, but we will envision it our own way and make it ours.

She shares some of her favorite "shopping" places: Mom's house-basement, attic, garage; discount furniture stores, secondhand stores, antique malls, flea markets, swap meets, estate auctions, and garage sales.

Paint and fabric figure largely in her decorating. "Paint spreads more style for less money than any other decorating basic." "Fabric is a wonderful medium for decorating. But don’t plan to use (it) on just windows and pillows."

To achieve More Splash for Less Cash this book features a number of do-it-yourself projects. You don’t need to be an expert in any area to do most of these projects. Many fabric ideas can be done without sewing and some of the painting ideas require more imagination than skill. An ability to use basic tools (or knowing someone who will do it for you) would be useful for some things but even I can usually manage a hammer and screwdriver.

Much of the Splash is achieved by using common items in uncommon ways. Decorate a boy's room by using his baseball cap collection as a valance over his window, slipcover a dining room chair with a king size pillowcase, or use a quilt as a table covering.

Unlike some upscale decorating books this one doesn't suggest buying new furniture or accessories. She shows you how to use what you have in new ways or to redecorate what you have. Switch the lampshades from your living room with the ones from your bedroom and achieve a new look. Display antique plates in the bedroom instead of kitchen or dining room.

Use of color Ms Babylon says is 'crucial' "Because color affects the mood of the room directly and indirectly…" Decide on a color theme, develop a personal color sense, ask for input from other family members, and limit the number of principle colors used.

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