cover image Make Yourself at Home

Make Yourself at Home

Bo Niles. Berkley Trade Pub, $4.99 (185pp) ISBN 978-0-425-14536-4

Here Niles addresses the neophyte DIY interior decorator, outlining basic steps for daunting work and relying on graph paper templates and her imaginative knowledge of fabrics. She instructs us in the art of feathering the nest through the eyes of a designer, and her methods are biased in favor of those who already have a confident sense of visual expression. She urges the reader to take photographs of the rooms throughout the house to simplify the purchase and placement of furnishings, as well as color coordination. Her book is divided into three sections: first, figuring out a floor plan; second, planning background, which means dealing with walls, ceilings and floors; and third, decorating the rooms-selecting furnishings, rugs, window treatments and lighting. We are also advised to keep a diary of the work in progress, assemble a file of magazine clippings of interiors you pine for and perform a self-psychoanalysis in order to help make style and color decisions. (Jan.)