Nest for Two: Creating a Harmonious Home

In this touchy-feely decorating guide, lifestyle writer Serrell advises cohabiting couples on the art of merging styles and accoutrements to create a perfectly meshed environment. For example, champagne glasses, she writes,""are essential"" to a celebration for two, pieces of artwork""need not 'go together'"" to coexist in the living room and""one-of-a-kind items chosen individually by you and your partner"" show off the personality of a bedroom and its inhabitants. Serrell stresses that a couple's home should reflect who they are, both separately and as a pair. Tips for sharing the perfect breakfast in bed or lounging together in a flower-filled bathroom may seem unrealistic to couples strapped for time. And many of the decorating hints, such as balancing a""streamlined sleeper sofa in soft gray"" with a""red leather vintage chair from the 1930s,"" may be impractical for couples who are budgeting their cash. But Serrell's advice is warm and Gowdy's photographs are soothing, making this a pleasant design guide and gentle proponent of domestic harmony, both spatial and emotional.