Home Essentials : Hundreds of Inspirational Ideas for Decorating and Furnishing Your Home

This information-packed book has all the inspiration and advice you need to design and decorate your home - without getting sidetracked by fussy details or unnecessarily complicated schemes. A team of leading interiors experts take you on a tour of the home, from Cooking & Eating Spaces to Living Rooms, from Sleeping Spaces to Bathrooms. They review the basic components of each room - from colour schemes to storage and display - before moving on to explore the various style options for each space. The showcased looks include Contemporary, Country, Retro and Family-friendly, and there are several features on making the most of compact rooms. Here you will see how decorative planning works in practice, with the help of abundant colour photographs of real homes. Hard-working key points supplement the text, and each style section ends with an inspirational photomontage page. *Inspirational interiors writers Ros Byam Shaw, Fay Sweet, Magie Stevenson and Judith Wilson pool their knowledge and expertise to bring you a treasure trove of practical advice. *Whether you are planning a complete revamp of your home or are looking for fresh ideas for a particular room, Home Essentials will be your indispensable companion.

Ros Byam Shaw is a former features editor of World of Interiors and deputy editor of the British edition of W. Now a freelance journalist, she writes on interiors and design for several publications including the Sunday Times and House & Garden. She is the author of Interiors by Design and Living with Arts and Crafts, and contributed to The Home Zone (all Ryland Peters & Small).

Maggie Stevenson is a homes and interiors jounalist who writes regularly for BBC Homes and Antiques, Homes & Gardens, and Period Living & Traditional Homes, among their magazines. She is the author of Architectural Details and co-author of The Bathroom Design Planner (both Ryland Peters & Small), and she has contributed to several other books on kitchens, bathrooms, and soft furnishings.

Fay Sweet is a journalist and broadcaster specializing in design and architecture. She is a regular contributor to the London Evening Standard, Homes & Gardens, the Independent on Sunday and BBC radio. Her books include Home Work : Setting Up at an office at home.

Judith Wilson has been an interiors writer and stylist since 1987, including a six-year stint at Homes & Gardens, where she was decorating editor. Since the arrival of her children, she has been a freelance contributor to many publications, including the Telegraph Magazine, House & Garden, Livingetc, and the Independent Magazine. Her book, Children's Spaces, is also published by Ryland Peters & Small, and editions are available in 10 countries worldwide. Judith lectures at the KLC School of Design.