Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design

This book really grew on me. The first time I checked it out from the library I thought "meh" - disappointment and I just liked 2 or 3 of the homes featured. A couple of spaces featured toward the beginning of the book just do not resonate with me at all and were actually a turn-off that kept me from getting too deep into rest of the book - like an older couple that live in an industrial space with several cars and a trailer and someone with many collectibles like Jolly Green Giant and retro kitsch. But then I kept checking the book out of the library to "revisit" the homes I really liked, flipped past my dislikes and started noticing more and more other spaces that I admired. I finally bought the book and it's in my top 3 or 4 decor books that I enjoying browsing at home. I also liked reading the narratives that talk through each home.

I meant to write this review several weeks ago when I finished reading this book but I've often gone back to it during this time. My life doesn't entail anything remotely related to design, unless you include software design. I loved how the homes/rooms felt in this book and while not everything was necessarily my style I could certainly appreciate the view. The photography in this book is beautiful. Although, I must say, torn and ripped upholstery is not inspiring to me. Now, if they were to put a patch on that torn upholstery in a unique or different fabric, that would be something I could see as beautiful. I prefer my home to have more of a glam feel to it than what is displayed in this book yet I still loved the spaces featured in this book. They look cozy and comforting and full of interesting items. For me, this book is a success.

This book confirms what I have been doing all my adult life - undecorating. Never have gone to a store and "decorated" my home. I have always used what I had - family antiques, hand me downs and originally new items and made do with them. Mixed styles and textures and made a homey home not a decorator's showplace. You can put your feet up and really live in the homes shown in the book and that is what real living is all about. Gives you ideas for many styles so that you can find what you are comfortable with and give you the tools to undecorate.

Christiane Lemieux, the founder of Dwell studio, did an excellent job by collecting a vast amount of diversity in her book-worthy homes in display! Showcasing what seems to be the fashion of our times she has a way of convincing even the ignorant one that all homes should be this way! A way that is unpretentious, personnal and fun. The book has many a lot jaw-dropping homes, each one of a unique style and form. I guess there are a few that are unbeatable like the home of the cover or her own home which is also included in the book and for that reason only, the book is a must have.

Christiane Lemieux has done an excellent job with this book. It is a fun book about fun interiors. If you prefer very controlled, contrived, or a room-in-a-box type of style, this book may not be for you. This book shows integrated interiors. Lived-in and functional looks that are very classy and swing from contemporary to cozy, English cottage. I was delighted!

If you want to learn anything about decorating - this is not the book for you. On the other hand, if you want someone to make you feel good about all the junk you collect, then this is for you. And of course, if you wish to live with a lot of junk, then that's ok. This is not a book about interior design and decorating. I'm at a loss for words. It is a decent enough book. It has fine pictures, (but of rooms full of junk). But there is no way that I would want to copy these ideas in my own home. The book arrived very quickly and in very good condition. So - kudosto Amazon. After flipping through it for five minutes- it has nothing for me. So very disappointed.

A lot of real life inspiration, and just overall different concept. Interiors don’t look staged. Very informative in regards how the certain look was achieved. Simply great!

Got this from the library to begin with but I just had to have it. I'm studying interior design and I am completely in love with this book- I show it to everyone I talk to and tell them, 'that's how I want to design!'It contains the most beautiful style of imperfect, organic and homely- real life- interiors and it's so incredibly inspiring and I would definitely recommend this book- as long as you're not looking for picture perfect, flawless magazine style interiors.

I wanted to love this book. The concept of "undecorating" certainly appealed to me, and I found most of the the images in the book inspiring, creative, and appealing to my taste. Overall, though, I was disappointed that there was so little in the way of advice in this book. I know it's subtitled "The no-rules approach to interior design," but something about these rooms makes them coherent and (to my eye) beautiful despite the claim that they follow no rules. Maybe it's because most (if not all) of the featured homes belong to designers, decorators, artists -- folks who know the rules, have internalized them, and know how to deviate from them without creating an ugly mess. Most of them also happen to live in magnificent, architecturally interesting houses.I wish there were a version of this book for ordinary people who live in ordinary houses/apartments, more of a how-to guide that shows examples of what you'd do if you were following the rules, and how to break them in ways that do/don't work well.Despite this, there are many great images and inspiring ideas in here that might inspire a more adventurous decorator than me to try something new.

“No rules approach to interior design”, I had to have this book. It’s one of my favorite books I love to read over and over. Great photos and advice. A great book to have.