[.ca] How to Decorate: The Best of Martha Stewart Living (ISBN 0517887800)

Very good explanation of basic principles:
The introductory chapter on choosing paint colours is particularly excellent. Martha explains when to use dark colours and when to use light colours, how changing light throughout the day should impact your choice of paint colour, and gives ideas on how to coordinate colours for walls and ceilings of adjoining rooms. While some of the projects, such as the outdoor shower, are fanciful, most of the ideas presented are very solid, and the book does a good job of explaining basic principles. Martha's choices are offered as ideas to get you thinking about how you can apply those principles to your own living space. Other reviewers get hung up on the fact that Martha has expensive furniture. But the most expensive furniture will look sad and out -of-place without attractive surroundings; fabulous Wedgwood china will look really out of place in a poorly decorated dining room, and modest everyday dishes can look perfect if they're displayed properly in a tasteful room. That's what this book helps you to do: make your living space look as tasteful as you can.

Very dated:
It's time to retire this old book which is amazingly rigid in its decorating ideas and its school-marmish, rules-oriented approach to design. Decorating today is so personal, yet Martha (or this old book, anyway) seems to think that there is only one way to do things. It reminds me of a 1950s book filled with rules for the little housewife to follow, but it certainly doesn't fit the world of today's educated, style-conscious, and confident consumer. Bleah!

This book is such a let down!:
I couldn't wait to get my copy of this book, but was very disappointed to find how few ideas in here applied to me. We live in an apartment in NYC, and I was looking forward to ideas on how to make the most of a small space, how to brighten up a dark, windowless foyer, etc. None of these concerns are mentioned here. Instead Martha's "how tos" focus on spacious houses, with tons of natural lighting. Doesn't anything look good when you've got a huge light-filled house to work with? Another disappointing thing about the book is its lack of practicality. The author often refers us to "Martha's collection of antique Wedgewood crystal vases", or "Martha's Louis XVI chairs" or something of the sort. Most people I know don't own priceless antiques. It's obvious that if we did it would be that much easier to make any room look spectacular. Bottom line: many of the how-tos in here are no-brainers if you've got unlimited space, fantastic natural lighting, and a deep pocketbook. For the rest of us, keep searching for truly useful decorating pointers.

Not much here. Pass on this one:
If you want something really good try the HGTV Before or After. The best is really the Home Decorators Bible. Martha's books are often cut & paste jobs.

A good place to start:
This was Martha's first work, and explores places and settings. The rustic bench in the middle of the trees is a great idea, ditto the outside shower, but only if you live where there will be no peeping Toms. While you may not be able to duplicate her ideas exactly, these should give you inspiration to work with what you have at home, wherever that may be.