Recipient of the Gold Medal in the Living Now Awards-Home Improvement The essential do-it-yourself guide from one of the top designers in the country that uncovers the secret home design rules used by the pros Many design books are filled with lavish photography of perfect rooms that most of us can only dream of re-creating. Without any practical advice, the look is unattainable. That's where Design Rules comes in. Here, Elaine Griffin, one of the country's 100 top designers ( House Beautiful ), explains all the practical decorating standards that professionals use behind the scenes to create flowing, balanced, gorgeous design. Packed with helpful illustrations and hundreds of step-by-step tips, Design Rules includes essential advice such as: ?Pick a pleasing color palette (that really works) ?Correctly size their bedsize tables (so they don't tower over their beds) ?Enhance the visual appeal of windowless rooms (so they're not dungeons) ?Design furniture arrangements that function and flow ?Style up even the most forlorn kitchens, baths and yes, basements and laundry rooms (honey, no space is too dreadful to be made ultra fab) ?Brighten up their kitchens with a can of paint and a burst of strategically- placed color (location, location, location!) ?Figure out which styles of furniture go together (there is a rule and it's easy!) ?Make their own personalities shine throughout their homes (because they should ) ?And oodles more! Design Rules is for the growing number of savvy, novice home designers who are well-versed in what good design looks like, but need advice on how to translate it into their own home. It is the home design bible people have been waiting for. Ignore the sugars, honeys, and dollfaces you may find here, and avoid any sentence ending with an exclamation point. Once you look beyond the cutesy trying-too-hard-to-be- colloquial prose, New York City interior designer and magazine contributor Griffin does have decorating secrets and tips to share—and to use. Much of her knowledge is revealed through black-and-white illustrations, a better perspective on home realities than fancy four-color photographs. And much of the book’s value lies in the very pragmatic ideas and techniques promoted. Afraid of color? Remember that if the combination exists in nature, it’ll work in your home. To ensure that bathroom wallpaper endures (at least for a while), open the door (and window) right after a shower or bath. Looking for empty decorating space? Try over the headboard or beneath the hall table. Don’t let the book’s very traditional organization—by room—dissuade you from more than a glance; despite some seemingly arbitrary likes and dislikes (for instance, go to the big-box store for kitchen and bath design!), Griffin’s know-how will successfully populate any room in the house. --Barbara Jacobs "It's by far one of the best practical decorating guides to come down the pike." -Jennifer Boles, Peak of Chic "Elaine Griffin is the Diana Vreeland of decorating. Ignore her smart and stylish directives at your own risk! This book has the answers to so many seemingly simple decorating questions-- I love it!" -Kate Betts, editor of TIME Style & Design "Creating one's own style at home can be daunting. Elaine Griffin demystifies the process with a smart and savvy, no-nonsense decorating primer. Translating the basics of chic design for the nonprofessional, she provides irresistible, foolproof tips that make sense for every taste, style and budget." -Margaret Russell, editor in chief of Elle Decor "[A] great new book...I love Elaine's accessible writing style, a breath of fresh air in the often stuffy atmosphere of decorating. Thrilling!" -Temo Callahan, creative director, Studio Printworks "Elaine nails it with her step-by-step, practical approach... Design Rules is a great tool and inspiration for all." -Colin Cowie, designer and author of Colin Cowie Chic Ranked as one of House Beautiful 's Top 100 American Designers, Elaine Griffin is a contributing editor of Elle Décor and designs the Good Works Makeovers for Oprah's O at Home magazine. Her work has been featured widely elsewhere in the media. INTRODUCTION As an established interior designer, I thought, quite frankly, I was the cat’s meow. I imagined ladies all over the country wistfully longing to engage my services. I just knew they secretly coveted my counsel, wishing for the payday that would allow them to have me come work my mojo on their manses. Who on earth, reasoned I, would want to tackle the thankless task of decorating their own home when they could hire an expert to magically transform it into an Oasis of Paradise in the mere twinkling of an eye? Surely a winning lottery ticket was the only thing keeping us apart. Darling, how wrong I was! Nothing could have been further from the truth! Newsflash! American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) polls indicate that