Flanagan's Smart Home: The 101 Essentials for Starting Out, Starting Over, Scaling Back [Paperback]

Like eco-friendly? Like buying things that are built to last? Useful? Non-cluttering?

That's what drew me to this book, I'm very into decluttering and I love having things that are built to last.

For each of her picks she gives a little history, and some background into why she chose what she did. She gives a review at the end of each chapter with a price range for each item and if she has a brand name she likes she lists that too.

Ideas I liked:
Some new spins on things I'd never thought about before, and she has a few of them. For instance:

A lamp timer instead of an alarm clock. Brilliant in my eyes, alarm clocks scare me in the morning.

A pop-up mesh clothes hamper.

One that I wasn't so sure about but now seems really cool is using a salad spinner for more than just spinning salad - if you buy a good one.

And there's more, such as getting rid of non-stick pans and going to cast iron, which lasts for ever!

I like that she doesn't skimp. Buy the best that you can, but be wise in what you buy. And you know, most things really aren't that expensive. That to me is something I really enjoyed about this book.

Cons:
There wasn't anything bad, but I'd want to research some of her ideas out myself before buying. There were a couple that made me go `eh':

A saltcellar, it's like one of those things Alton Brown uses to get salt from on his show `Good Eats'. If you don't have any kids then I can see having one; personally I think they're cool. But if you do have kids I can see salt flung here and there and little dirty hands reaching into it, ick, and she really downplays salt and pepper shakers which I guess is a personal thing.

Some that were personal preference, like an electric blanket. She has a sound advice in buying one, but I've never really wanted to own one so I don't see how it's essential other than lowering the heat at night but I have warm blankets that can do that without electricity.

I have to say it was a nice read, she has humor, she has her research, and she has sound advice. It makes you think.

According to the author, you have too much stuff in your house.

She's referring to stuff that you really don't need for a simple, uncluttered lifestyle. In this book, she recommends 98 items that she has found essential, given her move to a smaller house.

Dump the TV
Buy a bed
Cook with iron
Instead

Lamp for waking
Mattress pad
Dump the carpet
It's bad

Toaster oven
Reading chair
Add a floor lamp
For flair

Plates for soup
Pepper mill
Fancy iron
BIG bill

Readers of this book should keep in mind that the items are recommended by a single empty-nester, so not everything would be practical for other types of households. There are some useful ideas and recommendations in here, and some interesting trivia about the history of appliances and whatnot, but in the present format it's hard to get enthusiastic about it.

The book is fairly small, and everything inside's in black and white. The information is in two-column format, and gives the impression that you're looking through a Consumer Reports yearly guide or Farmer's Almanac. The clip art is dated, and incorrect in many cases, and what could have been a humorous and somewhat useful reference book is totally wasted due to the bare bones presentation.

Take my advice
On this book
Use the library
To look

Amanda Richards, November 29, 2008

For those without a nesting instinct or men missing the part of the brain required for setting up a well organized, functional home, this book might be a God send. But, having been a homemaker for many years, I have for the most part arrived at the same conclusions as Barbara Flanagan. I love the essentials that make my home a more inviting, organized, and comfortable place to live. I have learned long ago that paying a bit more for quality is less expensive in the long run (i.e. cast iron pans vs. non-stick, for example).

Where the author and I differ lies in technology. She scoffs at digital picture frames, wishing time to stand still in hardwood frames. I can't imagine anything better than a digital picture frame, uncluttered, and containing as many photographs as your memory card can handle. I'll continue to store my most precious photographs in acid free storage boxes in the closet, while displaying only two minimalistic digital picture frames in the house that house hundreds of photographs for my enjoyment.

There are other things as well that I disagree with. I have no need for an alarm clock, my cell phone stores four alarms already and has weekend, weekday, and everyday recurring options. My Logitech 930-000054 Squeezebox Boom All-In-One Network Music Player with Integrated Speakers also stores multiple alarms and wakes me up to any song from my digital music library or Internet radio. It also puts me to sleep with relaxing classical or Celtic music with it's sleep timer.

The author also recommends vinyl over other forms of music. The thing is, most human ears cannot hear the difference between a digital recording (mp3) and a record, so why go with a record that can scratch, is hard to find, subject to heat and humidity damage, takes up more space, and they're not exactly portable like an ipod. You also can't shuffle, repeat, and change vinyl with a remote. She doesn't go into details, but mp3 compresses the recording rendering it not quite perfect. But, there are other formats such as Apple Lossless and FLAC. I personally keep my music collection in FLAC format which is far closer to the original recording than mp3. Many mp3 players will now play FLAC as well although the file size is bigger. I would recommend not going backwards but rather progressing in the direction of digital music.

The book is organized by room and then by item (for example, Dining: Dining Table) for easy reference to fix areas in your home that you can't figure out what to do with.

For potholders, she recommends suede: "trusty old cowhide" in her words. Again, the author needs to consider where technology has gone. Why would I want cowhide potholders that stain, burn, and tear over time when I can have newer technology in the MIU Silicone Potholders, Black (Set of 2)? They're cheap, clean easily, stay clean, and can handle temperatures up to 675 degrees! They also come in a variety of colors to suit your kitchen.

She does have some smart ideas though, so I'm fairly certain that you cannot come away from this book without improving your home in some way. She recommends microfiber cloths over paper towels. I agree, and switched over a few years ago by purchasing two dozen 18" x 18" microfiber towels.

Overall, if you can think for yourself, the common sense advice contained within the covers will surely prove useful to those that lack the nesting instinct and can evaluate the recommendations for themselves to see if they fit their particular lifestyle.

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