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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
It Could be Better, Dec 12 2009
This review is from: For the Love of Old: Living with Chipped, Frayed, Tarnished, Faded, Tattered, Worn and Weathered Things that Bring Comfort, Character and Joy to the Places We Call Home (Hardcover)
The best thing about this book is the cover. It is what prompted me to buy it, since I love old, worn things and thought that the book would have some great photography of the things I love. I was a bit disappointed. It is merely alright, in my opinion. I can't say that I regret buying it, but I could live without it, especially compared to some of the other wonderful books on this topic that I own. It didn't make my heart "sing", which is how I measure how great a book is.
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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rescue Mission, Dec 12 2006
By Karen Ewing "dog lover" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: For the Love of Old: Living with Chipped, Frayed, Tarnished, Faded, Tattered, Worn and Weathered Things that Bring Comfort, Character and Joy to the Places We Call Home (Hardcover)
There is a certain type of person who is drawn to stray dogs, sad stories, and unfortunates of all sorts. I believe it is the same type of person who often "adopts" other people's cast-off objects. A chair past its prime; crackled paint on an old cupboard; or the worn pads of an old Teddy bear speak to our hearts of home, childhood, and simple comforts. Author Mary Randolph Carter is definitely a connoisseur of the crumbling.
Collectors, lovers of garage sales and flea markets, and those who enjoy feathering their nests with their finds will love this book. I knew it was special the moment I saw the endpapers, a montage of sewn-together printed silk patches that appear to be old cigarette silks--a premium that came with each cigarette pack. Carter has this item displayed in her Garden Hutte, pictured on p. 201.
All of Mary Randolph Carter's books are special, and I treasure them not only for their obvious merits, but also because each is imbued with the author's heart and soul. Check out the chapter called "The Secret Cupboard"--her stash of precious childhood mementos--and you'll see what I mean. I love the glimpses of her private world, the rooms and things she treasures. Her love for her family is touchingly evident, just as it is in her other books.
Beautifully photographed by the author, "For the Love of Old" is divided into chapters detailing Carter's collecting interests: tarnished metals; worn textiles; old photos; etc.
If you aren't a junk devotee already, Carter's book will help you look at other people's discards with a new eye. You, too, will find yourself on the hunt for the unloved, abandoned, and imperfect. This is not your ordinary "shelter" book. It will appeal to not only collectors, but to those disillusioned with our throwaway culture.
41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Romance of Rust!, Oct 28 2006
By Maximum Toile - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: For the Love of Old: Living with Chipped, Frayed, Tarnished, Faded, Tattered, Worn and Weathered Things that Bring Comfort, Character and Joy to the Places We Call Home (Hardcover)
I was so disappointed with this book! I wanted to see clear, colourful pictures of rooms glorying in sagging wing chairs and balloon shades that have seen better days, but most of the photos were fuzzy close-ups of peeling dolls, family photos or *evocative* bowls of rocks. I love *old* but I guess I am a still a Middle-Aged Fogey who cannot appreciate the Romance of Rust.
By the way, what's with the ribbon marker, Rizzoli? I thought this book was supposed to be about the Joy of Living with Dust.
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Imperfect On Purpose........ Wabi-Sabi & Windex, Oct 29 2006
By LKP - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: For the Love of Old: Living with Chipped, Frayed, Tarnished, Faded, Tattered, Worn and Weathered Things that Bring Comfort, Character and Joy to the Places We Call Home (Hardcover)
I like the ultra-personal aspect of this book very much, including grainy photography, distinctive typography and "extras" like the
ribbon book mark and gold-stamped touches. The book provides behind-the-curtain insight into a designer who loves creating a creative and distinctive home, using anything that comes to hand. Her trademark appreciation of old worn things and chipped distressed surfaces is a strong point of this book, and she is unapologetic about her love of funk and junk. Well-done. However, I had the feeling that some "evil twin" made her add an overabundance of "household cleaning tips" to the text of the book, and these needlessly-fussy instructions are distracting and trivial. For example, a grainy close-up of tarnished silver knives with ivory handles is over-printed with "Dishwashers can do in your cutlery by producing rainbow-like stains. When this happens, try wiping them down with a little lemon juice!". Perhaps this kind of information, if needed at all, could have been organized into a final chapter or "almanac" at the back of the book? I thought the insistence on adding housekeeping information alongside images of frankly-distressed and funky/relaxed interiors was an unfortunate decision that ruined an otherwise-distinctive book.
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