Customer Reviews

Feeling At Home

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have to say that I was both happy with and dissapointed by this book. My overall impression was that the methodology for trying to really understand how to create a home that reflects the person you are is sound. However, I was dissapointed with much of Stoddard's descriptions of how she applies her theories in her own life. Frankly, it sounds as if she has all the time in the world to take the day at her own pace, and I was left wondering: "Who lives like this?" I don't know ANYone with this kind of life! At one point, she mentions that she likes to sit in her pj's and write 'till lunchtime. Me, too! But PLEEZE - who has the time for this? These kinds of 'insights' into how to live your life left me feeling frustrated.

I always enjoy reading Alexandra Stoddard's books. When I need to calm my soul and nourish the feminine, there's nothing better than Alexandra Stoddard's writing style. Feeling at Home was no exception. Really enjoyed the tips, the dialog with clients, and the overall content.

I discovered that my other favorite decorating books do a much better job of inspiring me to make my home personal and giving me sound suggestions than this book. I found her premise snobbish, because she clearly thinks that she'sjust discovered this idea and that the rest of us still need to be told or convinced that putting our personalities into our homes is the thing to do. She is way behind the times and seems to just be catching on to what the rest of us have been doing in our homes for many years now. I would like to know about the author's qualifications, because I agree with an earlier reviewer who noted that this book is filled with lots of "psycho-babble," too. Get a good decorating book instead of this one.

The book is sentimental in a particularly unhelpful way. It is filled with quotations from famous people, each of which may be insightful taken alone, and which together make no sense. I am very sorry I bought it.

I bought this book because i enjoyed her book Creating a Beautiful Home. But this book was not a decorating book at all! It is not filled with ideas and inspiration. Rather, it is filled with a lot of psychobabble nonsense.

I really disliked this book. I felt as if the author was out of her element with this particular book. Perhaps her other books on decorating are more true to her area of expertise, but I felt as if she was attempting to be my therapist with this one, and I don't like psycho-babble. The author should save this stuff for the shrinks and stick to decorating.

This book has wonderful organizing ideas, beautiful quotes and decorating tips, and gorgeous color photos of Alexandra's famous New York apartment. I loved it!

I was surprised to read the above review of the book, which states that most decorating books leave your personality out of the picture. Most decorating books omit you? That's just not true. My favorite decorrating books talk to me all the time, helping me work my life and loves into my rooms. This book doesn't do that job as well as some of my current decorating book favorites, so I'm returning it. The author seems to have discovered the personal style trend years and years after most authors and publishers!

I picked up this book at the store and put it back down after a quick perusal. I wonder where this author has been for the last decade or so, because it seems that she has just discovered that it's OK to break the rules and be yourself when you decorate your home. Personal style has been the big thrust in design for a decade or more, and my favorite home magazines and books have always, always advised people to do their own thing and forget what the neighbors will think. The idea of this book is fine, but, my goodness, it's old, old news to most of us. The book also is wordy, and I longed for her to get to her point more quickly. So, the concept of the book is dated as is the writing style. Kind of old-womanish.

I always enjoy Alexandra Stoddard's books and this one is no exception. From the beautiful, juicy layout colors to the message, she is a writer filled with grace. Her ideas are wonderful, practical, easy to do, not necessarily expensive and even if you do absolutely nothing but recline on the sofa and read this book, you'll fill uplifted. However, I encourage you to answer the questions she raises because you will learn a lot about yourself and your needs and priorities. There is also a GREAT transcript of interviewing a client family--you get to see how she deals with truculent family members.