Sunday February 19th, 2012 The Path to an Inviting and Cozy Home Starts Here

With the height of winter in full gear, our climate demands more of our time to be spent indoors sheltered from the elements. This nesting has many of us looking around our homes wondering how we can improve the appearance of our interiors to make them as welcoming and comforting as possible. You need not have an opulent home like The Breakers or a Biltmore Estate to achieve the effect created by such contemporary greats like Mark Hampton or David Hicks, just some help from the resources found at the Thunder Bay Public Library. Our instructional and inspirational materials can help make your space into the vision you want it to be. For starters, TBPL keeps current with popular newsstand titles including, Style at Home, Canadian House and Home, House Beautiful, and Better Homes and Gardens, all brimming with a variety of design styles and the latest in trends.

TBPL also has a wide offering of newer books with motivating imagery that cater to every design budget and style, from contemporary to traditional, from simple updates to complete renovations, and for each room of your home, they will all be sure to get your creative juices flowing. Here is just a small selection of recent additions:

Design Rules by Elaine Griffin – a book for people afraid to nail a hole in the wall, this is a book that will ease your fears. Just as its title states, this book explains in very simple terms the ideal placement of furnishings, fixtures, lighting and artwork to maximize impact for every room of your home. Elaine shares her formal interior design training insider tips, such as ideal measurements, proportions and placement that can be applied to both small and large living spaces.

How to Live in Small Spaces by Terence Conran – written by the founder of Habitat stores, Conran shows the benefits of living smaller with a focus on urban living. He shows how to tackle tight living spaces for maximum use rooms, using light, colour, dual use furnishings, built-ins and simplifying architectural details among others.


150 Ways to Dress your Windows – A guide to curtains, sheers and shades, is filled with lavish photographs to help the reader find the right treatment. Photographs are explained taking into consideration factors that include different window shapes, difficult to cover areas, types of fabrics, the effects of colour and pattern, and finishing details.


Better Homes and Gardens New Decorating Book – I was hard pressed to find anything lacking in this updated book and was so impressed by it, I am prompted to purchase my own copy. This book is not just pretty pictures, but is full of great ideas and practical tips, especially with hints for the smaller details that make everyday living easier. Also contained is advice on decorating choices that work, what pitfalls to avoid, practical projects with instructions, as well as a workroom area to help you make wise choices in furniture selection, lighting and more. It is a practical reference manual for anyone considering making changes to any room in their home whether big or small.

Neutral Color Schemes – features 200 of today’s neutral colour schemes with a narrative on the mood each one creates when used in combination with non-neutrals. Neutral shades vary widely, with each page featuring a different neutral matched with recommended accent colours and brief descriptions on the theme the combination creates. This is a helpful resource for those looking to establish a particular look and have a willingness to start with a blank slate.



Arlene Danyleyko