[.uk] $500 Room Makeovers (ISBN 1400097797)

Excellent budget minded tips!:
This book is so creative and incredibly inspiring! Lisa Quinn really knows her stuff. She has innovative twists on everyday objects that can suit anyone's style (and you can mix and match between rooms). I especially love the "sexy bedroom" on the cover. What a brilliant idea to screw desk lamps into the wall! I highly recommend this book for people looking for some inexpensive inspiration to brighten up their abode.

$500 Room Makeovers:
What a great book. I love to redo my rooms for less and this is a book that everyone should have on their shelves.

Plenty of Variety:
This was a great book that lived up to its title. All makeovers were indeed under $500 and most had at least a few dollars to spare. We'd be hard pressed to be able to replicate any of the rooms for the same prices however, as Quinn frequently uses Ebay to snag her deals. (This is not a bad thing, just an FYI.) Quinn illustrates many different styles from playful to elegance for many different types of people; baby, child, teen, college, first apartment, empty nesters, parents, retired... everyone is represented. She gives a bit of background on the the people and why they need a change, tells the reader what is good about the room and what is bad about it, tells you how much she spent and shows the before photo next to the after photo. She gives tips on what to be on the look for when trying to replicate the particular style, give tips (with diagrams) on what makes the room work, encourages alternate uses for household items and at the end Quinn gives a brief tutorial on how to do one or two of the projects she did for each room. I enjoyed this book and think others will too.

Easy and Cheap:
"Living in a home that doesn't reflect your personal style is like wearing someone else's shoes: They may do the job, but they will never feel right." --Lisa Quinn I just love this idea. I have been looking for inspiration to make my house more of a home and I have found it in Miss Quinn's book. She is right your home should really be a place that suits you , not just a roof and walls. She has so many great ideas to choose from like the pot rack over the bed as a canopy I love that. This book is great for someone who has a fear of interior design, it makes it easy.

Inspiring! Only drawback is it's too short!:
Lisa Quinn offers real life, wonderfully creative ideas and tips for budget challenged decorating in this book. Divided into four categories (dramatic, classic, exotic, children's)with four to six example rooms per category, Quinn provides multiple pages of details and photographs for each room. There are tons of ideas & easy how-to projects here & Quinn's witty approach has you laughing. Although I've read it several times now, I still reference it, not only for budget conscious ideas but also for general inspiration on color schemes & design styles. It's become an unexpected but welcome addition to my all-around decorating library. My only complaint is that it's just not long enough! Quinn's design and writing style are so enjoyable, you want more...hopefully there's a sequel in the works!