Decorating book review!

I just finished reading this book.....yes, I said "reading".  I don't know about you but I have gathered decorating books over the years and would look at the pictures but never read the text.  I think I was impatient in my youth.  I am now going through my books and reading and sorting through and clearing out.  I came across this softcover book from Sunset and the cover room was what I fell in love with!

 Yes, there it is again..........and you see all the yellow highlighting?  I do that in all my books and have for years, magazines too.  Anyway, obviously I LOVE this room and the colors and many of it's features.  After all these years I have finally sat down to literally figure out what I like and don't like.   It's sort of like Oprah's "What I know For Sure" .....this is more "What I know I like and don't like, for sure"!  At my age I don't have to waste time or money on experimentation.  After all these years, I know exactly what appeals to me and what makes my house feel like home to me anyway.   
This book is definitely a "keeper" as there was just so much about it I loved.  So many decorating books are nothing BUT pictures with no real information in them but this one had tons of practical application and even references to other books if you wanted to delve deeper into something like stenciling or different painting techniques for walls and furniture.  
I apologize for the not so good photos but they are pictures of pictures plus I was trying to hold the book open while taking the picture.  I love this bright and cheery kitchen below.............

I've discovered I like window pane checks and hardwood floors for sure (I hate carpeting...sorry Carpeting Institute of America) and I MUST have a fireplace of some sort.............

Can you see that fireplace in the picture?  It is made of "clinker" bricks.  I never heard of them but what a beauty it is!  It has a built in shelf too.  I'm not fond of the brick fireplaces but I'll take this one!  My favorite was my Vermont Castings wood burning stove I had on my farm in Iowa.  That little puppy could heat that whole farmhouse and there was many a blizzard where we were warm and cozy without any electricity for days and I could use the top of it for warming things up to eat, like soup or coffee plus I always had a big pot of potpourri on it which humidified the house and made it smell good too.
Below reminds me of the screened in porch I had on the farm.  It was like an extra room in the Summer and even in the Winter when we had family get togethers I could put food out there and soda etc; when the icebox got full.  A screened in porch is heaven for so many reasons!

I remember Elaine, from Sunny Simple Life earlier this Spring, talking about her dog-eared copy of her Sunset gardening book.  Sunset has been around for years but I guess I never paid much attention to them but I will now!  They are great books full of great information and pages of resources and websites in the back....and pretty pictures too! LOL!
Have a terrific Thursday and thanks for stopping by....I'll be by your place later!