Home and Garden Archives - Awful Library Books

Solve Your Decorating Problems

October 18, 2022 Mary Kelly Home and Garden 17 comments

How to solve your decorating problems
Bradford
1976

Barbara Taylor Bradford has shown up on our site for her nonfiction decorating books. (I am so glad she turned to fiction.) For the time, these were pretty decent books, although I just about die a thousand deaths with this example.

Depending on the library’s mission, I don’t think one has to keep everything simply because the author is “significant”. No doubt that Bradford is significant. Hanging on to older titles because the author is “important” is not enough of a reason to keep something clearly outdated. Larger or specialty libraries can do this, but for the average public library, this is probably outside the scope of the library mission. Always remember your core audience and mission.

Retro 70s Decor

July 18, 2022 Mary Kelly Home and Garden 18 comments

Complete Home Decorating
Devitt
1978

Looking for a retro look? Want to induce nausea or maybe dizziness and headaches? Good for you! This book has that and much more! In many ways this book is a salute to home decor for the 1970s.

Harvest Gold and Avocado Green
Giant overpowering prints for wallpaper
Stripes and more stripes
Bean Bag Chairs

There are even a few quirks, such as a doll collection,a combo TV/Sewing center, and some weird accent pieces or “Objet d’art” – particularly, that planter in the shape of a head.

Decorating Ideas

May 26, 2022 Mary Kelly Home and Garden 13 comments

Decorating Ideas for Every Room in Your Home
Eisinger (Ed.) /Knapp (Illus)
1969

Another decorating books from the olden days. For those of you looking for retro chic, this is your chance!

All our 60’s favorites are here:

- Seizure inducing prints
- Matching everything
- Crappy/meaningless artwork
- Blinding colors and patterns

It’s almost like Beverly Hillbillies meet the Playboy Mansion, with some Grandma stuff on the side.

No thank you. Please use caution viewing the interior pictures.

1990s Living

November 22, 2021 Mary Kelly Home and Garden 13 comments

Creative Interior Design
A Complete Guide to designing and decorating your home
Ward Lock Limited
1994

Here is another book on home decorating. This one is from the 1990s and has a pastel country look. The overly pink softness feels odd – almost like you were living in an Orange Julius shop. I guess I don’t think of a pink/orange palette as particularly appealing. But I digress…

This isn’t as bad as some decorating books we have featured on our site. The point is that these materials are subject to fashion trends. These books need to be regularly weeded and updated.

Groovy Teen Decor

October 18, 2021 Mary Kelly Home and Garden, Talkin 'Bout My Generation 19 comments

New Young Ideas in Decorating
Walton
1970

Groovy teens everywhere will want to get their own rooms in shape…just like Grandma. All the decorating fads of the late 1960s and the early 1970s are here. Street signs? Check. Beaded curtains? Check. Gauzy drapes? Check. Peace sign? Double check. In 1970 this would have been nice choice for the young adult collection. The entire book reminded me of Rhoda’s Minneapolis apartment from the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Curtains for the 1980s

March 19, 2021 Mary Kelly Home and Garden 12 comments

Curtains and Window Treatments
Fishburn
1982

This book was just dirty. And not in a good way. Seriously, just take a nice wipe to the cover. Since COVID, I am overly concerned about visible crud on books.

This reminds me of “Laura Ashley meets shabby chic” for the 1980s. Having attempted budget decorating in the 1980s, this really was reflective of the latest in home fashion, and would have been a decent choice for a home decorating collection. Those balloon type shades in the third picture below seemed to be in every house back in the day. I tried to copy some homemade versions and ended throwing in the proverbial towel since it just didn’t look straight. I blame cheap fabric and my less than stellar sewing skills.

Color My Home

October 24, 2019 Mary Kelly Home and Garden 16 comments

Your Colors At Home
Decorating with Your Seasonal Colors
Smith and Gilbert
1985

In the 1980s, having your colors done, was quite the thing. I remember quite a few books and tv talk show segments devoted to figuring out color schemes worked for your skin tones. People were either a Summer, Winter, Fall, or Spring. I remember trying to figure this out for myself and coming up with nothing. I still don’t really understand how this works.

Paneling Promises

May 2, 2019 Mary Kelly Home and Garden 14 comments

Sunset Home Remodeling Guide to
Paneling, Painting & Wallpapering
Sunset Books
1976

Bring back the groovy days of the 1970s with some seriously cool looking paneling. If paneling isn’t your thing, than try some of the more interesting wall coverings and paint decorating ideas. I am a bit torn between the groovy orange playroom and the striped wallpaper. I really don’t know how anyone could live in this decorating nightmare. Aside from the choices in decor, the instructions were decent enough. I just couldn’t get through the book without sunglasses and some Tylenol.