The Big Ass Book of Home Decor is finally out and I now know what I will be doing the next few weeks in my spare time. I am redoing our basement and I am going to "borrow" many of the ideas that the Big Ass Book has thrown out for me. In addition to refreshing my old lamps I am also tackling some old tables as well as some second hand plates that will most likely adorn the wall above the bar. The best thing about this book is that when people see the things I've made I literally have to pull the book out and show them that I did in fact make it myself. Super cool book, super cool ideas. The Big-Ass Book of Home Decor: More Than 100 Inventive Projects for Cool Homes Like Yours
Once you 'look inside' the Big Ass Book of Home Decor and you already own the 'Big Ass Book of Crafts' you might think its not much different. You would be completely wrong! There are a few new takes on crafts formerly introduced in the Big Ass Book of Crafts but the new techniques are inspiring! You can apply these projects in so many different ways it also acts as a resource book! More than anything Mark has some amazing new ideas and crafts that will have you thinking 'why didn't I think of that?' and 'I have all the stuff to do this right now!' He also ups the ante on the difficulty for those who think some of the previous projects weren't challenging enough. Again, with projects from beginnger, intermediate to professional there are projects for everyone! Step-by-step instructions with easy to find (and affordable) supplies make this and BABOC a crafters MUST HAVE. I highly recommend this book for all crafters or as a gift for a crafty friend! Brava Mark!
Using inexpensive (critical to most artists), everyday items, Montano teaches readers to transform the ordinary into the ordinary. What one might see in avante garde boutiques for thousands of dollars, Montano teaches even the most novice crafter to do the same for the price of a fast food meal. This is one of the few craft books that comes out of the Amazon box to my passenger seat for a drive to my nearest hobby or home improvement store...or even the dollar store! There are projects in the book that can be completed with hands on material, too. Regardless, unlike many home art books, Montano's is relevent! I love my well-worn "The Big Ass Book of Crafts" but "The Big Ass Book of Home Decor" is as AT LEAST as amazing. Love the book. Buying his "pre-Bigg Ass" books right now. :)
Ok, I have always loved crafts, from scrapbooking to crochet to painting (or attempting to), but no book EVER that I have purchased for ideas or inspiration has EVER had the kind of projects that to me were not only totally FABULOUS in their look but also, and most importantly to me, actually "do-able" for the average person. I mean there are tons of "How to" books out there but you seriously need an art degree or a friend who is a carpenter to figure out how to actually make something, well anything that you would show to your friends!
Mark makes sense out of things that most people would overlook in their everyday lives. I have always envied that in people and am SO HAPPY someone finally has all the ideas in a book so all I have to do is copy! Copy and improvise because this book makes my creative juices start to flow just looking through it. I started wondering what other things that I normally overlook could become something useful or fun in my home. Mark is the magician, this is just his book of magic tricks and the secrets behind them. FABULOUS!
If you love to create unique, gorgeous things (with some fun, silly things thrown in) for your home, not to mention just reading the book is fun because of Mark's great sense of humor which had me laughing way more than once, you have to get this and ALL of Mark's books. He is the best that I have seen so far, and I have been looking a long time! Happy crafting!
I found the projects to be very imaginative and creative. Instructions and photos were good, too. I rated it only 3 stars because almost all of it wasn't so not my style. I do think that I can adapt some of the ideas to better suit my tastes, but not enough of them to consider this a purchase I'm happy with. I'd advise you to check this out at the library before you buy it.
There are plenty of home decor books with perfectly perfect ideas offered on perfectly designed pages with perfectly polite instructions and quite frankly, I find them perfectly boring. If you want perfectly perfect, buy your decor at Pottery Barn. Creativity isn't about perfection. Creativity is about the willingness to roll up your sleeves and make glorious messes. TV Host and author Mark Montano gets that. How could you not love someone who fully embraces the beauty of imperfection and encourages you to design without a net? How could you not love someone who names his book The Big Ass Book of Home Decor? Mark Montano's fantabulous new book is a crafty revelation!
This irreverent tome is simply bursting at the seams with fresh approaches to traditional techniques with a generous dollop of totally new concepts that will leave your brain spinning. Mark throws so much stuff at you on every page you're going to need a thermos of espresso, a sketch book and an oxygen canister at the ready. He fully exemplifies the mantra 'It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it' and Mark does it with such flair and panache it's positively mind blowing. You may have decoupaged or texture painted or used plaster of Paris before, but I can guarantee you that you've never done it the way Mark does. If you love to dance on the edge of good taste, if you love a heaping helping of kitsch in your decor, if you are a frugalista who needs solutions to help you take your el cheapo finds and make them el fabuloso, this is your book.
What impressed and intrigued me the most was the abundant array of aesthetics Mr. Montano explored on every page. Nothing was the same old, same old and everything had it's own unique design appeal. Whether you're a mid century maven, a shabby chic sophisticate, a Deco doyenne, a graffiti guru or a Belle Epoque believer...Mark gives you a plethora of fun techniques and concepts and shows you how you can tailor them to suit your personal sense of style. There are over 100 projects in this book to explore using affordable and easily accessible materials, which means there literally is something for everyone. If you can't find something to love here, might I suggest one of the aforementioned perfectly perfect home decor titles. Snore.
Some of my personal favorite projects include: Garden Side Table, Mirrored Glass Candle Holders, Tramp Art Cardboard Frame, Silhouette Wall Treatment, Modern Office Flower Art, Circus Tables...and the list goes on and on and on. So many of these ideas make you smack your forehead and say, "Why didn't I think of that?!" For those of us who've grown weary of cookie cutter furniture with names like Flargensnorp and Gertlesnark, Mark works his design magic on those Ikea staples along with charmingly imperfect and dated flea market and thrift store finds. The projects are straightforward and easy to recreate, but rife with potential for further embellishment and personalization. You can take them as far as you like, mix and match ideas to make them your own. Mark makes even the entirely technically challenged feel empowered.
I'm simply mad for Mark Montano and I'm quite sure after reading The Big Ass Book of Home Decor, you will be too. Perfect, schmerfect. Take a walk on the wild side, you'll be so very glad that you did.
Margot Potter
Author, Designer, TV Personality
The Impatient Beader Series, Beyond the Bead and Bead Chic - Art - Home Decor - Crafts - Decorating'
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