The Book: A follow-up to his best-selling
The Big-Ass Book of Crafts, television host and DIY decor extraordinaire, Mark Montano, has released
The Big-Ass Book of Home Decor.
And oh what a crash course in how to recreate today's trends on the fly
it is! Chock full of projects -- over 100! -- this latest release from
what could be
the craftiest man I have ever come across, is above all, an amazing
resource of ideas.
I must be honest: the prevailing aesthetic is not exactly to my taste.
BUT, the basic ideas behind Mark's projects certainly get the creative
juices flowing. The 270 some odd pages are broken down into chapters
dealing with various
home decor items. Unlike
The Big-Ass Book of Crafts, this latest anthology is
beyond simply crafting,
entailing how-tos for creating and reinventing furniture and
accessories. Chapters include; "Terrific Tables", "Luscious Lighting
and Lavish Lampshades", "Brilliant Bedrooms" and "Fab-tastic
Furniture", among others.
I also must say that despite my not aligning with many of his colour choices, he manages to touch on all the
latest trends like
mirrored surfaces,
gaudy frames,
Moroccan influences, and natural elements like twig centrepieces and whimsical
animal motifs.
And I was pleasantly surprised by the tone of the book -- funny, candid
and very practical. Mark is nothing if not inventive, that's for sure!
Highlights: By far the chapter that got me the most excited deals with
lighting.
It's not for nothing Mark writes that he hopes this chapter "...turns
you on." Well it did! He's got a laminate wall sconce which allows
you to pick any graphic you like, a plastic food container that he
bedazzles with glass pebbles and turns into a pendant lamp which
actually looks amazing (!!!), a cardboard chandelier, and a simple wire
+ funky-printed stocking mood lamp that looks way better than how I
just described it.
Other unexpected gems include a burlesque
fringe chandelier, elaborate cardboard frames (really, they look great
and I want to make some), and a chapter on upcycling IKEA items, involving some spray paint and a stencil, with very fetching results.
You'll like it if: You're crafty -- being crafty is a must!
-- and you're not afraid of 'level two' type techniques involving
sewing, cutting plywood, working aluminum flashing and light upholstery.
Damage: $29.50 CAN
GIVEAWAY: I've only one of these for you today, but it will
be worth all your effort to get it! All you have to do is email me the
correct answer to the following question; What is this craft called,
found on our DIY Decor site? Email me at stylesheetAThgtvDOTca with
Book giveaway in the subject line. Please see contest rules.
This Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Judith W., Niagara Falls, ON.
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