Pale & Interesting: Decorating with Whites, Pastels and Neutrals for a Warm and Welcoming Home

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3 responses to “Pale & Interesting: Decorating with Whites, Pastels and Neutrals for a Warm and Welcoming Home”

1. 

   Laura M. Brodniak

   June 26, 2011

   12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Pale and very interesting, March 23, 2011

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   Laura M. Brodniak (Kirkland, WA USA) –
   
     

   Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: Pale & Interesting: Decorating with Whites, Pastels and Neutrals for a Warm and Welcoming Home (Hardcover)

   Got my copy tonight and had a hard time putting this down. This is a solid representation of several “styles” of decorating, under the common theme of “pale”. Far from being dull, harsh, or hard to live with, the book presents many lovely photos of real homes — ones you can imagine actual people living in. It fits in nicely with the current trend (craze?) for reusing, recycling, and re-purposing. I think I’ll find myself turning to this on a regular basis — not just for home design, but to inspire other endeavors.

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2. 

   suejo12

   June 26, 2011

   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

   
   white & dull, June 13, 2011

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   suejo12 –

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   This review is from: Pale & Interesting: Decorating with Whites, Pastels and Neutrals for a Warm and Welcoming Home (Hardcover)

   Not worth the money. Multiple photos of the same six rooms in one large book. No imagination. Do not waste your money

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3. 

   Yael Bolender “From Cuculapraline-Frenchic”

   June 26, 2011

   5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Honestly, I don’t know what to say… So boring…, April 22, 2011

   By 

   Yael Bolender “From Cuculapraline-Frenchic” (Los Angeles, CA) –
   
     
   
     

   Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: Pale & Interesting: Decorating with Whites, Pastels and Neutrals for a Warm and Welcoming Home (Hardcover)

   I don’t know why I persist buying books by Atlanta Bartlett, probably because the cover is always gorgeous, the pictures inside are nice, and certainly because I love Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell, and there is a kind of similarity… That is my point : it is so much copied on Rachel Ashwell, that it is becoming really very embarrassing.
   We had “Easy Elegance”, another way to say “Shabby Chic”, now it’s “Pale and Interesting”… What’s next ? Even the “Relaxed Home”, that I got of course, already made me wondering what was going on with this Atlanta and Shabby Chic.
   The difference is that Rachel Ashwell is alive, well there, such a personality and creativity, that you get to know her, you recognize right away what is Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic style or not, Couture or not Couture, whatever… I’ve read three books by Atlanta Bartlett and I still don’t get it : I don’t understand who she is, everything is so anonymous and cold, she gives rules in decoration, like if someone else was making them. For example : she doesn’t “like something”, but “in pale and interesting we do like that”. Why ? Who decides ? Who are you ? Who is hidden behind this weird name ?
   It’s also difficult to believe that actual people are living in rooms shown there. And I can’t understand how the two same cushions are displayed in two different homes, what a coincidence ! They tried to make so-called “studios” a little messier, to give more reality to these rooms, but seriously, did you see my own studio ? I can tell you : it doesn’t look like that, and I really try !
   To be honest, I am not even at the end of this book, I am forcing myself to finish it and I precise : I am passionate about decoration and design. But it is written by such a boring way, I have the feeling that ghosts are behind all this.
   The addition of the primitive style furniture made by her husband (at least I know something about them !) is not bad, it’s even rather great, but oops ! Didn’t Rachel Ashwell already add primitive style furniture in her stores since a while ?
   I have nothing against designer who admire someone already known and who re-digest the concept to give us their own way, but at least, they could mention the inspiration in the listing at the end of the book ! Here, nothing. And please, it’s not because she is, it seems (I’m not even sure) a UK author that she doesn’t know who is Rachel Ashwell and what is Shabby Chic ! Internet exists and England is not a closed country.
   To conclude, I would say that I am very disappointed by this book. Yes, there are beautiful photos, the style is kind of OK. But there is no life, it is so cold that I am cold just by watching them. It feels sad and empty. Difficult to believe that there is a real life in these rooms, as clean and neat people can be. The texts have no soul as much as the photos, the author(s) don’t give much of themselves except their own photo at the end. It’s a pity, they seem sympathetic on it, but we have no occasion to check that.
   After three books, I am bored by Atlanta Bartlett, and this time, I think that I will stop my expenses on her writings. I like sincere, giving and honest writers, even in decoration…
   If you never read books, just look at the photos and like very cold environments, this book is quite for you !
   If you expect meeting (a) new designer(s) and discovering her/their style, don’t bother buying it, I don’t even know what Dave Coote (the other author, the husband) has to say !
   I feel stunned !

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