by Frank Fontana
Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $24.95, 203 pages
Fan’s of HGTV’s Design on a Dime will be pleased to see this publication full of Frank Fontana’s design trickery. Easy enough to digest, this book is presented in chewable chunks of DIY, Dirty Little Secrets, and design basics. There are plenty of tips and tricks without being too technical. The DIY sections are good, but to be a good DIY book, some of the steps could be clarified with pictures of, at least, before and after shots would be more beneficial. Frank breaks up his “Quantum Design Element (Q.D.E.)” into three principles of function, ambiance, and cohesion. There are many sidebars dedicated to these principles. It could be improved upon by focusing each chapter on these principles, rather than brushing them to the side. There are many design books available. This one would be good for someone with a short attention span, and looking for a lot of pictures, and a few design basics with DIY tips.
Reviewed by Janet Wright