I like her books, and her philosophy, but they aren't the books I'd recommend first for a couple reasons. First, she is primarily trying to convince people who would otherwise build a large fairly high end home to build a smaller more detailed home. If you are like me and cutting the size of the house you intend to build by 20% isn't practical, much of her advice is hard to apply. Second, she has a very specific style, and while most of her advice could be applied to any style of home, she doesn't explain how to do that. Her basic advice about making a smaller floor plan work : Instead of having a formal and informal eating area and a formal and informal gathering space (eg living room and family room), have one of each that can be dressed up for formal occasions. 2) Along with a fairly open plan, include an "away space" that can be acoustically isolated from the open part of the house. 3) Make the family entrance to the house nice. Don't have a fancy foyer for guests and a messy utility space for you. Perhaps have a single foyer for both the family and guests. 3) Think about sight lines (this is part of house design 101, actually). What will you see as you walk in the front door? What will you see when you're preparing dinner? What will you see when you're sitting at the table? 4) Keep the scale of the house comfortable-- no two story great rooms or foyers, especially if the dimensions of the rooms don't support a very high ceiling. Prioritize making the house comfortable for you over making something impressive for guests. 5) Look for ways to add functions you only need occasionally to rooms you'll use regularly. Design your "away room" so it can be a guest room, etc... (I'm hoping I haven't misrepresented her in any major way, if I have, please correct me, GardenWeb!) If that advice sounds like it's in line with your style, it might be worth getting her books from the library to see what you think. The book I would recommend first is "Designing your perfect house" by William J Hirsch. Also I'd recommend thinking about rooms that you've loved and what qualities those rooms share.

I just watched the recorded show of the dining room last night- I LOVED that chandelier...I love how she mixes patterns. Love that orangey fabric they made into wall paper...gorgeous. I think it's interesting how they go from room to room with their decorating "as" the construction is being done-- I thought it was hilarious when Tommy and the big guy were trying to pull apart that dining room table and the man helping him made a comment about how many strong men it would take to pull it apart and Tommy made a comment about himself that he counted as half a man....That was sooo funny.

Youngun, I think that the programs may be featured online as well. So you do not have to miss the programs. Not many families these days can say they do not have TV. Wow. But we just have one here. A little cottage does not need to devote a lot of space to TV stuff. Unless you like a WII and play the sports like golf and tennis, where you need room to swing your clubs and rackets. My bro loves to do that, and has rearranged his watching/practice area so he does not wipe out lamps and ceiling fans!!! hehehehehe. Another thought: somebody may just upload the episode to YouTube. Worth checking out......

Siobhan, neither will I recommend it, except to those readers whom I know to enjoy ambiguity and enigma. I learned my lesson with My Cousin Rachel -- too many lovers of Rebecca have loathed MCR and I'm afraid they might feel rooked by TLS, as well. But you never know what will resonate or land with a thud with any particular reader -- readers are too complex! However, after perusing reviews and discussions, I think Waters and today's readers may be more simpatico than the same group would be with D du Maurier's work (besides Rebecca). Georgia, I'd swear that it's I who is usually out of synch. :-) I recall liking The Woman in Black more for its atmosphere and imagery -- the fog and that causeway and the treachery of the incoming tide! I also liked the old-fashioned feel of it, evocative of J. Sheridan LeFanu or Oliver Onions (The Beckoning Fair One), which I think was deliberate on Hill's part (but, as you say, could seem rather like checking things off a list). It is a mood piece rather than a puzzler, I agree, so it all depends on whichever you happen to fancy more -- at the moment or because of prevailing taste.