Pottery Barn Living Rooms (Pottery Barn Design Library)

The traditional living room has increasingly given way to the idea of a "great room"--a space adaptable enough to entertain guests, encourage playful children, provide a comfortable place to view videos, and, yes, even accommodate the solitary reader. Pottery Barn Living Rooms leads such a reader through the basic issues and specific choices available to anyone wanting to re-do an existing space or design a new living room. Each of its ten chapters is devoted a specific subject (color, texture, lighting); all chapters begin with an overview of the topic, followed by virtual tours of rooms--both large and smaller, formal and casual complete with gorgeous photos. The accompanying text goes on to explain how the real-life owners of these rooms created a sense of intimacy, a dramatic effect with lighting, or a convivial place in which people are likely to congregate. Whether you have high ceilings or low, a large budget or a limited one, this book is valuable for anyone looking for sensible ideas in creating a room perfect for all kinds of living. --David Bombeck