This book attempts to loosely categorise the homes presented here into different, non-canonical styles, such as Plain English, Eccentric English, English Rose, English Country, and Classical English, but really the common thread between them all is individuality. With the exception of a hotel, none of the homes shown is professionally decorated, and each offers a treasure trove of found objects and collected oddities that prevent any one of them from feeling like a decorator's showroom. These are the types of houses that make you want to know the owners, because in every room you see something that must have a story to it; they arouse your own creativity in thinking about how you could make such artful arrangements with the things that you own and love. As one owner says in the book, it is much more impressive to do something interesting on a budget and with things you already own than it is to decorate an entire home from scratch. The author offers general suggestions on what trends readers might try if attempting to decorate in any of the categories she presents here and includes a directory for further shopping, but overwhelmingly this book is a celebration of English people living their own way in homes that they love, rather than instructions on how to get a style. It is relaxed, comfortable, and inspiring, and I will be looking at it over and over again. ( )

This book is a feast for the eyes, and also provided a few practical ideas that I can use. ( )