House of Havoc : How to Make- And Keep- A Beautiful Home Despite Cheap Spouses, Messy Kids, and Other Difficult Roommates

by Jameson, Marni

• ISBN13: 9780738213118
• ISBN10: 073821311X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-26
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

The cupboards are overflowing, the linen closet holds towelsandtools, and your once tidy family room might as well come with a ringmaster. But that's called living, right? Wrong! Marni Jameson is here to prove that youcanturn a hectic home into a havenand do so without being voted off the island. With chapters such as "Kids are GreatThey Only Dismantle Your Home One Piece at a Time," you'll laugh as you learn whether to opt for solids or patterns; what constitutes "indestructible flooring"; how to organize your house from top to bottom; and how to decorate so home appeal goes up and blood pressure goes down.House of Havocis that indispensable guide for making the most of the house you have without driving everyone around you nuts.

Author Biography

Marni Jameson is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist, and serial home improver who writes regularly for the Los Angeles Times, Woman’s Day, and other publications. She lives with her family in Colorado.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xiii
Preface: Living with Them!	p. xv
At Home with Havoc
Havoc and I, We Have a Deal	p. 3
The Nice Thing About Kids Is They Take Your Life Apart a Piece at a Time	p. 9
Gender Wars: What Men Don't Get	p. 13
Home Gone to the Dogs	p. 19
Slipcovers as Divine Intervention	p. 23
Fix-Don't Toss-Abused Furniture	p. 29
Designing for the Un-Senses	p. 32
It's All Under Control, She Lied
Take Your House Back	p. 37
Paper Control: File This Under File This	p. 42
Organizing the Home Office: A Second Chance for Order	p. 48
Clutter Busting: The Price of Consumption	p. 51
Your Kitchen Is Under Arrest	p. 56
Photo Management: Someone Manage These Memories-Please!	p. 62
The Finer Things in Life
Building a Better Bed	p. 69
The Towel Trap	p. 80
Flowers for Every Occasion Including Every Day	p. 83
Is a Soap Dish Too Much to Ask?	p. 87
Pillow Talk	p. 90
Something's Got to Give, Just Please Not the Waterford	p. 93
Marriage, Like China, Can Be Tough to Get Right the First Time	p. 95
Six Secrets of Great Design
Design Secret #1: Manage the Snowball Effect of Decorating	p. 103
Design Secret #2: Apply Magic Measurements	p. 106
Design Secret #3: Throw the Weight Around	p. 109
Design Secret #4: Practice the Virtue of Restraint	p. 112
Design Secret #5: Look to the French	p. 115
Design Secret #6: Put Home Improvement in Its Place	p. 118
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Decorating: Ten Cheap Design Tricks
No-Budget Decorating	p. 123
Cheap Trick #1: Find Some Direction	p. 126
Cheap Trick #2: Color Your Walls	p. 129
Cheap Trick #3: Become a Glue-Gun Decorator	p. 141
Cheap Trick #4: Bring on the Bling	p. 147
Cheap Trick #5: Customize Hardware	p. 150
Cheap Trick #6: Fake It	p. 153
Cheap Trick #7: Change the Backsplash	p. 157
Cheap Trick #8: Frame That Reflection	p. 160
Cheap Trick #9: Make Something from Nothing	p. 163
Cheap Trick #10: Screen It	p. 167
Specialty Spaces and Making Your Home Stretch
Homes and Jeans, They're All About Fit	p. 171
So You Want to Work from Home-Ha!	p. 174
Decorating with Kids: You Want to Paint Your Walls What?	p. 177
When School Projects Hit Home	p. 182
Dear Houseguest: Please Come and Go	p. 187
Home Gym: Make Room for Fitness	p. 192
Sacred Spaces: Make Room for You	p. 195
House Hygiene
At War with the Universe: The Science of Housekeeping	p. 201
Housekeepers Are Cheaper Than Therapy	p. 204
Flu Season and Germ Warfare	p. 207
Spin Cycle: Front-Load or Top-Load?	p. 210
Stain Masters: How a Crisis Line Saved a Marriage and a Carpet	p. 214
Girlfriend, You Need Some Tools	p. 219
Taming the Wild Kingdom
SOS for Desperate Landscapes	p. 225
Put the Wow in Your Yard	p. 228
Outdoor Living: Nixing the Nuisances	p. 233
The Future Is Green, but What If You're Yellow?
Twelve-Step Program for Planet Junkies	p. 241
Indoor Pollution: Is It Safe to Breathe Yet?	p. 244
New Uses for Old Stuff	p. 247
Biomimicry: Looking to Nature to Solve Problems at Home	p. 250
Brave New House	p. 253
Final Thought: Going Home	p. 257
Acknowledgments	p. 261
Index	p. 263
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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