HomeIdeas/JaneMarie/graciousliving/greenlightWRITE/NancyKamp

is a plank type floor, constructed of different layers. Usually, the top layer or "wear layer" is clear. It is a low or high density laminate, depending on the manufacturer and style -- similar to a counter top laminate.

Although it is similar to a counter top laminate, it is, in most cases, anywhere from 10% to 40% stronger than counter tops, and more resistant to scratches, burns, chipping, dents, etc.

The second layer is usually the design or decorative layer which gives it the unique look of wood, or in some cases, tile flooring. Some laminate floor manufacturers add a third or "base" layer for greater stability.

All of these layers are fused by heat and pressure to a high density core. Some cores are constructed of high density fiber, and some are constructed of wood particles.

Manufacturers argue amongst themselves that one core type is better than the other. We've found them to be fairly equal -- both have some minor good and bad points. For example, while the high density fiber core may be slightly more structurally sound, the high density wood particle core absorbs the glue slightly better, creating a tighter seal between the joints.

Our opinion is that as long as they're manufactured properly by one of the large major manufacturers, you can't go wrong with any of them.

Most of the better laminate products also fit together very tightly, so there are less joints than there would be with a wood floor.

Most of the manufacturers apply some type of backing to the boards. This backing acts as added stability as well as added protection against moisture. Some manufacturers use a paper type backing and some use a melamine backing.

Again, manufacturers argue that one is better than the other. In our opinion, taking in all of the technical data, we prefer the melamine backing over the paper back. The reason we were swayed toward the melamine was the fact that, as it is explained by the manufacturers, the melamine acts as added stability. If any moisture should get into the floor, and any of the boards were to warp or "banana", the melamine backing acts as a memory stabilizer and helps bring the board or boards back to their original position. Obviously paper does not have this characteristic.

We would also like to state that it is extremely difficult for any moisture to get to inner core of these floors and we don't feel it makes a substantial difference in the quality one way or the other.

House Beautiful's 750 Designer Secrets has some good tips to polish your premises. It's also packed with photos. Nancy

I love Art Deco and although the CDO very sternly warned me, I couldn't remodel our home without pulling in an element or two.

Carla Breeze has assembled some fantastic photos in American Art Deco. Yum. Nancy

One of the wonderful things about America is the melting pottiness (and I use the word in the British sense of craziness) of us all. Some of our citizens may be less tolerant than we wish, but there isn't a person in the country who hasn't adopted something - a food, an element of design or style - that originated elsewhere on the planet. My personal design style is a combination of Mexican/Mediterranean/Oriental/Scandinavian, which this book showcases. I love it/them all. Nancy

Bonus: American Style features lots of "what the pros know" tips.

Antiques at Home, by Barbara Milo Ohrbach, is a pleasure to browse. If you study the beautiful color photographs, you are sure to get some wonderful decorating ideas and inspiration for your own home. Jane Marie

I snap up every book about beads I can find. Katherine Duncan Aimone's projects in The Beaded Home are always interesting (fringed - with beads!!! - tablecloth) if not necessarily practical. Nancy

No one who's visited our home would think of it as a cottage because, well, it's not exactly charming or cozy. But I like those things - even if you'd never know it by visiting us.

Having begun with a disclaimer, let me say that a browse through the illustrations in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cottage Style is to see one restful photo after another. Modeling one's home on the guidelines in these book would result in a comfortable haven of peace. Nancy

PS There are tons of good BH&G books - click the book link to the left and check out the latest.

Debbie Travis (with Barbara Dingle) has given us a ton of resources for upgrading our homes both on television and in books. The books have great projects and detailed instructions. Thanks, Debbie. Nancy

Teen Dream Room Makeover

As we slowly proceed with our home decorating mega-project, I rely on books like Color by Terry Trucco to stick under the family's collective noses, saying, "See. Our house could look like this!" Of course it won't in my lifetime since we're moving so slowly, but my grandchildren will be impressed with my good taste. Nancy

I can't get enough ideas so I'm less critical of home decor books because I always seem to find something I like. But when I find myself wanting to move into a picture, that's when I know a book like Leatrice Eiseman's Colors for Your Every Mood is a winner. Nancy

I love color. Susan Sargent and Todd Lyon put together the vibrant The Comfort of Color, and I adore the result. It's page after page of bright and happy interiors. If you're just getting your toe in the water of bright color decorating, don't deprive yourself of The Comfort of Color. Nancy

Jane Marie will be surprised to read this, but I like lots of elements of country style. Country Chic from Country Living magazine contains a lot of my favorites.

When I opened Shoestring Chic, I had just tossed aside two other books on home decor because they were dull, confusing and couldn't catch my attention. This book was different. I found myself wanting to dive right in and begin some projects. Nancy

Every homeowner (or renter with passion) should check out Home Depot's very practical guide, Decorating 1-2-3, to relatively easy projects. They've packed a lot into one volume. Nancy

I really am clueless about decorating my house (although I always know what other people nee to do). That's why I love these books and why a book about basics like Better Homes and Gardens' Decorating Basics is essential to me. And besides, I'm pretty sure I can actually do the window treatment on page 128! Nancy

No one (my sister) thinks I read decorating books - even Martha Bear has been trying to help me upgrade the look of the Kamp homestead. But Teri Seidman and Sherry Suib Cohen's Decorating Rich is proof from my very own library that I'm working on a solution to our chaos. Of course the reason why I bookmarked a page that contains the word "classic" remains a mystery to us all. Nancy

You gotta give the late Sonny Bono credit for marrying extraordinary women. Though I don't know a thing about wife #1, #2 Cher, #3 author and TV home guru Susie Coelho, and #4 Congresswoman Mary Bono certainly indicate the man knew how to pick wives.

Susie Coelho's Everyday Styling contains lots of practical ideas illustrated in the author's home. Good stuff. Nancy

There is a great deal of easy to understand information about homes of historic and architectural important in A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia McAlester, Lee McAlester and Juan Rodriguez-Arnaiz . It covers the gems from the 17^th century to the present. I love seeing past styles come alive. Jane Marie

Just because we sometimes live in squalor doesn't mean I don't know a thing or two about style. In one of my incarnations, I worked for Myma, an interior designer who taught me a lot.

She would have loved French Country Junk Chic by Kathryn Elliott, and I do too. Nancy

I like the Dummies books because they give a basic overview of whatever the topic might be plus useful tips.

This is certainly true for Home Decorating for Dummies. If you are as clueless as I am (and I worked for a wonderful interior designer at one time), you might benefit from this volume. Nancy

Once upon a time, I conceived a grand passion for feng shui, the Chinese art of balancing one's environment for a better life. Home Harmony by Suzy Chiazzari is the most beautifully illustrated feng shui book I've seen to date. It SHOWS you what to do and why. Nancy

Leslie Taylor has written one of the most fantastic books on color around. My only problem lies in making a choice among the gorgeous possibilities in Inside Color. Nancy

Despite the fact I'm always trying to upgrade our rat hole style, I will not be trying any of the many projects in Katie Brown Decorates. Some of them are amazing, but my husband, our DF, cannot be pushed too far.

Still, there's this thing where you tie long colorful ribbons to a curtain rod that would work in my office if only I hadn't already looped a red light string there ... Nancy

I've never caught Andrea Maflin's television show on creative design, but since I've gotten my hands on her book, Makeover Magic, I wish I had. Her crafty projects are unique. Nancy

I love the looks-like-it's-been-that-way-for-eons look of Mediterranean decorating. What better way for Nancy to find tips that will get our humble home from here to there than Catherine Haig's wonderful book? Nancy

When you live in an un-showplace, you devour books like More Splash than Cash. I can't get enough ideas to implement real soon. Real soon. Nancy

I like color so much I've often said my house looks like it was decorated by clowns. Chris Casson Madden, on the other hand, has a more refined sense of style. If you prefer cool elegance to flash, check out Madden's New American Living Rooms. If strong color is your thing, do not buy this book. Nancy

New Moroccan Style, by Susan Sully, has color, recipes and ethnic charm - three of my favorite things. Naturally, you must check out this book. Nancy

Nina Campbell is a British interior designer who stresses elegant detail. While elegance is never likely to be a descriptive word for our home, I enjoy picking up ideas from a pro. Nancy

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was a television show about way more than fixing up the homestead (recipes, grooming for men, etc.), but I had to put the book somewhere so why not here? Nancy

I love color. That might be why I got into beading. And Paint by Elizabeth Hilliard and Stafford Cliff works as well for necklace ideas as it does for my personal home makeover. Great photos. Nancy

Just because my home design tastes and aspirations are exceeded by reality, I still enjoy seeing how the other half lives. And that's why Barbara Stoeltie's Rooms to Remember is a favorite. It lets me dream. Nancy

While we are more shabby than chic, the CDO (chief design officer for VeryShinyObjects.com) and I are always discussing plans to renovate the old homestead. While there's actually a lot of good stuff in The Shabby Chic Home by Rachel Ashwell, we particularly like the open drawer pictures because they illustrate our own approach to home decor. Nancy

The first time we went to Santa Fé, I was hooked on the look. I immediately began making snakes out of self-hardening clay, which I painted in bright colors. Pieces of some of these exist to this very day.

Of course, there's more to achieving a southwestern ambience than cramming one's home with the cheery looking remains of a craft gone bad. That's where Linda Mason Hunter's book, Southwest Style, comes in. Nancy

It's fun to own fantasy decorating books that have lots of pictures of beautiful stuff in beautiful places that will never have any connection whatsoever with our home like John Loring's Tiffany Taste . Which, by the way, we began calling Blenheim (after the Duke of Marlborough's incredible palace) shortly after we moved in.

Take that, Stately Martha Manor (home of Martha Bear, our very own SpokesBear).
If having books is an excellent design element, I win. Nancy

Home Helps

I indulge in Trading Spaces (and some of the other television shows that show quick fixes) so I was excited to get my hands on some of the books that show has generated.

Behind the Scenes is the cast story. It's best for rabid fans with more back story and less decorating advice.

Make it Yours! and Color! contain lots of decorating ideas. These are the books I found to be most helpful in my never ending quest for a better looking home.

To be honest, I didn't see anything in Cath Kidston's Vintage Style that made me want to rush to the nearest flea market. What I did like were the photos. The color combinations were marvelous. Nancy