Usually the first room to greet guests, the living room is not only the most public area of any home, but also its most multifunctional. This essential room fills a variety of roles—from entertainment center to study area, children’s play zone to library, not to mention serving as the family’s gathering space, complete with couch and coffee table. Now Chris Casson Madden, nationally renowned design expert and author of Bedrooms, Getaways,and A Room of Her Own, imparts a wealth of decorating expertise in her new book, Chris Casson Madden’s New American Living Rooms. Showcasing a dazzling array of some of the most beautiful rooms across the country, Madden proves that living rooms can be at once practical, inviting, and inspiring.
Living rooms often present unique design challenges: they can range from great rooms with fifteen-foot-high ceilings that stretch across half the house to small spaces that relate awkwardly to the rest of the home. In addition, the multifunctional character of these areas makes them all the more complex. Yet Madden highlights a myriad of design solutions that can make decorating this room painless, even pleasurable. She offers options and ideas to suit many tastes—whether you favor sleek, modern styling or old-world elegance, Asian-inspired elements or classical influences.
With homes from California to Connecticut, New Mexico to Maine, the book features nearly two dozen extraordinary living rooms. For large, open spaces, Madden offers creative ways to integrate all the activities of a living room, dining room, family room, library, bar, and study. She examines spaces that open onto gardens, pools, kitchens, or play areas and others that are centered around musical instruments, entertainment units, art, or books. She offers terrific ideas for handling storage and equipment problems and shows how the same room can be used for quiet time, family time, and entertaining.
Ultimately, Madden presents living rooms that are gorgeous, at times even luxurious, while remaining comfortable, nurturing, and appropriate for the families who use them—a difficult balance to strike, but it’s what makes Chris Casson Madden’s New American Living Rooms the essential guide to decorating these rooms for real life. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Date Published
Ratings
Rated By: J.B. Sloan
From: Michigan
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Comments: A disappointment I got my copy. I love the cover living room. I was disappointed in the book, however. It's a nice collection of pretty pictures, but that's about it. I expect more than that from a book. There does not appear to be much thought in how the book is slapped together. The writing isn't very informative. I'd give this one a C-.
Rated By: A reader
From: Unavailable
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Comments: What's new about these? I admit I don't know who Chris Maddon is but I liked the idea of this book so I bought it. I've gone back and forth through it but have never determined yet what exactly is new about these rooms. It looks like a simple collection of living rooms without rhyme or reason. I expect a lot more from a book than that and a lot more obvious effort on the part of the author in making me understand the point of the book and what ideas are in it for me.
Rated By: A reader
From: Unavailable
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Comments: All smoke and mirrors Anyone hoping to find innovative design ideas here is going to be disappointed. The cover photo is very appealing but unfortunately that is where the interest ends. One certainly "cannot tell [this] book by its cover." Once open the authors do not provide anything "new" as the title suggests. Instead they have only compiled other designers' work (they have not designed any of the rooms) and have not even bothered to add any original thought or decorating ideas to the text. Why did they "write" this book? Ms. Madden and her co-writer, Ms. Hill have underestimated how transparent their lack of effort and content are and are foolish to think that readers will not see through their deception.
Rated By: M. Pass
From: MN
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Comments: Hugely disappointing this book is a huge disappointment. i expected more for my money . i am ready to redo my living room so i bought this book. i don't know the author, but the topic was what i was looking for. the book doesn't help me much. it's a scrapbook of living room photos & many of those don't look like the way people really live. and there isn't much real help in planning your own room.
Usually the first room to greet guests, the living room is not only the most public area of any home, but also its most multifunctional. This essential room fills a variety of roles—from entertainment center to study area, children’s play zone to library, not to mention serving as the family’s gathering space, complete with couch and 
