Editorial Review
Decorative Style is the most practical and innovative resource of decorating styles, techniques, and tools and materials ever created.
Using innovative, easy-to-master techniques and surprisingly inexpensive materials (paint, paper, fabric, replica molding -- even photocopies!), Kevin McCloud -- a brilliant young set designer turned interior decorator -- shows you everything you need to know to design and create your own stunning adaptations of today's most popular decorating styles.
There are forty styles in all -- from Santa Fe, Shaker, Miami Deco, and Caribbean to Bauhaus, Biedermeier, Mackintosh, and French Country (to name just a few) -- each designed and created especially by the author and stunningly photographed, with literally hundreds of styling options and color variations to choose from.
Each style is represented by a complete floor-to-ceiling "room slice" -- a unique device that allows you to see the total impact of a scheme while easily visualizing its possibilities for your own room. The decorative effects and other components of each style are analyzed, rephotographed with a full range of imaginative alternatives, and cross-referenced to all the techniques, tools, and materials needed to create each unique effect. Even the most inexperienced and budget-conscious of home owners will be inspired by Kevin McCloud's imaginative use of inexpensive, readily available materials and amazing timesaving techniques.
Whether you do the work yourself or hire it out, whether you're redoing an alcove or an entire house, Decorative Style will kindle your imagination and give you all the tools you need to create spectacular, one-of-a-kind interiors that will truly distinguish and enhance the value of your home.
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Customer Reviews
Excellent-Excellent...I will say it again..Excellent! 
2001-05-22
As a professional faux finisher without a college-based decorating background, I never formally learned of all the different decorating periods with their styles, colors, textures and accessories. "Decorative Style" surely is a grand book to comfortably and interestingly guide me through assisting my client with appropriate color choices to match their present accessories or to start anew. Unique faux finishing techniques with great illustrations and instructions are displayed in the scenerios. A great book! Sits proud on my shelf.
Dig In! Get Serious w/ McCloud's Sourcebook! 2001-04-06
As a painter/designer looking for new ways to enliven home and commercial spaces, this book hit the spot. For me, while McCloud's "scenes" didn't strike a chord, many, many "pieces" of the scenes resonated with me.
Unlike the plethora of cutesy decorating books with "canned soup formulas", McCloud's book is fresh and innovative, and the author, "project patient". The author seems to have experimented over the years with loads of techniques...some that worked, and others that crashed and burned! And WE get to benefit from his laborious, creative risk taking and personal discoveries.
McCloud presents many "looks", and tools/supplies lists, without presenting exact formulas. His work is labor intensive. For these reasons, this book may drive some individuals mad! Yet, as a teachable, yet often driven, independent artist, I relate to this way of working, as it points me in a general direction, and in my not copying an exact formula or "scene", keeps each project fresh. While I "recycle" far too many books of this genre, this unique sourcebook of Mr. McCloud's is destined to spend its days on my reference shelf of favorites! Thank you, Kevin!
A big disappointment compared to McCloud's other books 
1998-08-16
Having purchased two of McClouds previous books, "Lighting Style" and "Complete Book of Paint and Decorative Techniques", I thought the man could do no wrong. They were excellent choices. In this book, however, McCloud departs from his complex, professional approach, and provides "vignettes" that read like "Grrr-animals" theme rooms. From a "Carribbean Kitchen" to a "Biedermeier Bathroom", the rooms end up looking like movie sets for a college theater production. Pasting xeroxed corinthian columns on a wall does not a Greek Revival villa make. If you have no imagination and are not able to put ideas together yourself, buy this book. If you want something more substantial, buy the other two books I mentioned. Mr. McCloud is truly a talented man. I personally feel that his other books are better showcases for his talent.
Simply the best decorative painting book I've read to date. 1998-06-28
I've been painting for the past twelve years in all mediums and genre but have never had a book go more in depth on arriving at a complete creation. Kevin McCloud's explanation and visual examples make even the most difficult techniques fall into a mere series of steps. From recipes for mixing paints to accesories for the finished room, Mr. McCloud has covered it all.
Most comprehensive, inspirational -text of "how-tos" 1997-10-16
For the serious decorative painter, Kevin McCloud's book is not only inspirational, but complete in details of "how-tos". The format is two-fold: each "vynette" (small room view) gives a finished project, with alternate color options, plus a basic "recipe" of technique to achieve the same breathtaking results. A great sourcebook to inspire you, your decorator/designer clientelle or to give the "big picture" to a potential client who has difficulty envisioning the finished project. A wonderful find, several years ago when I was looking for "professional" help and wanted to go beyond the basic start I had with the Jacosta Innes' "Paint Magic" books. A good investment for your reference library, as a decorative painter or designer.
If Your World's a Stage 
2007-10-05
The rooms pictured in this book are very dramatic-- some might suggest over dramatic. But if you'd like some drama in your life look here. A Greco-Roman Bathroom with a claw-footed tub. There's a new plaster bas-relief panel that was given some treatment with shellac and lime. I would probably have pulled out books showing the frescoes of Pompeii and gone with some of their less racy scenes.
His French Empire study for some reason reminded me of one of my favorite Nintendo Entertainment System games-- Castlevania. I think it was the imperial purple walls, candelabra and wall scones with lit candles that brought that game to mind.
You definitely need high ceilings and lots of "stuff" laying around to try to copy any of his rooms, but I think the books works better as inspiration and frankly I enjoy looking at the many items in the rooms-- I have the coffee pot, cream, and sugar bowl that goes with the tea pot on the table in the Baushaus Study. It was made in West Germany after the 50's so it's not actually period.
Anyway, fun book.
Not Useful - Too Theme-y 
2005-11-17
This was a beautifully photographed book. I'm just not sure why I didn't like it very well. Maybe it was because I did not find much that was useful in a room that I decorate in my home.
The book was somewhat helpful in demonstrating some of the techniques used to get the wall treatment, but maybe I am a simpleton and needed more steps. The rooms also did not have a very realistic look. I did like the wall treatment in the tuscany style room but really didn't like the room. The Greek room was also kind of strange looking to me, maybe because the decor was so "fake" looking.
I was just thankful I checked it out of the library first before spending my hard-earned money. "-)
If you like a VERY themed room, you might like this book, but I think I prefer something a little more subtle and classy that does not SCREAM the theme.
Good, but not as your only decorating book 2004-08-18
This is overall a good book that has an excellent section on faux painting techniques and a decent section on various periods of decorative style. The pictures can provide plenty of inspiration if you're going for a certain period of "look" but don't know what elements you need to get there. It also has a good description of artists paints and pigments and where they came from. IE, what exactly is burnt sienna?
I would give this book five stars except that a lot of his decorating techniques seem better suited to a theatre set where everything is built from the ground up and it only has to last a few months. I found a lot of his overall decorating suggestions to be ill-suited to my needs, where I already have quite a bit of furniture, want to integrate what I have into an overall "look", and want what I do to last until I decide to take it down or paint it over. There are other books that meet that need, and they make a good complement to this book.
This would not be the only decorating book I'd buy, but is a good part of a collection. This book is worth it for the descriptions of the elements in each style period and the faux finishes section.
A Beautiful Book, but not enough detail regarding techniques 2004-03-22
This is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL book. Many styles are explored and techniques discussed, however, there is not enough detail regarding completing the techniques. I had high hopes when I purchased this book, but I think that if I try doing any of these techniques, I'll have to make it up as I go along.
Refer to it over and over again 2003-02-14
This is one of the only "inspirational" decorative books that I have kept for years. Why? Because in addition in inspriring, it tells me what I need to do it. And it lets me feel that these finishes are within my grasp. Now all I really need is a house with rooms big enough to do much of this!
