Christmas is barely over, but New Year’s Resolutions are around the corner. Some of us may make the resolution to get rid of the STUFF that has been piled, hoarded, packed, and multiplying like dust bunnies in our various junk drawers, garages, closet shelves, basements and cupboards. But this is not just a de-cluttering guide, this is a decorating, repairing and downsizing guide all rolled into one bright little book. Lauri Ward, author of Use What You Have Decorating, explains how to make the transition to living large in smaller spaces – no matter the reason for the change. There are entire chapters on creative storage (you can never have enough), creating cohesiveness when there is not enough wall space, repurposing (or ‘MacGyvering’) older pieces, finding multiple functions for small spaces and how to decide what to keep or ditch – plus an entire chapter on where to ditch the things you decide not to keep, often a stumbling block for those of us who are pack rats at heart. Ward’s explanations are greatly helped by the use of lots of colour photographs of real homes – not the upscale ones you see in designer magazines, but the homes of real families that she has helped. Although some of the hints she suggests are not realistic for everyone (keeping the size of a television in proportion with your space would get pretty expensive after a few moves), most tips and suggestions are quite adaptable (choosing the right fabric for a small space, for instance). There is a handy source guide in the back with many Canadian retailers (although IKEA is notably absent), and the index makes it a snap to locate specific solutions. So whether you need to downsize or you are trying to lead a simpler life, or even if you are just tired of your STUFF, this is one book you need. Happy New Year!

Although today we associate Muslims with the middle east, the artistic stamp of the Islamic empire has been left on countries from as far west as Spain to as far east as Indonesia (the largest Muslim country by population), dating back to the seventh century. Encompassing Ottoman and Mamluk art, and influenced by both classical and Byzantine styles that came before, the ceramics, manuscripts, mosaics and towers of the Islamic world reveal much about its history and cultural development. The displays in this gorgeous ‘coffee-table’ type book, The Treasures of Islam, are not simply exotic eye-candy – although the rich patterns and jewel-like colours can provide hours of happy gazing. The author, a professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at the American University in Cairo, presents these treasures in rough geographic and chronological order with historic background, religious context, and close-up photos of intricate architectural detail, illuminated manuscripts and even some basic floor plans to some of the bigger structures, like the complex of Sultan Hasan, with its qibla iwan (hall of two hundred lamps). Some of the more impressive masterpieces are showcased in golden ‘special feature’ pages, like the Dome of the Rock in the centre of al-Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary (aka the Temple Mount). Like any university professor would, O’Kane provides a bibliography for further reading, plus a basic glossary and a complete index for quick reference – although this is one book which should be savoured, not quickly read.
Click here to find it in the on-line catalogue at SPL.
In the Stratford Gazette on December 19, 2008

Dec. 12, 2008