This is an interesting design book that provides some pretty inspiring images for patterned homes. It is greatly lacking in the projects side though - I was unclear on what project ideas were included and why and they seemed heavy on embroidery but the book offered any more ideas for incorporating pattern into homes.

My thoughts: I have an copy of this book on my ipad and love it so much that I have preordered a physical book. I felt like I was being hugged while flipping through the pages.

I appreciate how the book is organized, including:

Color (how colors work together)
Embroidery projects to personalize your home
Room by room guide: indoor and outdoor, with ideas to inspire
DIY projects from stitching to painting, color blocking and printing.

There are a few projects that interest me. The photo to the left is inspiring. I bought a lazy Susan a few years ago, plain wood and waiting to be loved. After reading this book, I have decided to get creative and to paint it.

Pattern is everywhere. No matter where you are on the pattern-mixing comfort scale, you can learn from Kristen Nicholas' newest book, Crafting a Patterned Home. Perhaps best known at Knitty for her colorful knitting [Felted Tea Cozy, Macarons], Kristin Nicholas is a multi-talented artist and experienced author. In this title, she invites you into her home to see how you can craft projects that will brighten your abode.

Crafting a Patterned Home begins with an introduction to pattern. In this section you learn how different motifs, repeats, and scales can create various visual effects. There are also tips and tricks for how to begin to create your own patterns.

Next, we enjoy a tour of Nicholas' home (a working farmhouse for Leyden Glen Farm), inside and out, and selected creative projects that you can do. You’ll discover the inspiration behind each project and why particular techniques are applied in certain situations. Even if you aren't familiar with a technique you are guided every step of the way. Each project includes the pattern style, the repeat format, the featured crafting technique (painting, print making, knitting, crochet, and embroidery are all represented), a list of tools, a list of tools and supplies, and a detailed tutorial.

Nicholas invites you to add pattern to your home and understands that it may be overwhelming. Her expert guidance will help you begin to create a look that is cohesive and colorful, not garish. The beautiful photographs by Nikki Snyder add to the inspiration in this book. And the adorable kittens and farm cats help to remind me this beautiful home is one that's lived in and not just pretty inspiration.

I think the design aesthetic featured here is only going to appeal to a very niche market; pattern aficionados and color lovers may be delighted, but those with more traditional tastes (including myself) are unlikely to be converted by this title. The included instructions for DIY projects seem thorough, but the lack of a broader appeal for this style means I would only recommend it to those who already love this "look."

This book is both beautiful and inspiring. The projects are well-explained and achievable. It has given me lots of ideas on how to use color and pattern to decorate my home -- now I just need to decide where to start!

Stunning, full color photography captures the beautiful patterned projects featured in this book. I downloaded this galley thinking it would be a decorating book, but it is so much more. Color theory, pattern design, and techniques for creating patterns on walls, textiles, and hard goods are included. The stunning projects are all featured within the context of Nicholas' home, which is a lovely example of what a home looks like when decorated without fear of color or patterns. This is an approachable, hands-on book that can help anyone interested in patterned decorating dive in with a minimum amount of money, just plenty of elbow grease and creativity.