Our next book discussion takes us into the world of interior design! There is nothing I like better than a vintage interior design book and I scored a bundle of them for 10 cents apiece at the most recent library sale. People used to know how to decorate, before everyone freaked out about resale value (hello, you can always RE-paint when you decide to unload your casa) and decided that they wanted their homes to be "soothing" (If one more couple on Trading Spaces breathlessly says that they hope their room will be "soothing" I'm going to throw something. If you're THAT stressed out you probably need medication.). Anyway, 1970's The Finishing Touch, by Rose Kinsey Drexler, is entirely dedicated to painting, more often than not in day-glo colors, which is probably bad news for the "soothing" crowd, particulary since she advocates painting big flowers on your floor and your upright piano purple, in addition to a host of other wacky decorating ideas. Let's check some of them out, shall we?

I'm not a fan of wicker, but these folks took matters into their own hands and painted their boring wicker love seat hot pink! That's the kind of initiative I like to see. I bet they used the money they saved by not buying new furniture for a trip to Hawaii.

A piano in a home is a wonderful thing, particularly if someone who lives there can actually play it. Ideas for tarting up your boring old piano include "enameling it mustard or mauve with the addition of can-lid size tomato-red dots! Or do it maroon with roller-painted white stripes." Ms. Drexler also advocates turning a "dreary basement into a music-milk bar and party room." Replace the word "milk" with "booze" and I think she's onto something!

However, this is the room that really filled me with inspiration and left me gasping for breath:

Although I don't want to know how many Muppets had to die for that rug (and I would like to go on record now and say that the Lounge is very much against Muppet cruelty), this room is incredible! A few milk crates, some odds and ends of wallpaper, some psychedelic dishes and you're all set! If this was my room I'd never leave it. Let me know if you feel a hankering for some late-60s flair in your own home and I'll send you more pix from this treasure trove of ideas. It's good to know that if Rose Kinsey Drexler is still alive she'll probably have her own design show on HGTV any day now.

Click on these links to read our first , second and third book discussions. .

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