Author: Val Sharp
www.sharpredesigns.com

Reviewed By: Melinda Cianos

I hadn’t really given much thought to the possibility that my furniture wasn’t living up to it’s full potential, but maybe it’s time I do. Val Sharp, author of The Art of Redesign, offers the “five simple steps to no-cost redecorating” that promise to unearth the hidden treasures in your home. Maybe your redesign entails a light tweaking: the repositioning of a lamp or two, or a stately floor plant—as for me I just might have to rethink the whole arrangement and thankfully Sharp makes the process easy and fun. A home should invite and soothe and welcome; it should be a clear and unmistakable statement about who we are. If this is not the case for you than it’s time to have heart-to-heart with your bookcases.

Sharp outlines a plan consisting of five steps, from addressing who you are, your desires and needs, to the placement of your smallest treasures. Step by step, she assists with the repositioning of each item in your home so that spaces become warm and flowing, which helps to foster emotional health and well-being. Sharp includes the stories of a few of her clients along with “before” and “after” photographs of their projects (I only wish they were in color!) and these are tremendously helpful in understanding placement ideas. Val Sharp, founder of the Canadian Redesigners Association, does a superb job equipping the reader with a plan for redesign, and the best part of it all is that it won’t cost you a thing.