Soulspace Creating a home that is free of clutter, full of beauty, and inspired by you

Los Angeles interior designer Balbes begins his helpful first book by describing the eight SoulSpace stages and how a modest interior renovation can make major changes in an individual's life. Rather than meander from room to room, the author uses his clients as true-life examples in each one of his stages. Keeping a never-worn wedding gown, for instance, hampers one woman's personal growth; a comment from Balbes epitomizes his philosophy about that problem: If it is beautiful but makes you feel lousy, let it go. He points to the power of positive thinking through objects; his partner Jason, once a Broadway actor, reconnected with his award and begins realizing success. Balbes also advocates maximizing the kinds of items and events that transform a living space, whether it's the creation of a mood board, the answers to an interior's issues (like noisy neighbors or low-lighted areas), or the celebration of a space meant to live and love in.--Jacobs, Barbara Copyright 2010 Booklist

Balbes, co-owner of the interior design firm Temple Home, explains his eight-step holistic approach to interior design. Using his experiences with his clients' and his own homes as examples, he first discusses the elimination of clutter-including the psychological reasons why it accumulates-then continues with an explanation of how to discover and create one's own personal design style. Although no photographs are included (books such as Grace Bonney's Design*Sponge at Home and Christiane Lemieux's Undecorate can fill that gap), this volume will provide the impetus to begin the process for those seeking a clutter-free decor that reflects their taste and nurtures the soul. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.