Design happy Colorful homes for the modern family

Interior designer Wentz debuts with a striking tour of 12 homes she's decorated, including her own, that showcase her vibrant, "modern-meets-traditional" style. "Design is about finding the happy," she contends, showing how she's applied that mantra to homes in Florida, Maine, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In the Everglades, Wentz combines a blue color scheme with Moroccan-inspired tile flooring to produce a palatial, serene environment. Her own home in western Pennsylvania balances brightly colored functional elements in shared spaces that meet the needs of her children (glossy blue, green, and orange floor-to-ceiling cupboards near the back door hold the kids' outdoor gear) against the softer hues of silver and green in the primary bedroom that create a "calm oasis" with a "treetop feeling." The gorgeous spaces dazzle in their taste and variety, and smart tips describe how to apply Wentz's design philosophy: for instance, she recommends relying on drapery and upholstery to add "texture" to a room, mounting a "Roman shade... higher than the opening itself to create the illusion of a larger window," and selecting "items that are similar in color tone but different in pattern and scale" to make a room more visually dynamic. This will help readers take their home decor to the next level. (Apr.)

Interior designer Wentz offers valuable professional tips and design lessons while detailing renovations of 12 homes. Many are in an affluent area in Pennsylvania; some are vacation homes. To each dwelling, Wentz brings vibrant colors, such as fuchsia, kiwi, turquoise, and citron. The colors flow naturally from a carefully orchestrated plan she makes with clients. She starts with something the client loves--a color, a rug, or a piece of art. In one house, she chooses a design palette from the colors of the client's existing art collection. In another home, she uses a client's album collection for inspiration. Wentz's designs are both beautiful and functional. She chooses vinyl wall coverings in colorful patterns or grass textures for their durability. Vintage rugs provide softness and color, especially when vegetable-dyed for a startling effect. In the bedrooms, colors tend to be more muted. Walking space is an important part of her designs as well. VERDICT Readers can learn much from Wentz's book, even if these homes and renovations are beyond their budget. A complete list of sources for furnishings, wall coverings, and textiles is included.--Chantal Walvoord