Family Living

Scripps Howard News Service

Family Living: Creating the Perfect Family Home, By Judith Wilson. Ryland Peters & Small, $27.50.

• Like its book on designing for small spaces, London publisher Ryland Peters & Small's Family Living asks questions that most decorating books overlook.

• For instance, when you're designing a kitchen with bar stools, make enough room under the counter to push the stools completely in, so kids won't crash into them. And when you're choosing a floor cover, keep in mind the heavy traffic your young children provide and make sure the new floor can withstand the abuse. The book even discusses rug textures—avoid sisal because it's too scratchy for your little ones to lie down on.

• The section on playrooms, with its photos of a swing coming from the rafters and a high-up loft, are a little unrealistic for the typical suburban American home, but the section on designing storage into each room so the Play Doh gets put away is smart and thoughtful.

(Review by Jennifer Sergent)