Orlando Sentinel - April 29, 2007

It's always nice when a display of credentials can help others in the bargain. Author Linda Applewhite tells -- and more importantly, shows -- how she transformed a blase tract house into a sunny, roomy cottage in the introduction to Architectural Interiors: Transforming Your Home With Decorative Structural Elements (Gibbs Smith, $29.95, hardcover).

Applewhite's expertise as a California designer is on display throughout the book as she offers tips to bring out the best in your home's architecture. A chapter on beams and lintels tells when to sandblast, stain or leave good wood alone. Her guide to decorative wall niches advocates using them to open a welcoming space and create the impression of "fat walls."

Breathlessly creative, Applewhite is a traditionalist at heart. "Always respect architecture" is her motto, and the majority of the photographs reflect a fondness for Old World design. The before-and-after pictures in the final chapter give a good feel for her ability to soften the sharp angles of modern homes and will inspire others to try the same.

Compiled by Tod Caviness.