[ book tip by Hannah Geismar ] Eccentric Style is a view into a number of homes built by people who decided to stick with that very simple and very complicated thing called a vision. Every example featured is an example of someone having the guts to go all the way, to say this is how I want to live, period.

The book is basically a rebellion against the idea of good taste. Few of the works featured can be called beautiful in a classical use of the term, but there's a completeness about them that is awe-inspiring. These homes are beyond time, trends and fashion, and they prove that not only is your home your castle  it can also be a window to your soul, if you have the guts to show it!

But the most thought-provoking aspect of this book is the concept of time lurking behind the pictures: It must have taken years, possibly whole lives, to create these universes. And if you have spent years covering every surface of your house in mosaic, there's no way you're going to tear it down or replace it on a whim. In other words: 'Eccentric Style' is a book about commitment. Commitment to a place, to an idea  to a life. A scary thought to anyone, who  consciously or not has embraced the IKEA mantra: If you're bored with looking at something, then replace it. An effective life philosophy that, when applied, can work for anything from furniture to sexual partners. And there's nothing wrong with that, except that there is no room whatsoever for mosaic-covered houses, which is why Eccentric Style might be the most thought-provoking book you open this year.

[ book info ] von Schaeven, Deidi: Eccentric Style. Taschen, 2002 .