If you get a weekly fix of inspiration from TV makeover shows, you will enjoy a new addition to the collection.

Home By Novogratz showcases the work of husband-and-wife design team, Robert and Cortney Novogratz who have their own show on HGTV. Not surprisingly, the makeover formula is applied to the book. You see before-and-after shots, a list of steps, expert tips and a budget summary for each of the profiled spaces.

Their signature style is vintage modern. The rooms are colourful, family friendly and unpretentious. Of course, a lot of their clients have big bucks to drop on the process, like $35,000 for a tree house. No matter, there is much to be gleaned for the avid DIYer and a lot of fun in the decorating.

A long narrow attic storage space is transformed for two young girls. Beds are hung from sloped ceilings with heavy chains to maintain an airy feel. Floors are covered with bright, striped rugs. A long desk, shelving, and storage cubbies painted purple maximize the use of space. Pretty fabrics add a soft girlie touch.

Paint and stencils create a bold graphic for a living room wall in a “hipster haven”. For a singer-songwriter friend, they created a reader’s refuge, reorganizing hundreds of books into existing shelving and building a custom L-shaped sofa with additional library space in the base.

In a suburban basement, play space is created for both children and adults. Bold checkered carpet tiles brighten the area. Wallpaper is a collage of enlarged family photos.

It’s the kind of book where many high-cost (let’s-pay-a-contractor-to-do-it) ideas can be adapted for low-budget living.

- Jane