Well, you can't please all the people all the time. As for myself, I was quite pleased with this book. I am something of a do-it-yourselfer, and I liked the author's hints on decorating, and the small, easy-to-make projects. If you like decorating by hand, then I highly recommend this book to you.
Each chapter opens with background information, giving readers a little piece of Irish history as they go -- Ireland's heritage of textile manufacture, for example, provides a segue into the chapter on fabrics. In one chapter, the book examines the background of pottery in Ireland, its different forms and techniques, its regional variations, and the modern interpretation of traditional techniques and patterns in the work of Nicholas Mosse. Ideas are given for collecting antique pieces and for creating spongeware of one's own. The fascinating yet practical information combines with specific step-by-step projects within each chapter to allow readers to appreciate the beauty of the objects -- or set about achieving it themselves, following the how-to instructions.
Mosse shows how Irish style , with its pare-down simplicity, its earthy colors and its natural materials, can be achieved no matter where a reader lives.