Book Club Monday :: Interior Handmade Book

And now for something completely different. "Interior Handmade Book", ISBN #4-05-604554-2, a Gakken Interior Mook, which I initially thought was a weird spelling issue but turns out to be a valid mash up of the words "book" and "magazine".
See, not every Japanese craft book I own is a sewing book, though I'm beginning to think maybe they should be. I must say that I'm completely and utterly underwhelmed with this foray into the home dec side of zakka. Just about every project in here is of the hasty crafter school of design, that same "urban cool" look of junky materials and sloppy finishes that US magazines like Readymade are lamentably devolving into too . Quite frankly, I'm no longer so enamored of my ability to make something, anything, that I will accept and embrace crap; I can do better.
This is a fun photo hanging idea, for example, but all I see here is a wobbly, sharp edged attempt at a grade school pipe cleaner craft -- and don't get me started on the tinfoil and paper bag uselessness below it.
A table with unfinished edges doesn't exactly invite closer inspection, or use. I see it tipping over at the first thud of a coffee table book unless you stuff the bottom of that flowerpot with something heavy.
This light isn't bad, but the instructions aren't very detailed -- yep, that's them right next to it and that's all you get, 4 pictograms and some sketchy measurements. This is obviously more of an inspirational book than a hands on how-to manual.
Unfortunately, there isn't even anything truly inspirational in here. The felt curtain idea below is about the only thing I found worthwhile in the whole book and I've seen this before.
Most of the ideas are obvious, none of them are of good quality, and the instructions are non-existent. Unless you're a college student with a penchant for milk crates and brick and board shelves, give this mook a miss.