Home Swell Home
By Cynthia Rowley and Ilene Rosenzweig
Pocket, $24, 192 pages
ISBN 0743442776

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Swell girls Cynthia Rowley and Ilene Rosenzweig are back with another rollicking, unorthodox how-to manual—and this time they have their sights set on your décor. The fashion designer and New York Times SundayStyle editor, respectively, who combined their clothing and all-around living large expertise in Swell: A Girl's Guide to the Good Life (still a must-read for aspiring fashionistas), want to help you create your "ultimate dream pad." Their new book, Home Swell Home, eschews crafty kitsch by setting new style priorities (the first and most important being "keep it sexy") and promising to teach you everything "your gay uncle would have taught you, if you'd only known to ask." Their cheeky tone and inventive, off-kilter designs are perfect if you're on a budget, and the authors' own makeover blunders are a reminder that dream décor is a creative process. For more on the blueprint for a happy home, we caught up with the busy girls-on-the-go.

What's your favorite room in your own home?
Cynthia: Outside
Ilene: The guest room because it's fun to sleep there

Must have home accessory?
Cynthia: Carpeting
Ilene: Lazy susan coffee table

How does Swell girl fight the urge to become Martha Stewart?
Less is more. Find the beauty in imperfections. Things are usually so last minute that you don't have time to fuss.

What would you ask the gay uncle if you had the chance?
Is there a way to make black leather feminine, and who invented balloon curtains anyways?

What was your swellest idea that became a house horror?
Ilene: Tuscan fantasy and red bookshelves
Cynthia: Rooftop grid, because you can't walk on it in heels.