Three years into the new millennium, Sir Terence Conran has once again reinvented his concept of home design, now a harmonious blur between public and private living with a soupcon of professionalism. The Conran movement (stores and style) began in 1974 with <i>The House Book</i> and was updated as <i>The New House Book</i> in 1985 and <i>The Essential House Book </i>in 1994. The significance of the newly added word <i>home</i> in the title should not be overlooked, as the author has gravitated toward LeCorbusier's 1927 statement: "Everybody, quite rightly, dreams of sheltering himself in a sure and permanent home of his own." <i>Ultimate</i> appeals to this primal notion of belonging, starting with an aspirational, visual introduction before separating ideas into three distinct sections: home life, or the different stages of design, from first house to empty nest; home work, exploring all options for decorating, from paint versus plaster to remodeling versus new construction; and compendium, the nitty-gritty information so necessary to understanding and making design choices. A feat worthy of any bookshelf. <i>Barbara Jacobs</i><br><i>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</i>