DK Publishing, $40

What is it about celebrities that turns the most discreet of us into crass voyeurs? Do we really care what kind of sofa or kitchen countertop they choose?

Well, yes, we do. Just look at all the books and magazines devoted to lifestyles of the rich and famous.

So I picked up Jane Seymour's "Making Yourself At Home" thinking it would be just one more shallow tome devoted to how the stars live. Actually, I was also kind of hoping that someone so beautiful, talented and fashion-perfect would sag a bit in the home decor department. I mean, life should be fair, right?

It turns out that Seymour is as expressive with her personal interiors as she is with her on-screen exteriors. Like Marie Antoinette, Maria Callas and Dr. Quinn, all of whom she's played on screen, she has her own unique sense of style.

Some of it dates back to her childhood in a London suburb, where visitors were frequent and gifts were always handmade. Much of it is drawn from Coral Canyon, the Malibu, Calif., home she shares with her husband, James, and their blended family of five children.

Whatever its origins, Seymour's style is as creative and expressive as the actress herself. She paints, draws and sculpts. Really well, too. She decorates with rich colors, shells picked up on the beach and beaded necklaces bought in Africa. She loves to arrange things, whether it's a collection of tiny porcelain shoes on an end table or an Asian place-setting for a sushi party.