5 comments about The New Family Home: Creating the Perfect Home for Today and Tomorrow.

1. A good book to help you see what really is important to have in a home.



2. I first checked this book out of the library, then liked it so much that I bought it. With 24 homes in it this book was a bit overwhelming at first. It took me a week to carefully read. I agree with the reviewer who said that the floor plans were disappointing. I believe that was intentional so that people don't "steal" the architect's designs. The descriptions at times were too brief and frustrating in their lack of citing sources for materials. The book, though, does what it set out to do very well; promote the concept of flowing and multi-use space as the new design for modern living. Some of the ways that these families customized their homes to their lifestyle are amazing. Everyone should have a custom home because they have a custom lifestyle and preferences. Some of these families made the trade-off of a smaller house to own a custom house that they could afford. These people and their homes are inspiring.



3. No no no. This book should be titled "The New Family Home for the New Economy", since practically all of the example homes described could only be afforded by folks who cashed in their dotcom stock options in March of 2000. I hate to bash a book with Jim Tolpin's name on it, but it's hard to believe that this was written by the same guy who brought us "The New Cottage Home" and "Built in Furniture". The idea is right on: homes should be able to adapt to our needs as our needs change. But there are more creative ways of achieving this goal than building a separate room for every activity (a media room, a game room, a home office, an exercise room, and on and on and on, all of which, presto-change-o, turn into something else when we decide little Billy needs a PlayStation room or mommy needs a yoga room), not to mention "Great Rooms" scaled to Jolly Greeen Giant proportions. I would recommend "More Small Houses" or "Building the Not So Big House" (as well as Tolpin's other books mentioned above) as better alternatives. Even if you really do need a bigger house, these books show how small spaces can accommodate more -- more stuff, more activity, more living -- and nothing could be more important in this day of starter-McMansions and astronomical building costs.



4. We are in the pre-beginning stages of building...writing down ideas, concepts, before hiring an architect to design. This book is great for its general ideas in regard to family houses. The ideas of combined kitchen/living space, children's "quarters", importance of master suites and ensuring the house will fit changing needs as children grow are great. I've taken notes on the concepts I like and would like to incorporate in our home.



5. We just finished building our first family home in 1999 and I wish I had this book before we began! We looked at 10,000 floorplans and now live in a craftsman style, family friendly home in the woods. What a gift is a well-designed, well-built house. But the heart of the family is not the building, but the love and commitment which grows between family members by God's grace.

   For another book published in April 2000 on the family home, take a look at THE FAMILY CLOISTER: BENEDICTINE WISDOM FOR THE HOME, by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad, 2000).

No comments about The Bathroom.

1 comments about Le Corbusier - Polychromie architecturale: Farbenklaviaturen von 1931 und 1959 / Color Keyboards from 1931 and 1959 / Les claviers de couleurs de 1931 et de 1959.

1. The Color Keyboards of Le Corbusier are a work of genius by one of the masters of Modern architecture. This is a fantastic reprint of his 1931 and 1959 color chords that Le Corbusier created for the Swiss company Salubra. This is the second reprint and Ruegg was certain to get the colors as close as possible to the originals (the first reprint was a bit "off" in it's colors).
   
   What makes this work so pertinent and important is this is an incredible tool for putting colors together that make our homes (offices, schools, shops, workplaces, etc) look absolutely fantastic. By using the color keyboards and the cutout viewers supplied by Le Corbusier you have a new world of colors opened up to you - colors combinations most people would never have thought of. Le Corbusier supples palletes of blues for Space, blues for the Sea, tans for the Beach or Desert, greens for the country, Browns for the Forest, two palletes for Masonry and several others. Wherever you plan to build there is a pallete of colors that will compliment your site. This gives you the main body of the house color and two secondary colors to choose from. Along with these primary and secondary colors you now have a wide choice of trim colors that come into selection using the cutout viewers. You may now choose one, two, or three trim colors (depending on the viewer you use and how large and complex you want your color "chord" to be.) Once you sit down with the color chords and begin playing with them it will soon become obvious just what a genius Le Corbusier was. His choice of color chords is incredible in its ability to make architectural features seem very human and personal and alive all at the same time. The inventor of the Modulator thought of architecture on very human terms.
   
   Once you have picked your color chord you have full sheets of each color you've chosen (supplied in a second book) to take to your paint store for them to make exact duplications. Choose what architectural features you want painted what color and off you go. The results are absolutely incredible. This is the book that Eichler used to pick colors that made his neighborhoods "fit together" as an organic whole.
   
   This book is well worth the price if you want to make your home stand out as unique, beautiful and fully human. You will see why originals of this book sell for $5,000.

1 comments about Exotic Retreats: Eco Resort Design From Barefoot Sophistication to Luxury Pad.

1. Well, most of us will never be able to afford to stay in most of these hotels, but they are absolutely beautiful, and the information on them and why they are eco-friendly. The photos are incredible!

3 comments about Art & Architecture: The Ebsworth Collection & Residence.

1. I approached this book PRIMARILY interested in the architecture, with a secondary interest in the art. Previous publications on the work of Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen (OSKA) have been exemplary. Especially the Ngo/OSKA collaboration for Tom Kundig Houses. Unfortunately, I believe the architecture was vastly underrepresented when compared to the art.
   As an art collection review, it is acceptable, although I'm not sure how comprehensive it is, as I observed the Aldolph Gotlieb painting in the background of some photos wasn't featured. The book goes into detail about the paintings, even including closeup images of the paintings.
   As a monograph on a house, this book doesn't stand up to the previously published OSKA books. While there is minimal description of client/architect history and the matter of integration of art and architecture, there is NO representation of the architectural design process. I expected to see site analysis, design process, site and design sketches, development drawings, plan/section/elevations, and especially DETAILS (at which OSKA is so adept). Other OSKA books are overflowing with the design process and how the details reinforce the idea. There is none of that dialogue between idea and detail. I believe there are a few "negative" images of the plans, and wall/roof section - but I found these lacking. We have details of the paintings but NOT the building? Unfortunate.



2. It's difficult enough, we all know, for a house's exterior and interior to appear unified. So when an entire house, its remarkable natural setting, and the owner's impressive art collection cohere in perfect harmony, that deserves a book. The subject here is the bay-front Seattle home of businessman Barney Ebsworth. The architecture is by Jim Olson of Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects; the quietly sympathetic interiors are by Terry Hunziker; and the landscape architecture is by Allworth Nussbaum. The result is a well integrated composition of concrete, limetone, and natural woods, with long enfilades leading to views of the splendid green setting. All work together to give a starring role to the art, part of which was shown at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 2000. As the book's editor, graphic designer Dung Ngo, says in his introduction, the owner can "dine with [Edward] Hopper and [Wayne] Thiebaud, read with [David] Hockney and [Alexander] calder, and bathe wih [Charles] Sheeler and [Ellsworth] Kelly."
   Happily, this impressive design accomplishment extends to the book itself-the work of it's editor's Ngo Studio. The pages offer full-bleed images by Paul Warchol, among other photographers; a floor plan; and several detail drawings



3. Entrepreneur Barney Ebsworth who made his money in the travel industry took his company public and in 1999 began devoting his time to modern American art. He was able to acquire a site on Lake Washington near Seattle and had Jim Olson design a building to serve as both a residence and as a gallery to show his collection.
   
   The house is almost as much of an art object as any of the art being exhibited. It is a spectacular design that reminds me greatly of some of Frank Lloyd Wright's best work. It fits into the setting perfectly looking almost as though nature had intended for it to be there. It consists of three pavilions connected by glass enclosed walkways (this is after all in Seattle), and in spite of its size (14,000 square feet) is has the look of a small cottage nestled in amongst the trees.
   
   The art collection was begun with the idea of having twelve pieces, but the twelve best pieces that could be obtained. When a new piece was obtained, the rule was to get rid of a piece. Obviously that didn't last long and the collection now has about 200 pieces.
   
   The book is also a masterpiece, beautiful photography, beautiful printing. As one comment from the book says, 'A harmony of equals: Nature, Artchitecture, and Art.'

2 comments about Room by Room: Contemporary Interiors.

1. This work delineates a room-by-room schematic for interior
   designs of every genre. The presentation is useful for
   beds, baths, kitchens, livingrooms and playrooms.
   The author describes how to utilize a variety of home tools
   to accomplish the designs set forth. The work is easy to read
   and understand. This book will be helpful for anyone intending
   to redo any portion of the home design.



2. This book is filled with well-taken photos and brief descriptions. There is no in-depth discussion of design theory or analysis of process. Most of the examples seem to pay homage, though color or form, to Modern design principles and practice. I would NOT recommend this book to somone seeking truly innovative, forward design references. It has large, well-lit, high quality reproductions and would therefore be better suited for a coffee table.

3 comments about Romance Of British Colonial Style, The.

1. As the name of the book indicates, this is a romanticized version of British Colonial style. The photos are fine. They are meant to look misty and antiquated. The book is pretty but superficial. For a real substance and a true understanding of British colonial style, please refer to British Campaign Furniture by Nicholas A. Brawer.



2. Ok, so I read the other reviews, and since I'm in love with the style, I bought the book thinking it was going to be beautiful. At worst, I thought, I'll get one or two ideas from it. I got the book, and I couldn't believe my eyes. All the photographs look like they were taken with a 1 megapixal camera, then blown up to page size. I had read in a review that this is a "picture book." Well, there are a lot of photos, but they look like a pointalist's painting -- you can seriously see every dot of color throughout the entire photograph. I could not believe this was actually a published work. And the composition is awful. Either the photographer takes long shots of entire rooms that are boring and plain or close-ups that show you one chair and doesn't give you a clue how it would work in a room. I do not recommend anyone spending their money on this.



3. This is the definitive book on british colonial style. It shows the relaxed, romantic, and exotic sense of blending eastern and western styles, cultures, and manners. If you love England at the turn-of-the-century combined with exotic Asia and Africa, you will love this book. The photos are beautiful, with lovely captions and explanations for the style. Even if you don't decorate with this style, you will love it for the photos and armchair travel. Gentlemen's clubs, polo games, verandas, picnics, ....I love this book!

5 comments about The English Room.

1. This book has nothing common with the classical English style if you are looking for it. It has dark, gloomy and boring room photographs. But, it has a useful information in the introduction part as it explains the history and challenges in English decoration style from early periods until now.



2. I, too, thought this book would be the penultimate guide to English style. That would only be true however, if one believes English style to be unrelentingly grim, grim, grim. All the photographs (and there were fewer than one might have wished) were of dark interiors and unwelcoming, depressing rooms. Maybe Chippy Irvine could have just explored her husband Keith's work. This book does not represent English style at all, to my mind, despite its misleading cover. Glad I didn't pay full price for it.



3. This is a good book, and you will like it if you favor English style. Some pictures are average, but I liked it. Very cool pictures of bathrooms!



4. Grandma would love the rooms in this book. I'll be sure to get her a copy for the holidays. For the rest of us, this book is filled with one super-boring room after another. Zzzzzzzzzzz........



5. Chippy Irvine's "The English Room" is a sumptuous overview of English decorative style. She is a stunningly effective teacher, deftly combining in very little space English decorative history, English furniture and architectural styles, and the uniquely warm English touch with fabrics, floor coverings, and drapery. The text is a miniature but very thorough education, and a delightful stroll through centuries of English history.

   The photographs are something to behold. Photographer Christopher Simon Sykes has presented a panoply of different takes on classically English style with a sober, all-seeing eye. Nothing is prettied up--even a romantic candlelit dining room is presented in a straightforward manner--so that we are left to make up our own minds without Sykes' style being the thing we notice first about the pictures.

   Everything the frustrated Anglophile/decorator could want is contained within these pages. Irvine neatly divides the book in two--City (think Rex Harrison's home in the 1964 film version of "My Fair Lady") and Country (think Emma Thompson's place in either "Howards End" or "Sense & Sensibility"). Within these areas, she covers front halls, bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms. How great-looking can a bathroom be? Well, the most beautiful bathroom I think I have ever seen in my life is featured on p. 171. It may also be one of the most beautiful ROOMS I've ever seen, featuring as it does tall, divided-light mirrors which appear to be windows; a plain white tub surrounded with black, grey-streaked marble; pilasters and pediments a-plenty, but all covered with a restrained chalk white; dentil molding and paneled doors; and a perfectly handsome paneled toilet which would be perfectly at home in a living room in a lesser home. Oh, yes, and let's don't forget the curvaceous bronze and crystal chandelier. It sounds over the top, but it is perfectly composed, a lovely cameo of a room. It ably embodies the idea that good design is never wasted, no matter how unimportant the room or how poorly it is sited. Chippy Irvine continues to make that point, and many others, throughout the pages of this delightful and handsome book.

1 comments about World Architecture and Interiors.

1. Excellent book. Very good presentation and photos. Good subject and variety of interiors. Beautiful styling.
   One of the best reference books I have.

4 comments about Victoria: Intimate Home: Creating a Private World.

1. When the original VICTORIA Magazine used to be sold, I was always impressed with it's contents. Therefore, ever since the magazine went out-of-print I've been searching for similar magazines or books.
   
   Well, this book is even better than the magazine used to be (if that could even be possible) because it is packed with so many ideas regarding "decorating in a romantic fashion".
   
   So if you loved VICTORIA Magazine, then you will love this book as much,if not more.
   
   PS: I just heard that they will be re-issuing VICTORIA Magazine soon (in 2008) . If the rumor is true, then I'll be subscribing!



2. I have this book to thank for my beautiful, calming bedroom. But, the photos are so beautiful that I'd have bought it even without plans to redecorate. Victoria magazine fans will love getting much more of the same. Others will be happily surprised to see literary quotes and antique accents side by side with comfy couches and livable linens.



3. Exactly what I was looking for! Creating a Private World is filled with beautiful pictures of cream colored fabrics and walls, lacy windows, draped bedspreads and delicately set tables.

   The color ideas can leave you calm and soothed, passionate, nostaglic, or inspired. I originally planned to sit down with a cup of tea and look through each page- but no- I started bursting with thought, looking through my fabric collection and searching for new ways to decorate each room. Needless to say my tea was cold but my mind was soaring.

   Obtaining this look is not something you run out on a shopping spree and purchase everything all at once. It takes time and carefully selected pieces to blend together beautifully.

   Creating a Private World is a fantastic beginning. This way you can see what styles you like and what would work with the spaces you have. It' s also a very nice read and to thumb through at the end of the day.

   I purchased this as a treat for myself, along with Victoria's Romantic Country Style, and Victoria's The Charms of Tea.

   A little at a time I'll create my own Private, Intimate home.

   A beautiful gift for a friend or loved one~ or yourself.




4. This book comes from a beautiful series. Each book is wonderfully produced with gorgeous photos, high quality paper, and pretty end-papers (haven't seen any of those for a while).

   Each photo is someone's way of creating their own private space - or a space that intimately reflects their personal interests. The text on that page, tells about the person, sometimes telling the evolution of that private space.

   Sometimes it is just a corner, or a desktop - but a reminder that we need places that belong to us alone.

   Beautiful ways to do our just Being. Remembering just Being is an art form.