1 comments about Mini House Now.

1. Made me feel like a glutton after buying an 1200 sq. foot condo... what a waste of space! An excellent book showing you don't need an 8,000 square foot mansion to live comfortably. The book is also great for anyone interested in minimalism interior design as many of the homes don't allow for much clutter or adornment.

5 comments about The French Chateau: Life, Style, Tradition.

1. ok book,not one of my best picks,several out there that are better as far as decorating goes!



2. An unusual and beautifully published book that profiles privately-owned chateaux, inside and out. It gives you an intimate view of life within the rooms, formal and informal, utility and casual, garden and forest. Family and friends are included from a respectable distance, showing weekend sporting activities and day to day life. Snobbish? Unapproachable? Not really. Think of it as a personable Architectural Digest a la Francaise, with much more panache.



3. See how the other side lives in this fascinating book on private French chateaux. Their residences as well as their lifestyles are revealed in this book packed with gorgeous photos dripping with color and layers of texture. What's also interesting about this book is the history behind each property as well as its past owners. One can only dream...



4. Christiane De Nicolay-Mazery is a fabulous author with fabulous connections. I'm an interior designer & I find Christiane De Nicolay-Mazery's books to be the most inspirational decorating books that I own. One of her other books, 'Private Houses of Paris', is my favorite book on the topic of decorating and I own almost every significant book published on this topic. I do wish that this book was available in hardback, as I prefer hardback books, but this fact should not dissuade you in purchasing it because inspirational design is absolutely on every page of this book!



5. If you love French history, art, decoration and life style; if you have ever dreamed of living in a beautiful French chateau, you must get this book. Each time I open this book I am enchanted. What makes this book especially interesting is that people still live in these chateaus, these dreamscapes of tall Mansart roofs, formal French gardens and rooms filled with 18th century furniture. Forget about the text, it's the ravishingly photographed gardens and interiors that inspire one to dream. Beyond the sheer fantasy of it, this book showed me how I could create a little of the "French Chateau Style" in my own humble living space.

4 comments about Vintage Cottages.

1. I had high expectations for this book. Had I realized it was written by the same author as Camps and Cottages, I may have thought twice before I bought it.
   
   Just like its sister book, Camps and Cottages, Vintage Cottages features California cottages exclusively. That should have been reflected in the title or subtitle.
   
   Secondly, the photography disappointed. Too many little heavily styled micro views of bookcases and table tops. I longed for wider shots to get a better sense of the whole house.
   
   And last, the spaces feel artificial to me. A heavy stylist's hand is evident in many of the photos. There is even an obvious product placement of the author's other book, Camps and Cottages.
   
   If you are interested in real vintage cottages, spaces where people really live, the book to get is The Cottage Book: Living Simple and Easy.



2. I HATE THIS BOOK!! THIS WAS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT--IT SHOULD BE CALLED VINTAGE CABINS. WHEN I THINK OF " VINTAGE COTTAGES " I THINK OF QUAINT VICTORIAN TYPE DWELLINGS. THE MAJORITY OF PHOTOS IN THIS BOOK DEPICT RUSTIC, BACK WOODS, NORTHERN CABIN TYPE HOMES. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS BOOK. THE BEST PART OF THIS BOOK IS THE COVER.



3. We love this book. So many excellent ideas. Our family being animal people, absolutely love that this book is dedicated to Buddy who happened to be at the right place at the right time. The cottages are beautiful as well as the landscapes and the celebration of four-legged friends is a beautiful plus!
   
   This is an item we accidentally happened upon due to recommendation from previous purchases. We will certainly integrate some of the ideas in our tiny cottage as well with much enthusiasm. Very nice reading indeed and beautiful photography. It sits with pride on our coffee table for when the need for inspiration hits.



4. She did it again. Worth the wait...terrific new book.
   Job well done Molly and Tom!
   Love that they included the dogs.

4 comments about The Elements of Style: An Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Detail.

1. This book is an invaluable resource for restoration work and new construction, where clients want something that 'authentic' to a particular era.



2. This book contains many beautiful pictures, which are key to defining period style furniture adn architecture. The chapters are clearly defined and arranged in a logical, easy to use manner. It is a must for anyone seeking a career in Historical Preservation.



3. i am taking this oppurtunity to let you know that i never recieved this book. i have emailed amazon several times but have heard nothing back, maybe you can help me
   thank you
   
   john robinson



4. Great historical reference book detailing period styles of everything from windows to fireplace mantels. Lots of photos - many of them in color. Also includes useful drawings. I found this book to be EXTREMELY helpful, and I reference it often; worth every penny!

5 comments about Small Log Homes: Storybook Plans and Advice.

1. This book is a great reference for the first time log home buyer. Many links to take you down other paths. Robbin outlines a few things that many new buyers should look out for in a compact way. There are also several nice photgraphs that will add to your idea database. The floor plans in the back of the book are great general floor plans to start and modify in your own way. I nearly used the entire book to plan my cabin project. Many thanks to Robbin for a great reference.



2. This book is a nice little overview of small log homes. It's not meant to be a "how to" manual, or provide detailed information. It's just a starter for those dreaming of building a log home.
   
   Some of the positives are that the book itself is high-quality, the photos are very good for the most part, and it does provide enough information to help determine if a log home really is for you. Some of the negatives for me are the photos are unrelated (there will be photos of the exterior of two log homes, followed by a photo of a kitchen, followed by a photo of a porch, followed by a photo of another kitchen . . . interspersed with text that may or may not have anything to do with the photos shown); I would have preferred groups of photos of one home at a time so I could understand the house better. And the plans and elevations at the back of the book are "stand-alones" for the most part; they are unrelated to the photos shown earlier in the book. It would have been nice to have plans and photos of homes actually built.
   
   It's a nice "starter" book, so I gave it four stars. For me personally, I would have given it three stars for its usefulness.



3. I'm trying to design some sort of floorplan for my future log home and I thought this might give me some ideas....it's not that great. In fact I'm disappointed from what I thought it would be and should have taken more of the reviews to heart. It basically goes over building a log home...ok - well I thought it would be focused more on its title: Small Log Homes: Storybook Plans and Advice. The advice it gives is probably stuff you've already heard before...and the plans are just more of the generic ones you see from all the log home manufacturers.



4. The pictures are beautiful, and there are a few floorplans at the back. The text however is useless, unless you need to be told that putting in lots of options will raise the price, create the floorplan based on your family's interests and that you shouldn't spend more than you can afford. It really isn't anything more than you could get with a 10 minutes trip to the website of a log home manufacturer, except that it has much less info!

   It tells you, for example, that you should make careful and deliberate use of all the space by planning it carefully, but does not show examples of good planning, give you thought provoking questions to ask yourself, or anything that could help you do it.

   The book mentions that there are 2 types of log cabins, names them and gives a few uncaptioned photographs, without even one word to tell you what the advantages of one over the other might be.

   It tells you that a complicated roof is more expensive than an uncomplicated one. Did you need to be told? It does not tell you what the choices are in roof styles, the advantages and weather reasons you might want one more than the other, dispite the cost, and it certainly does not tell you what the price differences are (even an approx % difference would have been a start).

   It does not suggest anything useful and should only be bought by someone who is on their way to the log home manufacturer in their area so that they can point to the pictures in the book and facilitate the teaching the company will then have to provide. This is for a person buying a finished, installed product, not building a home.

   I was very disappointed and would never have bought this book if I had seen it in a bookstore. It is meant for someone who buys magazines exclusively for the pictures and does not read the articles. This will not help you build a house.




5. A good, usable well-illustrated book for the everyday person..the middle class "dreamer". Not focused on millionare showplaces, but homes for the average family, homes under 2500 sq ft. Cozy photos and a nice selection of floor plans. A good working tool if you are considering a log home in your future.

1 comments about XS: Small Structures, Green Architecture.

1. Note carefully the words in the title of this book, 'Small Structures.' In spite of the copy on the back of the book, this is not a book concentrating on small houses. This a book on all kinds of small structures. They may be viewing platforms, a bridge, a pigeon loft, a monument, an emergency shelter made out of an ocean shipping container, a camera obscura, a work of art, or indeed there are a few houses here.
   
   What this book is really trying to do is push the state of the architectural art just as far as it can be pushed. Here are structures that are ecologically responsible, wildly creative and showcase the advanced thinking that the premier architectural firms can do when removed from the restrictions of building yet another McMansion.
   
   As you look at these structures, some give you ideas that you'd really like to try in your next building, some of the others just look weird and don't fit into anything that seems reasonable.
   
   All in all, I found it a stay up late and look at every picture just to see what they might think of next kind of book.

1 comments about Tricia Guild Flower Sense: The Art of Decorating with Flowers.

1. .... well... ANOTHER AMAZING BOOK FROM TRICIA GUILD!!! Priceless under my eyes! LOVE LOOOVE IT! The use of paper, layout and photography are stunning!!!! Thnx Tricia!!!!!!!

5 comments about Space: Japanese Design Solutions.

1. This book is fine in almost everything but the floor plans that are missing. It's small and compact which goes with the theme but a floor plan would have been a great addition in simplifying the readability of it. Most of all it would be great if I could learn how to do them instead and of only admiring these houses.



2. This book... I liked it so much I even use it as a gift! Extremely happy!



3. it would make a marvelous coffee table book, except it's half the size of one. or maybe it makes a wonderful table book precisely because it is so easy to pick up and skim. regardless, don't let that deter you from getting this book, as it is remarkable in its showcasing of the creativity that small spaces foster. as you read both the words and pictures throughout the book, you will find yourself thinking "wow that makes so much sense!" and "i want that house!" over and over.
   a fantastic book, it will inspire you to either move to japan, or take the book to your architect and commission a house on the spot.



4. That's right, folks! Not a one! However, that hasn't put me off this little book.
   
   I've enjoyed this one for it's nifty little nooks and crannies and the way that others can realise good living in small spaces.
   
   This is a VERY Japanese style book. I would not necessarily agree on layouts of the homes but once again, I say unto you, I buy books for inspiration and I haven't been disappointed.



5. Just love the simplicity f spaces in japan, old and modern.

4 comments about Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors: Basic Skills.

1. This book made all the difference for me in my Interior Design studies. The course that I took was intensive, and if I had not discovered and utilized this book, I would have probably scored much lower on my desk-crits, and my practical exams. Because of it's wonderfully portable size, I take it with me everywhere. It is easily carried, yet filled with pertinent information from cover to cover. Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors contains a wealth of information, and I am grateful to the author for having written this book. It is, and will remain a cornerstone of my Design library.



2. This book has been very helpful for me. It reviews perspective drawings, elevations, and sections before leading into the construction documents. It provides sufficient examples to match the text explanations. I consider this a good buy. It has served as a great reference/instruction guide for me.



3. This is a handy reference tool that goes over the basics and more, covering equipment, title blocks, various tags and elevation markers, material representation, and graphic representation of everything from doors and windows to wall sections. There are separate chapters on Floor Plans, Elevations, and Sections. Later chapters go ino Reflected Ceiling Plans, Electrical Plans, Furniture Plans, Finishes, and Schedules. There is a checklist of things to remember following every type of construction drawing discussed; this serves to reinforce the most important information in any given chapter. I found the check lists to be a great learning tool, and used them to double-check my class assignments before turning them in.
   
   One of the things that I appreciate about this book is that it was written clearly and was easy to understand the first time through, but with additional readings I continue to get more out of it. It is the book I find myself returning to when I need answers. Some of the more complex information is formatted into tables and these tables can be particularly helpful--there is a terrific section on paraline and axometric drawings, for instance. There are even step-by-step instructions on how to create one- and two-point perspective grids.
   
   Some of the illustrations are a little dated, and some information is not as complete as I think it should be. The information on lettering, for instance, is particularly light, and I found myself needing to purchase another book to really understand how to develop my lettering technique. The information on material representation is also not as complete as it probably should be. Still, this is a very worthy reference book. It is the only required textbook in at least five classes and with good reason: it provides the basics and more, enabling it to continue to earn its place on the bookshelf well after one has completed Drafting 101.



4. I have many years of architectural drafting experience. Although this book says "Basic Skills" on the cover, it is much more than basic. It's an excellent reference book, covering everything that is needed for interior design drafting: from line weights to scale, dimensioning, plans, elevations, sections, checklists, furniture and finish schedules, contract documents, and the list goes on. I highly recommend this book for students of interior design and practising designers alike.

3 comments about Fire Places: A Practical Design Guide to Fireplaces and Stoves Indoors and Out.

1. This is a great book - beautiful pictures, but excellent information as well. Best book on fireplaces I've seen



2. I was excited to find this book but once it arrived I was a bit disappointed in it. It has tons of photos of a variety of fireplaces, inside and out, exaplins the different types well but I was looking for more information on unique fireplaces, ones which could be placed in the center of a room. So if you're wanting a more traditional fireplace setting, this book might be great.



3. Fire places seem evoke some kind of hidden memories out of our distant path when the fire at the mouth of the cave kept the tigers away. This has become so important that even apartments now seem to come with fire places.
   
   This book, as is usual with this publisher is a beautifully illustrated, beautifully printed collection of fire places that range from a simple rock lined fire pit out in the yard to fire places that are the design center of the house, wood stoves that meet the new EPA regulations, to antiques that may have come from grandmothers house.
   
   Besides the beautiful photography, this book also includes design tips, and the regulations that come from building codes. And there are discussions of more types of fire places than you could ever imagine without seeing it.
   
   I got this book because my house does not have a fire place, and it's the next major extension that I plan to add. This book answered all the questions that I had, except do I want something indoor or outside. We have a long season for entertaining outside.