No comments about The Architecture of the Classical Interior.

No comments about Outhouses.

No comments about The Jacobean Country House: From the Archives of Country Life.

3 comments about Modern Retro: Living With Mid-Century Modern Style.

1. Since I already have a few 50-60's modern pieces in my home, I purchased this book to give me a better idea of what other items were out there. The designs have great style, but seem totally achievable. Using this book as a guide and source of inspiration you could decorate your home in a comfortable yet stylish manner. Some of the pieces they show are pricey, while others are probably inexpensive flea market finds. The author gives you enough information that you could go out into the flea markets and antique/second hand shops and make some sound purchase. It is a shame the book is less than 200 pages. I would have loved to see more.



2. This book is amazing. It teaches you to create a contemporary looking home, without the outrageous costs of designer furnishings. It tells you what to look for at thrift stores, and how to use what you already have. I would highly reccommend this book to anyone even just a little bit interested in design! It's truly great.



3. For a book on home furnishings, this book certainly contains enough good pictures to get you inspired. It is also well researched and written and actually covers quite a lot of ground inspite of its rather small size at 144 pages. In fact, this book is so good, I only wish there was a bigger version of it, with even more wonderful examples of lovely interiors filled with retro furniture. This book covers interior styles from the Art Deco period to the 1970s. It does mention a little of the famous designers such as Noguchi, Eames, Nelson, etc., but its primary purpose is to teach you about how to achieve the modern retro look, with discussions on living rooms, kitchens, work rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, furniture, lighting and accessories. What I find particularly useful is the list of retailers specializing in original pieces of furniture, a list of retailers and manufacturers of modern re-issues, and a list of architects and designers whose work had been featured in the book. Be warned though, that the list consists mostly of companies in the United Kingdom. This book is definitely a good buy for enthusiasts of retro furniture.

1 comments about A History of Building Types.

1. If you are a geek (Like me) when it comes to buildings and various building types then this is a must.
   It has some very good pictures and blue prints from some of our nations greatest buildings. To say I was impressed is an understatment.
   It names the designers, the build costs and materials used in the buildings.
   Its easy to see where the design of our new homes today came from.
   This book has some of the best architecture designs I have found in one single book.

1 comments about Victorian Gothic House Style: An Architectural and Interior Design Source Book for Home Owners.

1. I just bought my first house, an 1920's victorian style house. This book is being a good send to help me decorate and restore it to it's former glory.
   
   Great additions besides this book:
   * Junk Chic
   * Irish Country Style
   * French Country Junk Chic

2 comments about Small Pools.

1. This book was full of wonderful scenery but it was not helpful in providing ideas about how to landscape an exsisting site. This was more an armchair travel book, not helpful in designing our own space.



2. If you dream your swimming pool as a mediterranean paradise, well, this is the book to look for. Exquisite pictures expose exotic pools accompanied by dramatic views on mediterranean coasts. The author provides brief explanations on materials, landscapes and, best of all, square footage, which I find very helpful. I personally was hoping for tropical themes and landscapes, and even "smaller" pools in "smaller" patios/backyards. So, most of the scenes exposed in this book do not apply to my particular situation. However, if I was to mimic a mediterranean look for my pool or patio, I'd find this book quite inspirational.

   Thank You.

2 comments about The Buildings of Main Street: A Guide to American Commercial Architecture, Updated Edition (American Association for State and Local History Book Series).

1. If you're interested in small commercial buildings from the late 1800s through the mid 1900s, then this is a good survey. The author presents a classification system and points out common themes (such as almost all theaters had vertical signs). Background information is plentiful but terse, although the sections on more modern building styles (1930 on) seem to get a short shrift. Maybe pricey for what you get - then again, I find myself refering to it a lot. A little more text and more / larger photos might have pushed it to five stars.



2. Longstreth develops a usable classification system for 19th and 20th century commercial architecture, that works in real-world situations. Examples shown are ones that we've all seen on our own "Main Streets". This provides a useful basis for survey, evaluation, historic designation, rehabilitation, and other preservation decisions about historic commerical architecture.

1 comments about Architectural Detailing in Contract Interiors.

1. This book is an excellent resource for those in the design business. Great details and sketches give information on how designs and special features of very famous places were achieved. This book has great visuals of all those extras that make each space unique. A must see!

1 comments about Halfway to Everywhere: A Portrait of America's First-Tier Suburbs.

1. Everyone who is deeply involved in the health (economic, social, or environmental) of their community needs to read this book. "Halfway to Everywhere" lends brilliant clarity to a morass of complex issues, and opens a whole new dialogue on economic and community planning.

   Suburbs are usually written-off as nothing more than a boring middle ground between the vibrant urban center and the bucolic countryside. Instead, it turns out that they have been (and still are) the proving ground for many of the most powerful trends that are shaping out world.

   Only someone deeply intimate with the dynamics of metropolitan development could have written this pioneering book, which is the first to properly document the cultural significance of our older suburbs. As one of America's most successful mayors, and as Senior Fellow at the Urban Land Institute (a premiere thought-leader on development issues), Bill Hudnut is probably better qualified to write this than anyone. Period.

   Hudnut shows how an understanding of first-tier suburbs leads to insights of tremendous value to anyone whose fortunes ride on community revitalization. You'll come away with a deep understanding of how our metropolitan areas arrived at their current condition. You'll see how the rapidly emerging disciplines of restorative development have been dramatically bringing dead and dying communities back to life. You'll also discover where current trends are likely to lead.

   Anyone working in the global "restoration economy"--who needs rapid and deep insight into the problems and opportunities of our cities--will find it in this fascinating, well-written, and well researched work. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!