1 comments about Case: Lafayette Park Detroit (CASE).

1. This small book is a gem. It was a surprise to know about this project and how well it has withstood time. Pity is not bigger, with more before and after pictures.

3 comments about The American Townhouse.

1. The Townhouse is a classic American urban building style. This volume follows the history of the American Townhouse from its Colonial roots on the Eastern Seaboard to the style's highpoint in the Row Houses and Brownstones of the late Nineteenth Century. Featured in this book are twenty five beautifully photographed homes. The chapters chronicle the styles evolution from the Colonial and Federal periods to the Greek Revival, Italianate, Brownstone and Queen Anne periods.
   
   For those interested in the history of the style, the first two chapters do an excellent job of placing the Townhouse in its proper historical context. However, the heart of the book are the photographs of the twenty five Townhouses. Most of these homes have been restored and are now museums. Rader Kurazj is a skilled architectural photographer and there are many wonderful photographs of both building facades and interiors. This book is recommended for all those interested in learning more about an important American architectural style.



2. super photos great for design ideas and research... also helpful in historic renovation projects...



3. This is a very well put together book, the text is well researched and the images are crisp. It's very interesting to see all the different architectural styles. These houses are all furnished beautifully and the photographs really capture the details and craftmanship of these amazing townhouses. When you visit Boston or New York you can't help but be enchanted at the rows and rows of these houses, whether it's New York's Upper East Side or Greenwich Village or Boston's Beacon Hill. The houses in this book are from all over the country, from Savannah to San Francisco and each one is at least as interesting as the last. If you have any interest in townhouses or beautiful books in general, then I believe you will enjoy this book.

1 comments about Berlin Apartments (Designpocket).

1. i picked this book up today and have already worked my way through it the first time. written up in english, german, french and spanish, the words are few, and the pictures relatively many. thick and pocket-sized, it offers an interesting cross-section of some higher-end apartments in berlin. i found it more to my taste on a quick peruse than other books in the series, but to be honest, i will likely end up with them all, starting with "tokyo apartments" tomorrow. of course, in books such as this, one can never end up liking all the selections, yet i find that even with the apartments whose owners' taste i don't share, i appreciate seeing what they have done. i am a minimalist, if i had to choose my closest to favorite style, and many apartments in this book offer good ideas and insight about how to extract the most from an occasionally compact or challenging layout. recommended.

No comments about Discover Your Dream Home.

No comments about Apartment Interiors.

No comments about Jamestown and St. Mary's: Buried cities of romance.

No comments about Intelligente Glasfassaden / Intelligent Glass Façades: Material, Anwendung, Gestaltung / Material, Practice, Design.

1 comments about Booming Houston and the Modern House: The Residential Architecture of Neuhaus & Taylor, 1955-1960.

1. Houston is synonomous with modern, so it is not surprising that the city would have an architecture firm that excelled in the medium. 50's modern is a style that has not always been appreciated and many of the best examples have either been razed or remodeled, but in Houston, many of the homes in this style remain. Neuhaus&Taylor did fine work and this book chronicle's the firms best years. The text in this book is insightful and the black and white images are plentiful, but it is a slight book, soft coverered, almost a glorified pamplet, but it's priced as such, and the authors did their research and it's only covering five years so I suppose it was never going to be a long book. If your interested in 50's Modern then I believe you'll enjoy this book, just dont expect some gorgeous coffee table book.

2 comments about Private Washington: Residences in the Nation's Capital.

1. Lavishly illustrated, this coffee table sized book is nicely structured by architectural eras from Federalist to Modern. Twenty-six homes are featured, mostly of private residents with a few museum-types.

   My only complaints were a lack of exterior pictures. Since the book was organized by architectural eras, it left something to be desired that some of them just had interior shots. Also the captioning was a bit bizarre--pointing out objects of interest that were not in the picture and sometimes the wrong caps with the wrong picture.

   Overall though, the book is a treat. I particularly liked some of the modern interior design done in older homes. The photography is magnificent. An excellent wish book!
   -sweetmolly-Amazon.com Reviewer




2. What an outstanding piece of artwork! The text and the photographs blend beautifully to give the reader a wonderful behind the doors look at some of Washington's most captivating homes and their residents. This book is a must for a holiday gift for those who love architecture, Washington, Washington people, decorating, history, or those who just love a good book! Congratulations Jan Cigliano and Walter Smalling!

1 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright and Taliesin.

1. Although many people know that Frank Lloyd Wright operated his architectural enterprise for many years from Taliesin in Wisconsin, relatively few Wright fans have been there. Having been born into the rural farm country of Wisconsin, many of Mr. Wright's architectural ideas emerged from that rolling country and its beautiful rivers and views.

   Many who admire Fallingwater will be intrigued to compare the views of the Wisconsin river at Taliesin ("shining brow" in Welsh) with the stunning sights in the Alleghenies. Mr. Wright was working at Taliesin when he sketched his first drawings of Fallingwater. The land is steeper at Fallingwater, and the waterfall at Taliesin was originally there to provide power. Many of the principles of the two sites are otherwise similar in striking ways that will give you a deeper understanding of Mr. Wright's work.

   The highlight of this book comes in the wonderful color photography that will probably inspire you to want to visit (in the summer time) to enjoy the hundreds of acres of grounds and the many architectural features that Mr. Wright designed there. Many may not know about his windmill tower that the local farmers predicted would not survive high winds, but which continues to beautifully grace the site.

   I was fascinated to see original photographs of Taliesin and its surroundings while Mr. Wright was working there, as well as the views from today. Like a lot of Mr. Wright's work, the romantic idealization of his vision has proceeded quite far. But we will still enjoy it, even if it has evolved from the original.

   Having seen this book, I have decided to make a pilgrimage to Taliesin. I have been to Taliesin West many times, and have enjoyed that wonderful Wright work very much. Taliesin West is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and was Mr. Wright's refuge from the cold Wisconsin winters in his later years.

   After you enjoy the beauty and the history of Taliesin in this fine volume, I suggest that you think about the place where you were born. How has it shaped your vision? In my case, my home was nestled in a small valley surrounded by enormous mountains. It was natural to want to aspire to climb to great heights upon considering that monumental view every day.

   Take the best from your heritage and share it with those whom it will help!