No comments about Architectural Details: Spain And the Mediterannean.

1 comments about Victorian Style: Classic Rooms Of North American Homes.

1. I purchased this book to give me ideas on which type of pattern/material I should use to reupholster a Victorian settee frame I recently bought. After looking through the breathtaking photos on these glossy pages, I know exactly which material to go with. And of course, from viewing this book I have a desire to purchase other victorian pieces to accompany the settee. It's a step back in time that must be seen.
   
   This is a wonderful book. Also, this book was like brand new although it is used. Just wish there were more pages.

2 comments about The American Builder's Companion.

1. This is one of the great pattern books of the nineteenth century. This, and others like it, were responsible for a greater proportion of excellent buildings not designed by architects than at any point since in the history of the USA.



2. This is an early pattern book that was in circulation during the mid and late 1800's. It is good only as a historic resource for those wishing to further their studies in American architecture. It is not a practical book for a practicing architect, builder, or restoration buff. The plates are beautiful and the descriptive geometry is fascinating.

3 comments about The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses.

1. Nice photography, nice text but too US-centric to deserve the title "Ultimate book" knowing that the worlds most interesting lighthouses are in Europe and this book only shows you US lighthouses (I have to admit, they are kinda nice too).
   
   If you are looking for a more comprehensive book there are other options.



2. The cover picture of the West Point Lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, Canada was of particular interest to me since my Grandfather Capt Michael Howard sailed his schooners out of Brae Harbor and used the light as his guide. The lighthouse is now a hotel and restaurant and reservations are a year in advance. I stay nearby several times yearly and have breakfast there regularly. it is a beautiful spot ad you have to be there to appreciate it. When I first saw the text I was so pleasantly surprised that of all the lighthouses in USA & Canada they picked the home area of my Mom & Dad!!



3. The cover picture of the West Point Lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, Canada was of particular interest to me since my Grandfather Capt Michael Howard sailed his schooners out of Brae Harbor and used the light as his guide. The lighthouse is now a hotel and restaurant and reservations are a year in advance. I stay nearby several times yearly and have breakfast there regularly. it is a beautiful spot ad you have to be there to appreciate it. When I first saw the text I was so pleasantly surprised that of all the lighthouses in USA & Canada they picked the home area of my Mom & Dad!!

3 comments about The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest.

1. This is a very well-done and informative book about the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest. I live in a new version of a Craftsman style house and found this book of great interest. Recommend!



2. Seattle, Portland, Spokane, and other areas of the Pacific Northwest step out of the shadows of history in this incredibly well-researched, thorough book. The authors' writing is simultaneously accessible and commanding, and the photographs of historic buildings, antiques, and unearthed "treasures" are wonderful to peruse. It is a top-notch publication that informs those interested in this geographical locale, as well as those interested in the overall Arts and Crafts movement.



3. I went to the Seattle Bungalow Fair the last weekend in September 2007. I met both authors and talked to them about their book. They spent lots of time researching the book and are very knowledgeable about the Arts and Crafts movement. I have been able to peruse it but have not had a chance to read it from cover to cover. It is a great book to just look at the pictures and captions. I am looking forward to learning more about the movement here in the Northwest. They have captured the true essence of the Northwest Arts and Crafts Movement. I would highly recommend that if you are in to Arts and Crafts, Bungalows, Mission, etc. that this is a must have book.
   Paula

1 comments about Workshops You Can Build.

1. Having supplied us so long with designs for treehouses, playhouses, and sheds, David Stiles has now produced the designs he knew we needed all along - workshops where his do-it-yourself audience can follow their dreams. Even more than in previous books, Stiles lets form follow function, so that a boatbuilder's shop is nothing like a ceramics shop. In addtion, he has beefed up the portions that includee interior layout and plans for benches, tool storage, etc. This book is great for dreaming and great for building.

1 comments about Building Tips & Techniques (For Pros by Pros).

1. I like the books in this series, as they frequently give information missing in other how-to books. This book is the least helpful, but then, I am usually looking for specific information.

1 comments about Stickley's Craftsman Home: Plans, Drawings and Photographs.

1. This book is a dream if you love Stickley's homes. This book has all of Stickley's plans, and I found it a fascinating read. I really loved dreaming while reading, and the pictures and info were wonderful.

4 comments about Houses of the Berkshires, 1870-1930 (The Architecture of Leisure).

1. A beautiful book, beautifully written, about a memorable part of American history, architectural and otherwise.



2. Acanthus is the gold standard publisher of books of this kind and their latest book does not disappoint. Mr. White does a supurb job of selecting wonderful images of these amazing estates and his research is scholarly and highly informative. If you appreciate beautifully crafted books on Gilded Age residential architecture, then I can't imagine you not loving this book. I have never had the pleasure of visiting the Bershires, so I guess this will have to be the next best thing to experiencing in person.



3. Mr. Millen brings up some criticisms that are valid but are misplaced. This is not an ENTIRELY fresh view of the Berkshires but local authors Gilder and Jackson bring to light much fresh architectural and social history. Also, they have found a number of previously unpublished photographs that delight, such as the early view of Naumkeag that appears inside and on the back cover. Ms. Owen's work was groundbreaking, but this work supercedes it, particularly in the great production values for which this publisher is famous.
   Most curious about Mr. Millen's criticism is his desire to see the houses in mid-century ruin. There is romance in ruin, but this exquisite book's goal was to show these great estates in their glory days. Perhaps he should approach the publisher to produce his very own "Berkshires in Ruins" volume. That might indeed be a charming tome and one I would consider buying.
   I highly recommend this book as an intelligent and distinctive coverage of the great houses of Lenox and Stockbridge and environs.



4. I found this to be a well researched and mostly through book covering a wide selection of architectural examples from the Berkshires. It has a good mix of numerous previously published historical photos (the Lenox Library put out a photography book of note, too) but also many photos I have not seen before. While many of the properties are still standing today few of the photographs used are current, which is a shame, and fewer still are from the middle of the last century.
   
   The title is more sterile in comparison to the almost Bible-like reference on the Berkshire estates, Carole Owens' "Berkshires Cottages: A Vanishing Era" from 1984. The Owens title came out when architecturally the "Inland Newport" was just starting to awaken from years of abuse and neglect of many of these delightful white elephants of the Gilded Age. Now this title, "Houses of the Berkshires", is being released when the area couldn't be any more desirable and vibrant with almost none of the remaining and covered Berkshires `cottages' in any state of disrepair. A large exception is the in-restoration Rotch & Tilden designed Ventfort Hall. It would be nice, as a means to better appreciate these homes, to also share in such a book as this the state to which many of these homes sank before they rebounded to the condition they are in today.
   
   The book is more brief then I'd prefer on some homes, but often those noted residences have been far better covered in books devoted to the architect or the family. Case in point, Elm Court was best detailed in the 1991 book "The Vanderbilts and the Gilded Age: Architectural Aspirations, 1879-1901" and High Lawn in the 2003 title, "The Architecture of Delano & Aldrich". Although the latter seems to be a place forever cloaked in mystery matching its beautiful fa?ade and vast feudal landholdings.
   
   Published by Acanthus Press who republished the brilliant architect Harrie Thomas Lindeberg's 1940 original "Domestic Architecture" as well as an assortment of reflective regional focused titles with areas of wealth and architectural significance. Among those titles is the delightful "The Main Line: Country Houses of Philadelphia's Storied Suburb, 1870-1930". This book is recommendable for those who enjoy grand domestic architecture mated with true landscaping skill which should be preserved and harkens back to a time when having money did result in good taste - at least for the Berkshires.

1 comments about Color Idea Book (Idea Books).

1. This book is great if you can't decide what color to paint a room! Love it!