5 comments about Casa Florida: Spanish-Style Houses from Winter Park to Coral Gables.

1. This book has a terrific collection of photos of old Florida, Tuscany-type homes. We've looked all over for a book like this. Hope others enjoy it as much.



2. The first town in the New World was in Florida and it was a Spanish town. Since then the Spanish influence on the arthitecture and culture of Florida has been large.
   
   In this book a selection of buildings has been carefully selected to illustrate the history of Spanish-style structures from across the state. From an age standpoint, there are some quite old (but certainly not run down) homes varying up through some modern homes built using traditional styling. A few commercial buildings such as hotels are also included.
   
   From a style standpoint, the homes of Florida seem to have been influenced more by a Mediterranean, even Moorish, look than the Spanish architecture houses more common in the Western States that have more of a Mexican influence.
   
   Beautiful pictures beautifully printed on a high quality matte finished paper add a warmth to the book that glossy magazine style printing imparts.



3. we are having a new villa style home built and have gotten many wonderful ideas from the camera art in this book. page after page of wonderful spanish/mediterranean homes are pictured in this beautiful volume.



4. In my hunt for more information on Spanish Style homes, (I own a bungalow in California), I have been frustrated at the limited amount of books out there. I work at a Library, and many of the patrons share the same frustrations. In order to be able to find books on these subjects, I have had to self-teach about the many surrounding subjects; ie, tiles, Mexico, Moorish, Morocco, Spain, etc. This book is one of the better ones. It has beautiful pictures on how to decorate and landscape. I learned that air-conditioning changed architecture in a substantive way. I had also never heard about concrete ceilings made to look like wood before, apparently a Florida staple, due to humidity. These houses are oh-my-Gorgeous! The only problem was that the author frequently discussed beautiful rooms and details of the houses, then didn't show pictures. Maybe/hopefully, they're saving those pics for a follow-up book on interiors and details? I agree with the previous reviewer, how about a book now on Florida Spanish bungalows?



5. I have been waiting a long time for a book like this! While the Spanish style homes of California have been documented in numerous books, the large amount of this architecture that was built in Florida during the same period has never gotten the amount of press it deserves. There are books on the architecture of Addison Mizner and a few other noted Florida architects, but nothing comprehensive on the style that was so prevalent during the boom years, and which was used in big cities like Miami and much smaller towns all over the state. This book covers houses from Miami to Winter Park and gives a nice overview of the style. I was very impressed not only by the amazing photographs, but by the histories that went along with each home featured. These histories allow the reader to put the home into its proper context and can be used as guides for people like me that are restoring similar homes. I wasn't as impressed with the newer homes in the back of the book, but there are only three relatively modern houses covered, so it does not take much away from the overall content. Since many of the homes built in this style were smaller bungalows it would have been nice to have seen some of them included, but the homes pictured are stunning! This book is must have.

2 comments about Whitman Coin Collecting: Starter Set.

1. I didn;t receive the items, they said they were shipped to my address at
   work and I never received them. I asked that they be resent. i had gotten these for my three grandboys last christmas and they are enjoying them.



2. Don't pay any attention to the photo of the box. If you want the book, this is the kit for you, but if you really want supplies, go elsewhere. It is very limited, and not at all what the pictures shows.

1 comments about The House Plans Bible (House Plan Bible).

1. Compiled and organized by the editorial staff of Creative Homeowner, The House Plans Bible is an inexpensive, 559-page compendium of more than 650 architectural house plans for houses in all manner of styles from Contemporary, Southwestern, Country and Farmhouse, to Craftsman, Vacation Homes and Ranches. Enhanced with 350 photographs and 400 color renderings, readers can browse with confidence to find the home plan most suitable for their tastes and needs. Plans are supplemented with "Smart Tips" and special sections on safety for kitchens and bathrooms, decorating tips, and guidance on creating a beautiful landscape for their selected home. Showcasing the work of top architects and designers from all parts of the country, The House Plans Bible is a welcome addition to professional, academic, and community library Architectural Studies reference collections. Also very highly recommended are two other Creative Homeowner architectural home design collections: Vacation Home Plans (1580113087, $11.95) and Brick Home Plans (1580113028, $11.95).

5 comments about Populuxe.

1. Populuxe describes the postwar era from 1955-1964 when American consumerism reached its fullest expression. Since that time we have just recycled and re-invented that period's concepts and trends. Mr. Hines points to the product launch of the 1955 Chevy as marking the beginning, as it was the first mid-price car with tailfins, terminating with the staleness of the "future" presented at the 1964 World's Fair that came in the months after the crushing blow of JFK's assassination.
   
   Thomas Hine describes the era as one that simultaneously looked back to the old west and to a space age future. The old west was a useful paradigm because it brought to mind the pioneer spirit; the sense of self-invention involved and the space age came with the atom bomb, sputnik and the astronauts. Fueled by sudden prosperity, shaped by sophisticated advertising and product marketing, embraced by an American middle class rich with dollars and plenty of leisure, it was the time of ever-growing tail fins on cars, the latest kitchen gadget and exuberant roadside architecture.
   
   While the book would be highly enjoyable just for the descriptions of the products and trends of those times as well as the treasure trove of classic photos, Mr. Hines does more than that. He shows how the tenets of consumerism were laid out in this time; from feeding people a readymade identity through the products they purchased to creating new markets by fulfilling consumers desires rather than their needs. A toaster was no longer a machine that grilled bread. It was a space aged accessory that told its purchaser that he or she was pioneer in the land of tomorrow.



2. I found this book in college, used as a text for the Industrial Design dept. I was a Criminal Justice major myself, but found this a great look at American culture.

   This book could be a blueprint for the whimsical looks at the 50's seen on History Channel documentaries.

   Hines book is a fun, unpretentious look at the times that led to the designs. It is refreshing that the author didn't take the easy route and simply churn out a tome laundry listing trends simply to make fun of them. The book shows a great understanding and admiration of the industrial art of the era without any pretense or hubris




3. While the colorful plastic and steel designs of the '50's and '60's lacked the beauty of the bronze and silk Art Deco styles of the '20' s and '30's, they are still full of a spirit of fun and excitement.

   Before Thomas Hine invented the term "Populuxe," the hopeful designs found in '50's and '60's fashion, furniture, architecture and automobiles were linked with the Space Age, the mighty atom, Rock 'n' Roll, and a nation in love with its wheels. Looking toward a bright future helped the Western world bear the reality of the shadow of Communism. As a guy with dim memories of this era I can say that this book is great fun to read with plenty of vintage pictures and insight into how the Space Age came to be and what it all meant.




4. Hine's work is a meticulously researched, wonderfully illustrated work on how the American mindset of the 1950s and 1960s created both the consumer culture and the physical environment in which it thrives. All of this is masquerading as an enjoyable, nostalgic, amusement park ride through the world of split-level houses, tail finned cars, and orange Naugahyde-upholstered furniture. It's a fun read for all baby boomers as well as for any of their children who are trying to figure out why their parents think pink and green go together. By the way, I also recommend this book to any Europeans trying to understand American culture. Read this and the short story "The Concrete Mixer" by Ray Bradbury and you'll understand while McDonalds and Wal-Mart can't be stopped.



5. Hine's book is a meticulously researched, wonderfully illustrated work on how the American mindset of the 1950s and 1960s created both the consumer culture and the physical environment in which it thrives. All of this is masquerading as an enjoyable, nostalgic, amusement park ride through the world of split-level houses, tail finned cars, and orange Naugahyde-upholstered furniture. It's a fun read for all baby boomers as well as for any of their children who are trying to figure out why their parents think pink and green go together. By the way, I also recommend this book to any Europeans trying to understand American culture. Read this and the short story "The Concrete Mixer" by Ray Bradbury and you'll understand why McDonalds and Wal-Mart can't be stopped.

No comments about Shift: SANAA and the New Museum.

5 comments about Water Features for Small Gardens: From Concept to Construction.

1. This was mostly a book discussing what not to do and naturalizing your water feature. This is not a good how-to type book.



2. Keith Davitt takes water features to the next (natural)level with careful scrutiny of stone shapes, colors, sizes, placement. With the same attention to detail, he has an uncanny feel for scale (how large to make the feature given the amount of space there is to work with). I really like the photos that demonstrate his points. The ponds and growth really look like they belong there. Great work!!



3. This is a gorgeous book! The pictures (by the author) are luscious, the gardens are inspiring: it does the heart good just to look at them, even if you haven't got a garden, or have one but can't afford to remake it. He doesn't just rate his own gardens, he also commends other well-made water gardens, so the scope is wider than might be expected. The writing is clear, friendly, and concise. Even the book design is inviting and elegant. Very highly recommended for gardeners of all skill levels--and wistful nongardeners, too. I loved it!



4. Excellent book! I found a ton of great ideas to use on my new property. Well worth the price.



5. Water Features for Small Gardens is a wonderful book.
   Most books of this sort show incredible water features only for the very wealthy but this book not only shows beautiful, attainable water features but explains, with photos and diagrams, how to build them. Mr. Davitt includes virtually every type of water feature from tub gardens to streams and shows a wide range of styles, many of his own creations and many from other designers. For anyone wanting a comprehensive,
   beautifully illustrated book on water features, this is a must.

1 comments about Cities: X Lines: Approaches to City and Open Territory Design.

1. This ambitious production presents a well organized and defined typology of urban form. The ten categories comprising the 'x' in the title, are explained by way of a logical progression of contemporary case studies and historical precedents. Each chapter is divided into two parts, a collection of images followed by text. The dynamic CAD imagery and radical spatial diagramming provide in-depth analysis of highly complex architectural projects. The text succinctly draws out the key concepts of each of the projects, and more importantly, locates them in an historical continuum.
   
   Despite the value of the text and imagery in themselves, the physical dislocation of the imagery from the related writing (to the point of presenting unlabeled images) can be annoying at times. One imagines the author intended the images to be experienced first without textual guidance as one might experience a visit to an unfamiliar city. It is an interesting idea, but it encroaches on the overall readability of the book as one is forced to flip back and forth excessively.
   
   The organizational structure of the content extends to the physical design of the book itself. Two types of paper are combined in an elegantly produced object. Unfortunately, the library copy which I borrowed was already losing pages from the middle. In a book less than a year old, this indicates a structural problem with the binding. Nonetheless, this is an exciting project that will leave students, educators, and practitioners with a broader understanding of the nature of urban form.

5 comments about Diamond Baratta Design.

1. The Diamond-Baretta Design book gives braided rugs a great outing. Being a longtime braider it does my heart good to see Jan Jurta's great rugs showcased in such a fine manner. The colors and decor are exciting and let us know that braided rugs will fit in a lot of different venues and don't necessarily have to be dark and country.
   
   Recommended if you are planning an expensive redecorating project or if you're just dreaming you can afford it.



2. Great style and advice from Diamond and Baratta. The photos alone are worth the investment. Surprisingly embraces contemporary design as well as traditional. Recommended.



3. Diamond and Baratta are two of my favorite Designers! This book displays the ecclectic environments they help their clients create!



4. This book was written by the designers themselves. After working together for twenty-five years they decided to create a selection of their favorite designs for publication. Their most telling comment was that it became apparent that each of the twenty four projects in this book reflect the clients personalities and passions. As they say: 'We think of our clients as partners and muses and see ourselves as interpreters of their dreams by listening very carefully to them.'
   
   Perhaps the most outstand characteristics of their designs that come through in project after project is the bold use of bright, often primary colors. Not long after that comes a spark of insight as they talk about things like the fabric or lamps or furniture that they had made for this or that project.
   
   All design is a matter of personal taste and desire. The Diamond Baratta designs are bold and striking, but as they say in the quote above, these are not for everyone. I have a hard time imagining some of these homes in a house with four or five kids.
   
   A very interesting book of bold designs that makes for a good idea book.



5. Basically Diamond Baratta Design is a lovely picture book - If you are a decorator or decorating your own home it can be a good source of inspiration or at least a few ideas .If just a fan of decorators it might disappoint as there is little substantive background information about their careers and philosophy. A good mate to this volume would be a book about Dorothy Draper as the Diamond Baretta team follow through on many of her ideas about color and scale.

5 comments about Victorian House Designs in Authentic Full Color: 75 Plates from the "Scientific American -- Architects and Builders Edition," 1885-1894.

1. A delightful little book givint the reader great insight into Victorian architecture. Providing beutiful vision usingoriginal terminology that gives one the authentic flavor. Using Parlor instead of living room. Showing a sewing room and other such features. Peticularly interesting in the provision and in some others lack of provision of plumbing. Some have bathrooms and some don't.
   
   An excellant book for the lover of architecture or of the Victorian period.
   
   However, there is one awful drawback. And it is most dreadful. Some houses are not accompanied with floor plans. Examples being the beutiful house on page four. The Farragut clubhouse on page thirteen. The moderate cottage on page thirty one and the houses following to page thirty eight. While others have only one or two floors plans provided.
   
   This could use a sequal to correct this defect and provide additional buildings for reader's enjoyment.



2. "Victorian House Designs in Authentic Full Color," edited by Blanche Cirker, is a visually delightful tribute to a memorable era in home architecture. This volume reprints plates from "Scientific American--Architects and Builders Edition," originally appearing from 1885 to 1894.

   The book contains floor plans and elevations of both stand-alone houses and connected homes. If you love the fanciful vocabulary of Victorian architecture, you will find all of your favorite features on display here: eyebrow dormers, circular towers, covered piazzas, cantilevered balconies, complex roof lines, clustered fireplaces, Palladian windows, and much, much more.

   The only drawback to the book is that some house elevations are not accompanied by floor plans; a few others are only accompanied by the plan of a single floor. But overall, this is a richly detailed celebration of some truly beautiful homes. If you are a student of Victorian home architecture, this book is a must-have.




3. Here is an amazing collection of victorial architectural buildings from the 1800s taken mostly from the New York Tri-State area. The full color three dimensional views given by these plates allow one to experience a sense of the real thing as it had been. The floor plans with scale dimensions can even help to wonders to the memory in understanding these magnificent works. It is also quite detailed and useful for someone who may even wish to reproduce any of these buildings! Even if you don't have any intention of reproducing an entire victorian building, there are certain styles that you can copy for your own home or farmhouse etc. This book gets my full recommendation.



4. If you are looking for explicit instructions on how to build a Victorian House this may not be the book for you, BUT, if you LOVE Victorian houses as much as I do, this is definitely the book for you!

   This wonderful book features page after page, in FULL COLOR excellent, detailed drawings of these marvelous, period residences! And includes the floor plan of the houses.

   Frankly I found the book a pure delight! Many of the houses are featured in a natural setting with a lawn and trees,

   I would have preferred people not to be featured in the pictures, but that is just a personal preference..

   The small figures are well done and are dressed in period clothing.

   I greatly enjoyed this book. It is the kind of picture book that I will be looking at over and over.




5. We ordered this book to give us ideas for building our own house in the grand old Victorian style. There are not instructions in this book, but it offers good illustrations, as well as floor plans for most of the houses pictured. Because the drawings are clear, they give a good idea of how some of the building was done, so it's possible to replicate them. We found it very helpful. The book is not technical, so it's entertaining for the average person to look at. The pictures are charming and enjoyable to browse through. The houses pictured are real, working houses that were built years ago. Through the floor plans, you also get an idea of the Victorian lifestyle. It really is a wonderful book to add to your library. It is a soft cover book

1 comments about Farmhouse: Classic Homesteads Of North America.

1. Good book, nicely written & put together. Easily read for enjoyment.
   Not a book for learning technique, layouts, or building methods.