5 comments about John Fowler: Prince of Decorators.

1. I was dissapointed with the lack of quality "full page color photos" inside this book. One can not get a sense of the cozy details in Fowler's designs, in the pics represented within. I found the book mostly a biographical story rather than an inspirational journey through Fowler's career. Don't be fooled by the intimacy presented on the cover...once inside you might be surprised by the lack of warmth.



2. John Fowler has and will continue to inspire the way I decorate my home...this book is full of lovely illustrations and photos and a very interesting read



3. I'm addicted to "house books", just as I'm addicted to houses. John Fowler has always been someone whose work I admire, and this book does an excellent job of charting his background and development as a designer. It's not necessarily a book you'll buy to get ideas for curtains from - but you'll understand better why his rooms were more comfortable, suitable and attractive than anyone else's before or since.



4. OH, HOW I WISH TODAYS "INTERIOR DESIGN" GRADUATES AND MANY PRACTITIONER'S COULD OWN THIS BOOK AND DEVOUR ALL THE PHOTOS FOR THEIR CLASSIC BEAUTY!! THIS WAY THEY WILL KNOW WHAT GOOD DESIGN IS. THE INTERIORS DO STAND THE TEST OF TIME AND WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO LIVE...IN THIS DAY AND AGE IT IS ALMOST UNAFFORDABLE ON A LARGE SCALE TO DUPLICATE WHAT GENIUS JOHN FOWLER DID. IT CAN BE DONE ON A SMALLER SCALE.
   
   RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME WE LIVE IN AN ERA OF THAT HORRIBLE 50'S 60'S AND 70'S MODERN, WHICH IS SO COLD AND UNINTERESTING; AND LIKE A JACK DENST WALLCOVERING,THE LOOK IS DATED IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.
   
   EVENTUALLY THE PENDULUM WILL SWING BACK TO GOOD DECORATING; WITH WARMTH. I WISH WE COULD GET BACK TO REALLY BEAUTIFUL DECORATING AND STOP THIS MADNESS OF PROMOTING TARGET AND WALMART CHEAPNESS.
   
   JUST THROWING A BUNCH OF "STUFF" TOGETHER WITHOUT A PLAN AND A COMMON DENOMINATOR DOES NOT MAKE SENSE..THERE ARE TOO MANY SO CALLED "STARS" OF THE TV WORLD THAT PROMOTE BAD DESIGN AND DO NOT REALIZE THEY ARE MISGUIDING THE PUBLIC. THEY ARE JUST IN IT TO MAKE THEMSELVES FAMOUS....RIDICULOUS!!!



5. 
   With a remarkable memory for the smallest detail, imagination, and an appreciation of beauty, John Fowler was called "the Prince of Decorators." He may well have deserved that sobriquet, but in this lushly illustrated 240 volume we also learn that he was not a prince of a fellow.
   
   Early in his career Fowler worked as a painter for Thornton Smith, commercial decorators. It was there that he learned to paint "the Chinese wallpapers that were so fashionable at the time", and also how to grime and distress furniture. Later, in 1928 or 1929 he set out to work on his own, often freelancing for other decorators. Following a series of commissions, a 1938 House Garden article placed Fowler among England's leading decorators. Rising from a salaried painter to this position in a decade was quite a feat.
   
   More success followed as he joined Sybil Colefax in 1938. He was 32; she who enjoyed stature as a society hostess was 64. However, their alliance was dramatically affected with the outbreak of war when decorating all but stopped. After Sybil Colefax's death the firm of Colefax & Fowler was acquired by Nancy Lancaster, a Virginian whose work is thought of as "English style." She was to teach Fowler much about comfort and scale, "how large houses could be used and enjoyed in the modern world."
   
   Fowler, who died in 1977, had an enviable client list. He transformed some of the most famous houses in England, and was commissioned by Buckingham Palace. The style created by the team of Colefax & Fowler endures today, English Country House Style represents not only decoration but a way of life. Many try to emulate it but none capture it as did John Fowler.
   
   Those with an interest in twentieth century design will treasure this keepsake volume.
   
   - Gail Cooke

5 comments about A Field Guide to American Houses.

1. I bought this book as reference material on the advice of an architect friend. He told me "If you need help figuring out the style of a house then buy this book" and he showed me his copy. He was right. The book is well organized which helps compare styles quickly and the many black and white pictures of houses that the author uses as examples are great because the b&w contrast helps your eye focus on details. This a great book to have in any architectural office. Its great for novices and experienced alike.



2. As a writer, you need lots of details to keep the reader interested, and this book has details on houses most people wouldn't know. Of course, if you give no details the story is not interesting, and if you give wrong details, some reader will know it and be disapointed. A book like this can be invaluable.



3. After some introductory chapters on the history and theory of homebuilding, the McAlesters commence with descriptions of the different styles. Each major style is described with a large stylized diagram with its identifying features labeled, a description of the major subtypes, descriptions of the style's unique elements, a paragraph on the frequency and locations of its occurrence, some historical comments, and then dozens of black and white photographs. The styles are ordered roughly chronologically, from native dwellings and colonial houses in 1600 to the neoeclectric houses of the 1970s and 1980s. (Even my 2006 printing ended with the 1980s.)
   
   I read the field guide cover to cover - something I never before done with a field guide. By the end, it seemed repetitive, but overall I was impressed with almost everything about this book from the introductions to the last diagrams. Every time I travel though a historical neighborhood, I am glad that I read this book.



4. Great book!!! I'm using for my company to get a true representation of many styles for many of the house I'm designing. A great resource for any firm!!!



5. great at housing history
   great describe for the house component
   good picture to show handy book to show at real estate

5 comments about Architectural Graphics.

1. I know that Ching is revered in the field and is recommended by virtually all, but I'm just not feeling the love, especially for this particular book. The graphics in the book have a "sketchy" look I don't just don't find appealing or inspiring. A more serious problem is the way the information is weighted: there are pages of illustration/discussion about simple things like line weights and triangles, which would lead one to assume this is a beginner's book. That would be fine, but as the book progresses, the depth of information dissapates, so that a beginner who tries to follow instructions, for instance, on preparing a perspective or isometric drawing would be completely unable to do so. In this way, the book reminds me of certain assemble-it-at-home instructions: Step one is to get out your tools, step two is to take out the pieces, and step three is to put the thing together. If you're already a professional, you don't really need to see an illustration of a lead holder. If you are an absolute beginner, you need more thorough instructions. Really, I can't imagine the audience for whom this book is intended.



2. This book is great for a professional or just in school. Ching points out techniques to further develop and create great schematic and conceptual drawings.



3. this book offers easy understanding of the basic concepts of drafting. good book for interior designer and architects.



4. Get your act together Amazon or Wiley (I suspect Wiley) !!! (especially, note my final paragraph below)
   
   1. This is NOT a hardback.
   
   2. The "et al" is because this is NOT a single volume as suggested by the single ISBN 0471738263, but a COLLECTION of 3 PAPERBACKS - Architectural Graphics 4th ed ISBN 0471209066 (note different ISBN from that for the 3-volume set cited under only Ching's book title; 215 pages) by Francis D K Ching, Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors ISBN 0471109533 (246 pages)by W Otie Kilmer and Rosemary Kilmer, Interior Graphic Standards - Student Edition ISBN0471461962 (452 pages) by Maryrose McGowan AIA and Kelsey Kruse AIA for American Institute of Architects; overall total of 913 pages (NOT 944).
   
   I have owned Ching's book since the first edition and it continues to be one of the best of the best. The Graphics Standards series is, of course, of biblical stature among all interested architectural and associated professionals. The Construction Drawings ... book I am unfamiliar with, though at a glance, it seems worthy.
   
   Frustating thing is that I was especially interested in the prospect of a MAJOR significant enhancement of Ching's book - my take on Amazon's/Wiley's deceptive (or incompetent, to be more generous and kind) advertising. I already owned Ching's 4th edition and had no particular interest in the other 2 volumes, useful as they appear to be!
   
   If only one of these volumes is of interest, any one of these 3 books would cost substantially less as an individual purchase. The price of the package of all 3 is probably a bargain, though I have not verified this.
   
   You can do better Amazon and Wiley, so DO IT! This is sloppy work, which I have seen exemplified in other locations recently on your website; though, this is probably the worst I have seen (yet).
   
   I resent the fact that this review is also being used at the Architectural Graphics (single volume only) webpage - where, removed from it's original and proper context, my comment appears to make no sense at all - as well as at the webpage where Ching's book title is deceptively (or sloppily) used to entice buyers to purchase a 3-book package (not explained at the webpage), when the buyer may only be interested in Ching's excellent book, thinking the much higher price is for a major revision of such (which it is not).
   
   Fredric Lee McLaughlin, Architect



5. this book has taught me so many drawing techniques... this is useful. hightly recommended!

5 comments about A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder.

1. Wonderful, wonderful book. I am inspired to find some land and build my own little haven... I guess that makes this the most expensive book I've ever bought.



2. I love this book because Michael allowed me to feel I could build a place of my own, and because I experienced the process so thoroughly and vicariously through him, I probably won't. I loved reading of the balancing of reality and desire, of architect, builder, and setting. I am amazed at what Michael is able to do, and I savor and share his rightful pride in being able to do so. I appreciate my own home more and view other structures with more curiosity as a result of reading this book. Michael entertains, and makes the process of home-building accessible to any one of us. I sit and look at the cover, wanting a little home of my own, and, as I say, I feel satisfied with what he has built, and the creation of my own little nest within a home that is already mine. And if I change my mind, he is here as guide.



3. First, I enjoyed reading this book. I'm a carpenter turned cabinetmaker that aspires to build spec homes per my own designs, from bottom to top. Given my existing interest in the field, I most enjoyed his discussion of the various architectural movements and the philosophies thereof. It provides a broad overview of different theories of design and how they result in pleasing (or not so pleasing) structures.
   
   However, he definitely goes overboard - especially with the obnoxious use of esoteric vocabulary. Synecdoche? I'm pretty well read and I don't think I've ever even seen that word written before. It goes on and on like that, and it's unfortunate because it really distracts you from what's otherwise a pretty interesting read. He also seems to slip into a bit of stream of consciousness about the theory behind some detail of construction or another (like muntins). Be prepared.
   
   It was also tiring to read about the conflict between the architect and the builder. If it was indeed as tense as he claims, then he's probably in large part to blame, getting wrapped up in the drama (which I believe he does).
   
   Overall I gave it a 3, because it definitely provided a lot of good information. But I was dragging by the end, and it really felt like once he hit his quota of pages he just stopped. He takes you all the way through the process of construction, but doesn't tell you how it ends. How's the building feel? What worked and what didn't? Is it great in the spring with the windows open, or is it too buggy? Freezing in the winter? By dropping 30 pages of theory and putting in an equal amount of reality it would have made this book a real winner.



4. ... this book is much too wordy and self-consciously "word-crafted." A Place of My Own: 3 stars.
   
   I have loved his other books: The Botany of Desire in particular. He is an excellent writer and great to listen to in a radio interview. However, this book, it seems to me, was written for his former colleagues in the "word industry" as a proof that he can write more intricately structured sentences, more erudite vocabulary, more commas generally THAN YOU CAN!!
   
   I began reading the book with great hopes, and I hate to rate any of his books less than a 5; but I immediately bogged down. It has overly complicated, assertively complicated, prose. It has an immensity of nested clauses delimited by a blizzard of commas. I started looking for a sentence without a comma. I couldn't find one for at least a page and a half. Immensely long, self-consciously crafted sentences. Nothing is just a thing: It's possibly the strangest, most meaningful thing, except that his wife, when in the kitchen, though not generally not on Tuesdays, used to enunciate, with a wry expression on her lips -- a rather inappropriate expression I thought, that it was the opposite of the physical object, in spite of Plato and Aristotle, because her cabalistic, pernicious, atavism. (You get the style?) I think he was trying impress himself that his life, decision to write full time and his little studio were worthwhile. To me, it's navel-gazing at its worst.
   
   If you like the kind of sentence I parodied above (though trust me, it's not that much of a parody) you will like this book. Otherwise, not. As noted, I like Michael Pollan. I could not read this. Thank goodness for his more recent books.
   
   [edited for spelling and grammar 28FEB08]



5. this book is elegantly written, erudite and entertaining. I'd recommend it highly both to the carpenter who would like to know more about the ancient roots of construction and to the armchair traveller types. It examines the dynamic between builder, client and architect in a manner reminicient of but definitely different from the classic Tracy Kidder "House".

5 comments about The Big Book of Small House Designs: 75 Award-Winning Plans for Your Dream House, All 1,250 Square Feet or Less.

1. When I buy a book I either want to learn or relax. In this case I wanted to learn and had to really concentrate because of the lack of pictures in it. Great plans, great book but the lack of pictures makes it difficult to read.



2. I knew the book wouldn't be a great resource but I thought it might have some reason for having been published other than the author and publisher just trying to cash in on the "not so big" / "green" trend.
   
   There is really no redeeming quality in this book. Most of the houses are severely outdated and are poorly proportioned. Except for one or two, they don't even look designed by an architect, they just look like run-of the mill cracker boxes, some with poorly planned additions. There's no useful information on how to best economize space or anything. The "design" information is useless because the illustrations are so bad they are painful to look at. Some are so muddy, it looks as if the book were published using water damaged drawings and a broken Xerox machine.
   
   I apologize for not editing this review, but this book has already wasted enough of my time. If you're looking for something more current, try James Grayson Trulove's 25 Houses Under 1500 Square Feet. It's more design oriented, even if does have a lot of filler. It's not a 5 star by any stretch of the imagination. At least his illustrations are legible and the photos make the book look produced by professionals that actually care about design and architecture.



3. Be warned. This book contains only 2D home plans. Their are no photos besides the one on the cover.



4. The book have a lot of good ideaas for how to draw / design houses. There is a lack of pictures of the actual solutions, in order to give a good idea of how the the solutions actually work.
   Jan T.



5. The book is large and would be best as a coffee table book. I am looking to expand my knowledge of small homes, green living and such. This book while interesting did not cut it for me. The drawings are understandable, but the information on each design is minimal, and more photos (if the design has been built) should be included as well to give a better sense of what the house in question will look like.

5 comments about The Treehouse Book.

1. I really liked the whole book, but I especially liked the part about kids treehouses. Some of them were homemade, and some of them were built by an artist. Before I read the book, I was wondering what different treehouses look like. I thought the treehouses with a loft and a ladder would be lots of fun to explore. Some of the treehouses were hotels. One of the treehouses was built by a robber! He had used it as a place to store his disguises. I thought it was a very good book.



2. This is the third book from Peter Nelson of Treehouse Workshop. His previous two delved in depth into treehouse construction. This work is more a survey of the many wonderful treehouses to be found throughout the world. It is crammed with quality color photographs and, unlike a previously reviewed work, has a unifying narrative throughout.
   
   Peter starts you off with a very useful section entitled "Choice of Tree". There he briefly touches upon suitability of various tree species to treehouse construction and provides a mini sketch of each tree species with a treehouse. Immediately after comes some very accurate arboriculture advice from Jonathan Fairoaks. It's nice to find a treehouse book that gets this part right for a change.
   
   For me, the real value of this book is in the tour it takes you on of many notable treehouse. I bring this book to meetings with clients so they can see the many incredible things possible. And for those who've never considered it possible that a treehouse could be any more than a small, roughly built box, this book will blow their minds.
   
   What this book lacks is building advice. It's not a "how-to" book. There really is no great "how-to" book out there. Even so, highly recommended.



3. This book has the best pictures and if your looking for ideas
   and inspiration, this is the book to buy.



4. This book along with Treehouses of the World are inspirational page after page. If you are a fan of treehouses, this book is a must in your collection.



5. This book is just as good as the front cover picture suggests: pie-in-the-sky treehouses. The kind that you dreamed about as a kid? Its obvious from this book that some adults still think about and make their dreams become beautiful structures in reality. If you ever wanted a pictoral book of treehouses representing your wildest imaginations, this is the book for you!

4 comments about Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature.

1. Every once in awhile you find a book that becomes a new favorite. That happened recently with the arrival in our Livable Communities Coalition offices of this fabulous book by Doug Farr. Not long after receiving and beginning to read it, I had the pleasure of facilitating a workshop for the development of a "sustainability element" for the master plan for an intown Atlanta neighborhood. We are now organizing the outcome of that workshop for consideration by the neighborhood and the city. It feels as though Farr has handed me the answers to a final exam before I have to take the test.
   
   Farr's book combines passionate, compelling arguments for design reform with more than 100 pages of short essays. The essays explain how to implement sustainable urbanism and present case studies to illustrate his points. The book has given me a logical framework for organizing and connecting concepts and recommendations. And with just the right amount of detail - enough to get the point across, with where to go if you need more.
   
   Reduced to its most basic tenets, Farr's sustainable urbanism is walkable and transit-served urbanism integrated with high-performing buildings and infrastructure. As Farr puts it, high-performing infrastructure is an emerging field that combines many strains of reform: smart growth concerns about the financial burden imposed by new infrastructure for greenfield development; the New Urbanist's desire for humane, pedestrian-scaled infrastructure design; and the green building movement's focus on resource "greening" and consumption efficiencies.
   
   If smart growth, sustainable development or healthy communities interest you, and especially if you also work in the nonprofit or for-profit arenas for these causes, buy and read this book, and buy another and pass it on.



2. Doug Farr shows a comprehensive understanding of sustainability rarely seen in this movement. Too often different professions work on greening their product in isolation. While they may be doing wonderful designs they are not linking with other elements and professions to make these improvements complimentary and exponential. A LEED Platinum building built on farm land miles from the city center is not a comprehensive solution (and should really not be able to get a platinum rating.) Mr. Farr shows how to create an integrated approach to building where the "green" structure is consciously tied into the communities' transportation, utilities, culture, and work life creating a truly sustainable environment. Every public official and city planner should read this book.



3. Thank god for the current trend toward the generalization of textbooks.
   
   I don't mean generalization in the sense of broadening or watering-down of subject matter, but rather in writing: many more texts in relatively technical fields are being written so that they can be appreciated interdisciplinarily, but professionals in related and sometimes even slightly-unrelated fields, and other folks who may simply be interested in the topic. It's good marketing, too, of course - it opens up much larger markets both academically and professionally, and as long as the book contains enough authority to convince instructors and professionals to purchase (or trust) it, it's a win-win situation for the publisher and author as well as the audience.
   
   Douglas Farr's Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature (Wiley, 2008; foreword by Andres Duany) falls into the category of win-win for everyone. A very well-illustrated primer on the subject, it appeals to planners, architects, landscape designers, engineers and other folks interested in integrating their work into the larger natural environment.
   
   Duany - the great architect and urban planner whose work with Arquitectonica shaped what we think of as "Florida modern" and whose current firm, DPZ, has become a de facto leader of the New Urbanism movement - suggests that the problem with such books is often that they most often fail to engage the reader in any kind of dialogue by simply being too technical, or by failing to instruct by simply being too exhortative and dogmatic. Luckily, Farr gives more than enough data and instruction in the dozen linked essays and case studies to instruct - but never loses sight of the fact that he's along with us for the ride, not talking at us but at our elbow, learning along with us, sharing both successes and failures and an honest interest in building communities that complement, rather than exclude, the unmanufactured world.
   
   There's so much more here than just part one's "Case for Sustainable Urbanism." Other sections focus on the type of leadership and communication strategies most helpful in implementing both small and large-scale projects; technical tools and special techniques for community involvement are also explored extensively. Other chapters discuss the role of density, how to approach corridor situations, diagramming neighborhoods and the various types of housing that complement specific types of neighborhoods, "biophilia" - including everything from designing walkable streets to integrating wastewater management - and extensive essays on high-performance buildings and infrastructure. The last section of the book is given over to case studies, which both illustrate the preceding chapters with easy-to-understand real-world examples of sustainable success stories & offer solutions for those of us slogging through similar projects or at an impasse with a particular audience.
   
   I recommend the book without hesitation to any planner interested in integrating sustainable projects in urban infill or exurban growth environments, as well as other aficionados of new urbanism topics. It's an entertaining read AND a necessary reference; it will replace several books on the already-overloaded shelves of a number of planners I know.



4. Chicago City Planning Consultant Doug Farr has written a great book, Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature.
   
   Farr combines new urbanism with green development in a clear and logical manner. He believes that "sustainable urbanism" is more than designing new Leed certified green buildings. It also includes the creation of green sustainable neighborhoods, and includes plans for sustainable urban development. He combines the strategies and principles of new urbanism with environmental improvements very well.
   
   Farr explains the evolution of the design reform movement. He outlines strategies on how to lead and promote sustainable urbanism.
   
   Doug Farr did an outstanding on form based codes for our neighboring communities of Bloomington and Normal, Illinois, and in developing plans that enhanced the environment while creating new urban space. I strongly recommend this book.
   
   Craig Hullinger AICP City of Peoria, Director, Economic Development

5 comments about S M L XL: Second Edition.

1. An acquaintance had a copy of this so I looked through it during a dinner party. Blah. Bah! It's full of facetious, egotistical monoliths (from the edifices to the book itself) that offer nothing but themselves to the rest of the urban experience. Le Corbusier of the late 20th century. Gawd, I hope Koolhaas doesn't take that as a compliment.



2. Realmente atendeu as expectativas. Um belíssimo livro em um bom preço e no prazo de entrega informado.



3. So much information that it took too long to get through it before most of it wasn't relevant any longer.



4. There's a terrific line in Breakfast at Tiffany's. George Peppard proudly hands neighbor Audrey Hepburn a copy of his just-published book. She has no idea what to do with it, so she puts it on a shelf next to a vase, backs away and says "Doesn't that look nice?"
   This book is a lot like that. A self-conciously designed object for the homes of style consumers who already have the right clothes and the B&B Italia furniture. A prop for the still-life they want to inhabit. If they ever got around to "reading" it, they'd discover to their great relief... it's NOT a book to be read in any strict classical sense.
   
   It also reminds me of a New Yorker cartoon where one associate asks another, "Read the first few pages of any good books lately?" The age of the short attention span is not going away any time soon. This hefty grey slab is easily recast as the shiny new headstone for verbalized intelligence.
   
   As Kracauer holds it, there's nothing wrong with framing a culture via fragments, but I have plenty of qualms about advancing one's own ideas that way. And I'm suspect of ideas that trowel on style in the abundance seen here. If I could believe Bruce Mau's intentions were more than just trying to look new, (This 'look' now permeates architecture publications) I'd have more respect for this, but it was obviously calculated as a totem of style and style-suffusion.
   
   For better or for worse, the book got noticed, the industry was distracted by the pretty surfaces and the ascent of Koolhaas is a done deal.
   If you want to actually READ a book full of Koolhaas' thoughts, skip this and get a copy of Delirious New York.



5. Possibly one of the many great books on architecture of today with plenty of references and clean graphics. A must have for all architecs or if you just want a wonderfully beautiful book for your home or office.

5 comments about Inspirations from France & Italy.

1. Betty Lou Phillips has done it again. This a a lovely book, rich with photographs of the most stunning homes. What I took away was the feeling of light. The windows in most of the rooms were huge, and they gave every room a sense of the outdoors, of light and air and space. Very charming. What added to the impression of relaxation, light and air, was that the colors in the room were so often pale. There were no pieces of furniture that screamed, only soothing colors and comfortable spaces.
   
   I have no idea who invented small, stubby windows, but every tract home in American has plenty of them--and it's too bad.



2. I love Betty Lou Phillips' books...I have every one...but this one is just okay. Normally she has some of the most clever "out of the box" styling ideas I have ever seen, but that is not what I saw in this book. However, if you want some great design books collect all her others...you won't be disappointed.



3. As an interior designer I have collected, and review often, all of Ms.Phillips' previous books.
   For me, INSPIRATIONS FROM FRANCE AND ITALY is the most spectacular of them all.
   It is an irresistable voyage through beautiful gardens and interiors.
   A feast for the eyes.
   The dazzling photographs bring to life interiors and exteriors that are both inspiring and transporting.
   I am anxiously awaiting Betty Lou's next fabulous complilation of beauty, style and inspiration.
   Taylor Lee
   San Francisco CA



4. This is the best book yet in a very interesting series. The illustrations, easy to understand and helpful captions and the historically interesting and practical text combine to make this a welcome guide and reference. Best of all, it describes the kind of home and furnishings most men should love. It is not foo-foo French. It is fun French, with a little Italian flavor thrown in for excitement. Every man should buy this book for his wife or equivalent in the hopes that some day he might enjoy living in such an enjoyable setting.



5. This is a beautiful book as are all of the books by Betty Lou Phillips. I did not find it uninspired or anything like a furniture showroom nor did I find it redundant because it has many new ideas and unusual color schemes. I was afraid to order this sight unseen after reading a couple of unfavorable reviews so I went to the book store to see it in person before I ordered it and was so relieved to find it every bit as good as her other books. There is no accounting for taste but I feel very confident in saying that if you like her other books you will like this one as well or maybe even better.

3 comments about Graphic Guide to Interior Details: For Builders and Designers (Graphic Guide).

1. I purchased this because I was very impressed with the "Graphic Guide to Frame Construction" book. I was much less impressed
   by this book - lighter on the details and less updated.



2. Here you will find up-to-date information about virtually every material involved in interior construction - common and uncommon, residential and commercial - so you can compare key factors and make the best decisions for all of your projects.
   
   Illustrated with hundreds of clear drawings that can be easily incorporated into architectural plans and show how these materials connect to the structure of a building and to each other. Here is information on everything from drywall to resilient flooring, from raised panelling and colored concrete to banisters, handraios, door trim and cabinet hardware.
   
   Written by a practicing architect with his own firm, the drawings and descriptions have been reviewed for accuracy by independent architects and builders from all over the country. The result is an unrivalled guide to finishing the inside of a house.



3. The Graphic Guide to Interior Details: For Builders and Deigners gives a comprehensive analysis and break down, not only for professionals in the industry, but for the first time home buyer, or for people who are just plain interested in built structures.There are endless details and drawings that are accompanied by current and up to date information that not only complies with modern day building codes and standards,but also has innovative and progressive techniques for the future. I'm a student that has gotten great use and resource out of this book.