1 comments about Domestic Architecture of the American Colonies and of the Early Republic (Dover Books on Architecture).

1. Books on historic architecture tend to devote too little space to the homes of ordinary people. This book covers dwellings from the huts of the first colonists to governors' mansions, from rural plantation houses to Colonnade Row in Boston.
   The profusion of illustrations include early and modern drawings, photographs, engravings, and lithographs. They depict floor plans, elevations, interiors, exteriors, and details.
   What I found particularly useful is the way the author develops the historical changes in materials, style, and philosophy. His research is thorough but not at all dry. For example, he quotes William Hubbard who, before 1682, wrote of the New Haven Colony: "They laid out too much...in building fine and stately houses, wherein they at first outdid the rest of the country."
   This book will correct misunderstandings and oversimplifications about Colonial domestic architecture.

2 comments about Frank Lloyd Wright.

1. This is a great book, not only as a reference for FLW's work, divided into sections of building type, containing hundreds of great photographs and drawings of his works (about 20 on Fallingwater alone), by which you can really get to know his work in detail. Because it's so visually rich, it is also a reference for constrution techniques and details (and, as you know, FLW is a very echletic architect). The text is very well written and covers everything related to each work, like clients' reviews, technical specifications, the story of the building, and so forth. I recommend it to anyone interested in architecture and FLW.



2. Oustanding commentary, well researched and insightful. The text here is mighty different from other commentaries on Wright, and feels much more substantive. Ony con: not enough images + some floorplans are reproduced too small to read clearly. - not a photo overview, a study on the man.

No comments about Design Destinations Worldwide.

4 comments about Chateaux of the Loire Valley.

1. This is without a doubt the best book on the chateaux of the Loire Valley that I ever ever read (and I have read dozens). Given the superb quality of the pictures and the descriptions of the various chateaux, it is quite a bargain even at the full list price. Now that I think of it, this book is so enjoyable that the coffee table (or the night stand) would be an excellent place to keep it, not for show, but to have it handy to read whenever the mood arises.



2. The book Chateaux of the Loire Valley by Jean-Marie Perouse De Montclos and photographer Robert Polidori is definitely the nicest coffee table book on sale about the beautiful castles of the Loire Valley. Besides being a superb wine growing region, the Loire River south of Paris offers a unique combination of beautiful landscapes and castles, which makes it one of France's most attractive regions. You should take at least a week or ten days to do a round trip. This book gives you an excellent idea of what to expect - or you cannot make it - what you are missing!



3. This is a superb book and a great purchase. I was happily surprised at the excellent quality of the book itself. This chateaux collection is by Jean-Marie Perouse de Montclos author of 'Fontaineblue', which I had bought earlier and enjoyed thoroughly. Perouse de Montclos is obviously an authority in this so interesting and imposing a realm. 'Chateaux of the Loire Valley' is beautifully captured pictorially by Robert Polidori, this treat alone unfolds like some magical visual biography of France, and the world. I can't begin to tell you how much charm this book brings. The architectural relics and historical wonders are each detailed in the accompanying text. The history of Chinon, for example. There is a preface with the best chronology of the Kings of France I've ever seen. Never ending information and art photos about the castles, one better than the other. Including a profile of the unique Chenonceaux, with it's haunting echo of the fascinating Diane de Poitiers. With it's modest price this has to be one of the most satisfying books I've ever come across. You might also look up 'Fountainbleau' a literary and visual collection about the legendary French chateau by the same author.



4. We own this beautiful book. It is filled with high quality photographs, portraying the true beauty of the Lorie Valley. We are purchasing one more copy as a gift for a dear friend who traveled with us to Chenonceaux, and Chambord. Our personal photo's did not do justice to the true beauty of these castles.

   This book will be on our coffee table, to remind us of the breathtaking experience we had, while being in the presence of such lovely architecture. I highly recommend this book!!

   We have visited France in 1997, 1998, and 1999.

5 comments about The Provencal House: Architecture and Interiors.

1. Wow, what a gorgeous book. We look at it again and again for indoor and outdoor inspiration. You will be completely delighted by this book which captures golden light!



2. Pure and simple, for most of us PROVENÇAL HOUSE is a coffee table book filled with exquisite detail found in several dozen homes in the south of France. Author, Joanna Thornycroft, has classified the structures Andreas Von Einsiedel photographed into `Town', `Manor' or `Country' houses. Short on text and long on photos, the premise of this publication seems to be a picure is worth a thousand words. Beginning with houses in the French Rivera and ending with Le Murier in hameau das Auvis, the author takes you on a trip through the land painted by Van Gogh and Pagnol.
   
   Some of the homes are "simple" cottages, others the more ornate domains of the landed gentry or super-rich movie star. My favorite shots were taken in gardens, and show flowers, pots and rustic gates across cobblestone walkways that lead to the lane or another room of the garden. Small details such as a decorative window latch covered with several centuries of paint, delft-like kitchen tiles, and a rooster weather vane, remind me of the land of the Cathars-those God-fearing people who lived in this land that once harbored them as heretics who may or may not have been far from God but who must have understood how blessed life can be when the sun shines.
   
   Architects may get some ideas from the recessed windows, the red tiled roofs, the stucco blue walls, and the marble bathroom fixtures, but the fabric-lined antique china cabinets, and nifty little accent touches in the various rooms depicted so lovingly make this book a must for interior designers and others seeking the "look" of Provence.



3. I can be critical of design and house books after seeing so many, so it's a relief to finally be able to give a book five stars. The photographs are authentic and detail everything from interior to exterior, including gardens. The essence of French provincal style is captured and distilled here. The writing is clever and concise, although you'll hardly notice it because the pictures are so brilliant. This is an essential book if you're trying to capture the French provencal look in house design or interior design. This book gives you an authentic source reference.



4. I'm an architect with the task of designing a "French" style home. This is one of several books I ordered to use as references. The appeal of this book for me is that it includes exterior architecture, interior design/decor, & gardens/landscapes. It is extensively illustrated with color photos & captions (my kind of book...). I can't critique the text because I have not yet had time to read it. But I can't get enough of the pictures!



5. I picked this book up from the table of new releases at a local bookstore, sat in a chair, and didn't move except to turn the pages for the next 90 minutes. In more than 200 color photographs, The Provencal House explores the beauty of 16 Provencal homes - interior and exterior details, uses of color playing off the landscape, curves and arches and doorways. It's a beautiful celebration of an architectural way of life rooted in the land and its traditions.

No comments about Eat. Work. Shop.: New Japanese Design.

No comments about Domesticity at War.

1 comments about Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C. (Vintage).

1. i loved this book--i had the good fortune to find it in the national gallery bookstore while in washington DC and read most of it before i left the city. it is a fascinating story that has been explicated in extreme detail by berg. l'enfant was incredible--a big dreamer with the connections to get much (but not all) done. my only complaint, and it is a petty one, is that the book is overwritten. berg has much to say and a vast vocabulary in which to say it, but too often he uses 40 words when 10 will do. it made the journey a bit taxing; a bit of editing and trimming would easily make this a 5 star book. very interesting tale--if you have the time and inclination to learn about the origins of washington DC and about late 18th century history, definitely read this book.

1 comments about Muskoka II.

1. Fantastic pictures in the book that emulate the spirit of Muskoka. However, the book was a bit short in length for the price.

1 comments about Carlos Ferrater.

1. This book brilliantly covers the work of the spanish architect Carlos Ferrater. A mediterranean international neo-modernist whos architecture best can be described as poetic rationalism expressed in clean-cut forms sharp details and a richness of fine details. This book is an overall pleasure to read including both text, drawing material and the many beautiful pictures it consist of.