Editorial Review

If you love chandeliers, flowing draperies, and bric-a-brac--if you believe you were a Roman senator, a Gothic queen, or Madame de Pompadour in an earlier life or have fantasies of La Belle Époque or the Golden Age of Hollywood--Read more

Reviews (34)

A Must Read
This book is worth the money. I do not live in an apartment. I own a 100 year old 22 room farm house.This book is not just for apartments but can be used for homes new and old as well.The ideas and designs are not out of reach for any budget. After reading this book I found I could take many items I already own and put them to work. Step by step directions for painting items to create a French look are very easy to follow. I was amazed that the rooms have a timeless feel not something that will be out of style like some trendy decorating ideas. If you love to be pampered this is a great place to start.

Romantic Ideas
If you love Shabby chic, then, you will like this book. Creative ideas to "stage" your apartment in a specific era, fantsy or whimsical approach.
Worth a browse, but not worth buying
Don't bother owning this book unless you happen to have a group of artist friends waiting in the wings to help you with your decorating strategy.But wait--if you have a group of artist friends, why do you need this book?There are some pretty pictures of over-the-top Manhattan apartments, but that is basically it.The moral of the book: it's better to scrounge around flea markets, thrift stores, etc. for neat pieces with good lines and fix them up than settle for Ikea.Get creative, and you can have a fantastic apartment.There, you learned what you needed.Now get decorating, and don't waste too much time about this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Decoration and ornament    5. France    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. House furnishings    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior decoration    11. Paris    12. Residential Interior Design    13. Home furnishing & decoration    14. Interior design    15. Reference / General   

Reviews (1)

100 Of The World's Best Bars
This is a great resource book. And this group out of Milwaukee, FLUX DESIGN
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Interior Design - General    3. Interior Design - Style Books    4. International Architecture - General    5. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    6. Interior design    7. Restaurant & pub guides   

Reviews (10)

Kitty Rocks!
This is a fabbook full of great tips, beautiful rooms and commonsense! Absolutely LOVED it !!!Worth every penny!

Kitty once again comes through!
I have followed Kitty for a number of years and am continuously amazed by her talents and ideas.Though I have not had a chance to read the book cover to cover, am thrilled to have one of her books for reference, as she covers all aspects in need to know decorating.

Like a breath of fresh spring air
I'm loving this book. It's full of logical,commonsense, rational advice on making your home look and feel good to your and your family. There are no trends, no being too cool, no trying to show off. This book and this philosophy is what I've needed to get my house feeling better. Kitty is obviously very grounded and very intelligent, as well as being good with her hands. I recommend this book if you want to make your home feel good. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Handicraft    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. House furnishings    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration    9. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (1)

Surveys distinctive interiors which blend French with other international elements
Author Betty Lou Phillips is fascinated with all things French - and her French Connection hones her interests and focuses on the changing styles of French furnishings over the decades. Any involved in French style and interior design must have French Connection: it surveys distinctive interiors which blend French with other international elements, providing a survey of French designers and patrons of the arts and dual pursuits of glamour and ease in home tastes. Her history of Parisian and French flair and how it translated to home interiors makes for an outstanding introduction.
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Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decoration and ornament    5. France    6. History    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. Influence    10. Interior Design    11. Interior Design - General    12. Interior Design - Style Books    13. Interior decoration    14. United States    15. House & Home / Decorating   

Editorial Review

The craze for "getting away from it all" in buildings of log, stone, and unpainted lumber has been a part of American life since the 1800s. From the Gilded Age retreats of the Catskills and Adirondacks to the rugged Wild West lodges of Yellowstone and Yosemite, Read more

Reviews (19)

Outstanding photographs
I have been searching for books for months now that would give me real life examples of cabin type homes to use in designing my country home.While there are a lot of books out there on small cabins, I was looking for a book that showed examples that I could incorporate into a larger home.This book is exactly what I was looking for!The photographs are beautiful and truly capture some of the key elements that make these homes special.The author has managed to find some of the best examples out there of truly beautiful, well designed log/natural material homes. Cabin Fever
Excellent book with great pirctures of rustic rooms and homes. Great decorating ideas!

See the log cabin of your dreams....
A great coffee table book for your house or mountain cabin! Most of these "vacation homes" are nicer than our regular houses. Great to curl up with this book in front of the fire. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Camps    3. Decoration and ornament, Rusti    4. Domestic    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Log cabins    9. United States    10. Vernacular architecture    11. Architecture / Interior Design   

Reviews (2)

Beautiful and informative
Actually bought this book French Country Living by Caroline Clifton-Mogg, Christopher Drake (Photographer)as well as New French Country : A Style and Source Book by Linda Dannenberg (Author), Guy Bouchet (Photographer)and this book is really great for those of us who look for more of a French Zen style devoid of lots of tassels and furniture that you are afraid to even sit on.
The Essence of the French Culture
Outside of Paris and the other bustling cities, France's image is of small farms, atmospheric medieval villages, and of an age well past but well preserved with an understated elegance. Even newly built houses are often designed with a view towards looking like the 19th century.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design - Style Books   

Reviews (13)

A Room of Her Own
Absolutely fabulous!! A great gift for women

A room within myself
How many woman have a room within themself?How wonderful to actually be able to materialize that very room.This book shows the love, peace, energy and spirit of a room by the owner.It A Room of My Own
Wonderful book! A friend of mine loaned me her copy, but I had to go out and buy one for myself. Beautiful photography and inside stories about women who were brave enough to carve out their own space and call it that, "Mine!'. Many women I know would love to find the courage to do this, but don't. We all need a little corner to call our very own. I have one now thanks to Ms. Casson Madden. I'm surrounded by items which inspire and motivate me to do, think, and be my best. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Identity    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Personal space    8. Psychological aspects    9. Women    10. Home furnishing & decoration    11. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (1)

Ideas for Exquisite Living
"The stonework is hand chiseled and laid in an organized pattern, with wide chinking and wooden accents. Wood-framed windows deep-set in very thick walls purposely shade the rooms from the hot Mediterranean sun yet swing open easily to direct the sea breeze throughout." ~ pg. 108, Stone Casitas
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architectural Design    3. Architecture    4. Architecture, Domestic    5. Architecture, Modern    6. Decorating    7. Decorating - General    8. Design & Construction    9. House & Home    10. Interior Design - General    11. Interior Design - Style Books    12. Interior decoration    13. Mediterranean influences    14. Residential Interior Design    15. House & Home / Decorating    16. The Arts: General Issues   

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decoration and ornament, French    3. Decoration and ornament, Rusti    4. Decoration and ornament, Rustic    5. Design - General    6. France    7. General    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Provence    11. Provence (France)    12. Social life and customs    13. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (3)

A glimpse inside
Wonderful.They are not all mansions, not all ethnic, just so well and individually done.I keep it on my coffee table with others in the same genre` and my guests have trouble putting it down.
Agood referance book which also serves to inspire
We are building a 4000 sq. foot straw bale home in Oakville, Ontario Canada in an adobe style.There is NOTHING in Ontario to act as inspiration and we must rely on our numerous trips to New Mexico and Arizona to inspire us in the design of our home.This book had some lovely photos that got our imaginations stirred so we would recommend it to others in our circumstance.A good book if you need inspiration and you're miles away from the southwest. Most of the photographs are well shot and beautiful. It is amongst the many books we've ordered from this site and is one of the biggest, thankfully.

BEAUTIFUL BOOK!
This is a gorgeous book with amazing glossy pictures on every page.Read more

Subjects:  1. Adobe houses    2. Decorating - General    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Interior architecture    8. New Mexico    9. Residential Interior Design    10. Santa Fe    11. Home furnishing & decoration    12. House & Home / Decorating    13. Interior design    14. USA   

Reviews (7)

Get a copy!
If you want to convert your friends to strawbale...if you are sick of the Three Little Pigs comments... get this book.I did and one of my friends stole it so now I've had to buy it again - that's how good it is!Nearly everyone I show this book to is entranced by one or more of the houses... and many people love LOTS of the buildings.I love this book. It's portable, which is an asset, but mainly it's inspiring...thanks Athena!
Nice Photos
This book is almost a coffee table book.The photos are beautiful and include everything from small,simplistic homes in Mexico to high-end beauties in California.You won't find much info here but you can get some good ideas for your own home.If you want specific info on building (especially in colder, wetter climates) get "Serious Straw Bale-A Home Construction Guide for All Climates" by Paul Lacinski and Michel Bergeron.

Straw-Bale Wannabe's Delight
To be frank, the chance that I'll actually build and live in a straw-bale house is very slim.For those of us who like to look -- and figure we can pick up a few enviro-friendly ideas along the way -- this is the perfect book on straw-bale.The color photos are very high quality, detailed, and appealing."Recipes" for green-friendly plaster and paint are a fun feature.And practical information about straw-bale is useful as I consider "Well maybe one day ... ?" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Building    3. Design & Construction    4. Details    5. Do-It-Yourself    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. Methods & Materials    10. Pictorial works    11. Straw bale houses    12. Building construction & materials    13. Building skills    14. House maintenance    15. Housing & property for the individual   

Reviews (6)

So beautiful and filled with ideas
Until I got this book, my favorite decorating book in the last year or so was French Influences. This book is in the same vein as French Influences, but it is shot in what look to beAmerican homes. The European styledecorating ideas are translated for you. Not only do I love this book, but so many of my friends pick it up and want it when they come over that I've started giving it as birthday and wedding gifts.

Romance for American homes
I had to write my own review because I just read a review from someone who said that the book was about European interiors (or something like that). The book is clearly photographed in American homes and is full of romantic ideas that I can use here in the northeast. I can easily translate the ideas in the book using new furniture and decorative accessories from local stores and from some of my favorite catalogs (like Ballard Designs and Rue de France).

What's missing are the "details" ...
If you're expecting a DIY 'how-to' of Romantic Style, you will not find it in the pages of this book. Granted, it is filled with beautifully-breathtaking photos of all of the homes showcased but, if you're looking for the "real" how-to "details," they're sorely missing.Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design - Style Books    6. Interior decoration    7. Interior design    8. Psychological aspects    9. Home furnishing & decoration    10. House & Home / Decorating    11. House maintenance    12. romantic   

Editorial Review

Once upon a time these New Mexico towns were rough-and-tumble settlements peopled by drifters and dreamers. Sante Fe and Taos are still very much a cultural rendezvous, but far removed from their humble beginnings; Sante Fe has lately become known as the Beverly Hills of the Southwestern U.S.Among its full-time residents are the Dennises, the husband and wife author-photographer team who host this tour of their neighbors' private homes. The owners and designers weigh in with their own words about creating these eclectic sanctuaries, making it a very personal tour. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Nice photography!
I am a native New Mexican and even though the others did comment on how nice a book about "real" New Mexicans would be, I do love this book for the excellent photography.It is on my coffee table now and I just love looking at it!

The photos ARE in color...
Unfortunately, the sample pages are in black and white.Never fear, they're actually IN COLOR in the actual book! I Live Here!
I would NOT loan out my copy of this book! I live in Taos (moved AFTER reading the book) and have since been to some of these homes, they are wonderful...and not at all pretentious...as one reviewer said. I use this book even today for inspiration in my own Taos home. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adobe houses    2. Architectural & Industrial    3. Architecture    4. Collections Of Photographs    5. Gardens    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration    9. New Mexico    10. Photo Essays    11. Photography    12. Pictorial works    13. Residential Interior Design    14. Santa Fe    15. Home furnishing & decoration    16. Interior design    17. Photography / Architectural & Industrial    18. Residential buildings, domestic buildings    19. USA   

Reviews (3)

Pleasent weather
This book is very usefull to all people who live in countries with sunny all year around climate,with a temperature never below 22�Celcius.Of course wind is out of question!!:
Best of the Style books on Bali
Excellent photos of the best houses, building materials, gardens, fabric, crafts, and architectural details in Bali.Very beautiful as a coffee table book, quite useful as a style reference book. Bali style
I never read this book, so I'm very happy to discover all the informations about architecture of the Pacific area, and I'd like to be more lucky and get that book in my shelves.Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art    3. Bali Island    4. Culture    5. General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Indonesia    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. Interior decoration    10. International Architecture - Asian    11. Vernacular Architecture    12. Art / General   

Reviews (1)

Excellent and useful book for austen Fans
This has the advantage of being a great browsing book for the pictures but is also an excellent reference.
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Subjects:  1. 1775-1817    2. 19th Century English Novel And Short Story    3. Architecture    4. Art And Society    5. Austen, Jane,    6. Decorating    7. Decoration and ornament    8. England    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior decoration    11. Knowledge    12. Manners and customs    13. Manners and customs in literature    14. 19th century fiction    15. Austen, Jane    16. Cultural studies    17. English    18. Non-Classifiable    19. Novels, other prose & writers: 19th century    20. The Arts   

Editorial Review

The many shades of white, beautifully complemented by the velvety verdure of evergreens and ivy, are a perfect choice for holiday trimmings--the decorations, the accents and accessories, the table settings. Glowing with candlelight and sparkling with sun-kissed snow, these pages are filled with glorious arrays of white and green. Noted designer Tricia Foley has a way with white: dozens of elegant little ornaments, a creamware-bedecked table, a frosty tree encrusted with crystal and silver decorations, an all-white gingerbread house, even a boxwood-swagged gauzy bed canopy. "Like a Currier and Ives print or a snow-capped New England steeple," Foley reminds us, "the image of the perfect white Christmas is firmly etched in our minds." Her visual feast shows how truly stunning holiday decor can be when planned in a symphony of whites. Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas decorations    2. Cooking    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Handicraft    6. Holiday - Christmas/Hanukkah    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior decoration    11. Table setting and decoration    12. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (1)

My favourite book!
It is my first time to read this kind of "ELLE Deco" book. So amazing!Very beautiful pictures, good photography..... after reading this book and seeing those beautiful photographs.... I really want to go thosecharming places!If you love travelling... or if you like architecture,or interior design, or just like good life-style... I strongly recommendyou to read this book!I love it so much! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating    3. Design - Decorative    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Interior Design - General    6. Interior Design - Style Books   

Reviews (1)

Beautifully Photographed Idea Book
With the increasing understanding of the importance of exercise, has also come theunderstanding that the old fashioned gym like Rocky might have used, upstairs over the pool hall, has given way to places designed to attract the upper scale clientelle of today.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Interior Design - Style Books    3. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    4. Interior design    5. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc   

Reviews (4)

Playing In the Shadows
In another book I recently read of the importance of shadows in the domestic architecture of Japan.Openings aren't created simply to provide light, they are used t leave part of a room dim and private and to provide illumination only exactly where needed.The photography in Japanese Style (by Gilles de Chabaneix) captures this beautifully, even as the writers focus on other possible threads. Well worth the price
Because we are in the process of designing and building a Zen Danish (as we call it) new home I purchased this wonderful book in order to get some specific ideas. Of special interest are the similarities between the Danish and Japanese styles that we love. Excellent Book, Beautiful Photography
This has got to be one of the best "Style" Books ever published. Excellent examples of architecture, beautiful interior design, and superb photography. Just the right juxtaposition of traditional and modern. Each of the major sections has both Japanese and Western Styles. Normally this would not mix, had it been contrived, but all of the examples in the book are real houses where people live and work. No Architectural Digest type of Houses that look artificial and posed are to be found in this book. My favorites are the tranditional Japanese houses of which there really great examples. This book can give you hundreds of ideas for decorating your house tastefully. The photography really does justice to these houses and the subtle aesthetics of the Japanese Style.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Decorating - General    4. Domestic    5. Foreign influences    6. History    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Interior Design    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior decoration    11. Japan    12. House & Home / Decorating   

Editorial Review

It takes only a drive through any typical American subdivision to confirm that in recent decades the average house has grown in size, narrowed in style, and shrunk in vision. Jim Tolpin's Read more

Reviews (20)

Worth the price....
As an avid cottage fan, and living in one while designing a new one to build for myself which is even more zen and simple, I found this book to be one of the best books on cottages around. Although I also admit what was considered a cottage when my place was built someone hundred years ago and what is considered a cottage in 2006 is around five square feet more in size.
More than just another coffee table book!
You WILL find inspiration here.

Get Cozy!
This book hails a return to the smaller house. We have overlooked the value of coziness for too long. Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Design & Construction    3. Domestic    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design - Style Books    6. Specific Residential Buildings Architecture    7. Home & House Maintenance    8. House & Home / General    9. Houses, apartments, flats, etc    10. USA