Reviews (3)

Lovely details
If you appreciate anything to do with the Arts & Crafts movement, you'll really like this book -- even if you look only at the pictures. It's separated into sections on exteriors and gardens; interiors (architecture); decorative patterns (wallpapers and woven fabric); furniture; softer elements (curtains, rugs, carpets, etc.); finishing touches (ornament, tiles).
For Lovers of Arts and Crafts Homes
William Morris changed people's attitudes towards architecture and interior decoration when Victorian excess was at it's height.I love the use of wood in an Arts and Crafts house.For others who feel this way, this book is a treat.At the back are two useful sections: Where to See Arts and Crafts Homes and a listing of Specialist Supplies for anyone renovating an Arts and Crafts Home.
charming....great (sharp) photos
I have collected various books on William Morris for years - so I wasn't exactly in the market for another - but this is a charming overview of his life and what drove him to accomplish his vision of 'the perfect home' - other than the prose, I was particularly drawn in by the sharpness of the photos - much better than comparable books on the market which sold the book for me - God is in the details, but if you can't see them why bother - this book 'bothers' to features photos which show you what you need to see...Morris' genius ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Architecture    3. Arts and crafts movement    4. Biography    5. Decorating - General    6. Designers    7. Domestic    8. General    9. Great Britain    10. History    11. History - General    12. Home Improvement / Construction    13. Interior Design - General    14. Interior Design - Style Books    15. Interior decoration    16. Morris, William, 1834-1896    17. Photography    18. Residential Interior Design    19. Architecture / Domestic   

Reviews (3)

Old Fashioned Type Kitchens
I think the person who reviewed the book as too old, misunderstood the book's intent.The book is about barn kitchens, retro kitchens, cottage kitchens, farm type kitchens.Depends on what you want your kitchen to look like.Not all of us want a light beech modern kitchen that looks sterile.

Very dated
I didn't know when I ordered this that it was such an old book. It's not that the kitchens are bad but the book and the rooms in it are so dated. I feel that I did not get my money's worth. I assumed that the book would give me some fresher ideas than these. A real disappointment.

THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT, I THINK EVERY AUTHOR SHOULD READ IT.
CRHIS MADDEN HAVE BEEN A FAVORITE OF MIND FOR YEARS, THIS BOOK IS GREAT, I DON'T OWN IT SO I CONSTANTLY CHECK IT OUT OF THE LIBRARY, AND I RENEW IT, EVERYTIME MY RENEW TIME IS OVER.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decoration & Ornament    5. History    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration    9. Kitchens    10. United States    11. Home furnishing & decoration    12. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (14)

"Shallow & Vacant" doesn't begin to describe it
These designers have a great gimmick going.Basically, they travel around the world, hoarding antiques, ship them back to NYC and have cheap Mexican labour refinish them.They then charge foolish, rich clients (the ONLY people they'll work for) exorbitant prices for shoddily refinished junk.The reason the book seems "shallow & vacant" is because it's a direct reflection of the designer's personalities.Their designs are more stage settings than ones for living in.They manage to pull the wool over most clients eyes, but, they have been sued when their scheme was discovered and had to drastically lower their prices as compensation.So, if empty, weirdly coloured interiors don't make you vomit, then buy this book!

A must have
This is a divine book.
Don't listen to other reviews......
This book is great!!From the text you actually learn something rather than just a bunch of boring pictures. The pictures are annotated with the designers comments- you can actually LEARN things from this book. It's not a pretty coffee table book ( thank god, do we really need another one of those?! )but one which you can actually learns secrets to great design.One step above the beginers level. I would highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. History    6. House & Home    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration    9. Interior design    10. United States    11. Home furnishing & decoration    12. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (4)

Not Worth It.
Except for the picture on the cover, the photos are uninspiring and frequently ugly.The text is not very helpful.

It is "impossible to become Italian" , but you can try ...
If you actually read this book and don't just glide, sighing andsalivating, from one gorgeous photo to the next, you can understand theItalian character as well as the different Italian styles of living anddecorating.The author tells us it is impossible to become Italian but shefocuses immediately on the things Italians consider important: proportion,balance, smooth surfaces, natural materials, food, family (and notnecessarily in that order...) and she also explains the many influencesover the centuries (Greek, Roman, Ottoman, and more) and you learn a bit ofHistory, Archeology, Art (and now I've made it sound stuffy and boring, andit is just the opposite!). She very, very wisely includes a whole chapteron "regional flavor" and points out the vast differences betweenthe different regions (confuse a Neapolitan with a Venetian at your ownperil) and their living styles.She gives wonderful explanations of thedifferences between loggias, porticoes and pergolas, shows ten kinds ofpasta, four kinds of cheese, six ways to prepare coffee and even gives menuplans and recipes!

capture Italy and bring it home
The focus of this book is "creating the feeling of Italy in your home room by room". The author takes us on a tour of each of the major rooms of a typical home: the living room, the bedroom, the dining room, andthe kitchen. In each section she goes into great detail about what theItalian style of decor is and how you can replicate that for your own home.The book is full of many colorful photos, which go a great way in helpingto visualize what your home might look like. The book also helps to capturethrough side stories very aspects of Italian life ("warm and stylishhomes, irresistible food, simple elegance of Italian entertaining")that make the thought of turning your interior into this type of theme allthat more appealing. She talks about regional (Tuscany, Venice, etc) designinfluences and also a full chapter on food and wine. She also provides alist of resources from which you can find some of the materials that canturn your home into that dream Tuscan villa or Venetian apartment. If youare looking to remodel your dwelling and thinking that you want to besurrounded by the grace of Italian living then you should definitely checkout this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cookery, Italian    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House furnishings    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Italy    10. Residential Interior Design    11. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (5)

something better
Although this book was visually nice to look at I found it lacked in teaching me how to paint murals.I have stumbled across a great site that has free tutorials on it.The site is [...] I hope you find this helpful.

Marvelous murals
This book has alot of good information that both novice and pro alike will love. There are alot of techniques covered in this book and the authors cover them extensively. If you're thinking of making a carreer as a muralist, or just want to spruce of your own home, this is the book to start with.

Something's missing
I purchased this book in the hope that it would provide instruction to create the murals illustrated on the first few pages. Unfortunately, although there are very beautiful murals pictured,instructions are included for only a few. Perhaps my tastes differ from the authors but it seems that most garish and ugly murals were the ones that included "how to" instructions. It leads one to wonder if perhaps they do not want any competition in producing the more tasteful murals pictured! I also purchased the companion video and was disappointed for the same reasons- the instructions were only for projects I would not want to do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Mural painting and decoration    8. Technique    9. Techniques - General    10. Art techniques & materials    11. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (1)

Outstanding
Last year I bought RENOVATE, created, like this one, by the Metropolitan Home team. Since I liked it so much, I had to buy this one as well! What a great book: I am closing on a home in a few weeks, and I am eagerly looking for inspirational books.Of all the ones I purchased this season, this one is the best. While it has wonderful images, it does give many tips to get the look of your choice. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design - Professional Reference    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. House & Home / Decorating    8. Interior design   

Reviews (8)

An eye-opening source book of interior design
The collaborative effort of Karen Witynski and Joe P. Carr (joint owners of Texture Antiques, an Austin, Texas-based interior design firm and gallery specializing in hacienda style, Mexican colonial furniture and architectural elements), The New Hacienda is an eye-opening source book of interior design showcasing ideas drawn from Mexico's remote country estates. Full-color photography and raptly descriptive text combine to present the flavor and history of homes on both sides of the border. An impression-forming and memorable showcase spotlighting deep brown and yellow colors, and artifacts of Mexican culture. Also very highly recommended is the Karen Witynski and Joe P. Carr collaboration, Mexican Country Style

Inspiring Book
The New Hacienda is a beautiful and inspiring book for anyone who loves Mexico's art, design, and hacienda-style culture.From traditional architectural elements to colonial antiques, the book reveals many rich details for those seeking ideas and inspiration in creating a hacienda-style home of their own.I found the book's Resource section especially helpful for contacting design sources here in the states.Also, after writing the authors at their site I found out that they have restored a colonial hacienda in the Yucatan which is now available as a vacation rental and Mexican Design Center.

Book Review--New Mexico Magazine
"Mexican Country Style" and "The New Hacienda"Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Domestic    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    8. House & Home / Decorating    9. Mexico    10. Palaces, chateaux, country houses   

Reviews (2)

GREAT book for novice decorators.
This is a great book if you are looking for new ideas for your home and you don't want to spend a fortune.Also a great book if you want to NOT do what everyone else is doing!

An exciting book
I can't think when a new decorating book excited me as much as this one. I buy a lot of decoratingbooks, but New Classic Style is so chicyet so helpful all at the same time. The premise, which is carried out stylishly by thephotos,involves mixing classic furnishings from all eras and genres to create "personal" style. The book is so what I'm all about and what I see my friends doing. I've never seen a book on how to create your own mix before. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Furniture    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Home furnishing & decoration    10. House & Home / Decorating    11. House maintenance    12. modern; style; collections; eclectic; decorating   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Asian    3. Decorating - General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Interior Design - Style Books    6. ASIA    7. Interior design    8. Singapore   

Editorial Review

True to the sense of bounty and calm that the California wine regions convey, Diane Dorrans Saeks writes, "Wine Country life is private, peaceful, undisturbed. Rural bliss soothes the mind. The Wine Country encourages simple wonder and gratitude."The inhabitants of the idyllic properties presented in Read more

Reviews (4)

Nice start - but barely a beginning
Ms. Saeks did a reasonable job, but the book is close to worthless if you want to design your house in a recognizable California Wine Country style.Katya and I suggest developing a color palette from the book, but after tens of hours of studying it we can not determine a quantifiable style.Consider this book as a raw first start; a survey of modest importance.The interiors are all over the map.The only commonality is their location in California.Worth buying - yes, but only to understand the diversity possible.Is a more serious study necessary - yes.California wine country is a combination of Tuscan, Provencal, and Spanish Colonial/Early California, with Asian influences.Themes and moods vary.Pretty much freestyle designing. However, certain rules will give you a recognizable style.We're working on it. Beautiful
I collect decorating books (I'm obsessed with them!) and this is my absolute favorite! It's sitting on my coffee table and I look at it again and again; I wish I could find more like it. We have recently purchased/remodled another house and this book was the inspiration for many of the things I incorporated into this house.

An architect's opinion of this book
This book is a beautiful presentation of Interior (and outdoor) Design, but little true architecture. Most of the profiled homes appear as sets in a film and seem unrealistic as full time residences. As an architect, Iwill admit that most are wonderful, humanly scaled spaces. I'm not sure whythe wine country is profiled-- other than the budgets are fat there.Overall, the book is worth the price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architectural Detail    2. Architecture Of Specific Structures    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. California    5. Decorating    6. Decorating - General    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior decoration    11. Napa Valley    12. Architecture / General    13. Home furnishing & decoration    14. USA    15. Wines   

Reviews (3)

Showcase of Contemporary Western Design
"In the typical cowboy-chic living room, overstuffed couches and deep Molesworth-inspired club chairs invite lounging while oversized upholstered ottomans offer a variation on the traditional coffee table, providing softer edges, a more casual feeling, and extra seating." ~ pg. 54
Beautiful Book!
I needed pictures to help me figure out how to design a Country Western style art gallery. This book had beautiful pictures, gives an overview of the history of the western culture, and provides names of companies and/or creators of furniture pieces. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the Rustic/Country Western style home; this book was absolutely wonderful!

Cowboy Chic
I enjoyed the book, but I was a bit disappointed, since there wasn't enough technical decorating information on color schemes, regional variations in styles, etc.Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating    3. Design & Construction    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design - Style Books    6. Interior decoration    7. West (U.S.)    8. Architecture / Interior Design    9. Home furnishing & decoration    10. Interior design    11. Western & Pacific Coast states   

Editorial Review

Following the extremely popular Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful and Intelligent
Is it possible to be in love with a book?When I ordered Savannah Style, I could hardly wait for its arrival.I wasn't disappointed - in fact, it is even better than I anticipated, having read other reviews prior to purchase.The photographs are gorgeous andreflective, and entice one to have a certain mood when reading this wonderful book.And read it I did, because it is not only beautiful, but intelligent as well.Although Sully is intent on the mystery element of Savannah, it is still a beautiful book to own and love.The question is, 'When can I immigrate?'

Eccentric and Brooding
I believe that the photographs capture the essence of Savannah. Susan Sully has provided us with a sketchbook of Savannah's mystery and charm. The over the top decorating schemes are perfectly matched to the quirky and brooding characters who inhabit these fabulous southern mansions. Every photograph evoked a glimpse of a place we would all secretly love to share. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Dwellings    5. Georgia    6. Historic buildings    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration    9. Pictorial works    10. Savannah    11. Subjects & Themes - Travel - U.S/South    12. U.S. Architecture - South    13. Architecture / Interior Design    14. The Arts: General Issues   

Reviews (7)

Expectation vs product
The book is more of a catalogue than an architectural publication. It certainly contains lots of contemporary details, but these are often displayed lacking context. I believe this book was published to help architects in their everyday practice, but don't we have enough commercial material these days?
Not what I expected
The reason I purchased this book is because it billed itself as a great reference/sourcebook.In my mind, that meant a place to get ideas for contemporary home improvements, as well as a means to make them actually happen.I envisioned a book that showed a photo of a (kitchen, floor, bathroom, some tile, etc.), discuss the actual materials used in EACH setting, and where possible, where they can be found. While there are a few basic references of this type, the bulk of the book gives the name of whatever architect contributed to each setting and then describes the shot in great detail, yet with hardly any information about what's IN it.In addition, many of the pictures are too small/shot too close up/at odd angles to get a lot out of them.I'm sorry, but I did not find this book helpful.

Contemporary Details 1992 ed
I got my hands on a used 1992 edition.There were some great ideas in here if you like contemporary/modern design. Some rooms seemed to be more of a Zen modern/asian influenced.Only get this book if you like to look at photos of nice rooms though, there is little to no instruction found inside. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architectural Detail    3. Architecture    4. Decoration & Ornament    5. General    6. History    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Interior Design    9. Interior Design - General    10. Interior Design - Style Books    11. Interior decoration    12. Interior decoration accessorie    13. Interior decoration accessories   

Reviews (1)

Simply fantastic
Robert Fitzgerald has captured the essence of Mediterranean style in this superb book.Like his other masterpieces, Art Nouveau and Italian Country, Robert combines exquisite photos with enlightening prose.This book is atrue pleasure. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Home Improvement / Construction    3. Interior Design - Style Books    4. Interior decoration    5. Mediterranean Region    6. HOME REFERENCE - Decorating TRD HC    7. House & Home / General   

Reviews (3)

Rich, but in the same kind of room
A wide range of (mostly) rather luxurious rooms filled with everything and anything chinese. But you won't find much of authentic traditional chinese homes here (and indeed the dustjacket clearly announces this). Although the rooms are sometimes packed with chinese things, they almost all still feel western/international/chinese, mixed in different proportions. That said, the photos are great and it's a joy to visit all these apartements and houses and select your favourites. Since each place only gets two (or three) spreads generally, a string of different locations can be presented and you're invited to more rooms and settings than anyone can digest at one read-through. And that's great, you can return again and again to this very rich book.

Lovely Photos, So-so Text
This is an enjoyable book introducing many different places -- mostly residential, but also some hotels and restaurants -- with a variety of Chinese designs. Lovely book for collectors and anyone interested in China
Reading this was a pleasant surprise, but what impresses most about this beautifully-designed book is not that it opens up all the elements of Chinese style and how its used in modern living -which it does in a interesting way. Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Asian influences    3. China    4. Design & Drafting    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Interior decoration    8. Home furnishing & decoration    9. Orientalism   

Reviews (3)

Well-Written but Few Illustrations
Well-written and informative, but did not fill the need I had. I was looking for something with illustrations and the few line drawings included did not help. Still, I rate it four stars, because it was well-written.

Authentic Victorian Decorating as easy as 1-2-3
Moving from a country primitive home to a 1890's Victorian home that needed restoration in every single room, this book was my bible!Charles Eastlake (credited with wonderful Eastlake style)explains how, why andwhere to do every room from the screens to the windows to the walls to thefloors.His simple diagrams and easy to read explanations made restoringmuch easier.With still a few rooms to finish, the book never leaves mybedside table (which, of course, is Eastlake style!)

Excellent first-gen. guide to Vic interior design thought.
Charles Eastlake, (who is credited, innacurately, with the"Eastlake" style of architecture and furniture design) wrote aserialized guide to interior design concepts and theory.He's veryopinionated about the evils of modern (c. 1880-90) architecture.I foundthis to be an enjoyable read, and got some great ideas about the decorationof several rooms in my 1903 Victorian house. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Decorating    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Decoration and ornament    5. General    6. History    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. Interior decoration    10. Victorian style    11. Architecture / General    12. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (6)

Easy Living by Terry Conran
Purchase this book if your objective is to get good ideas on the An easy book from the master
Easy Living is another masterpiece of the master. What can I say? It seems that, as he gets older, he turns more and more easy living himself. Beautifully written
This book was marvelous. I enjoyed the fact that the book had no strict guidelines about decorating, just a kind of common sense approach. Now, if you are looking for step by step, (which I was) this may not be for you. But give it a try anyway. It may surprise you! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Residential Interior Design    10. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (2)

History book
This book presents very interesting historical information on the development of fireplace styles over the centuries, and the photographs included were inspiring!(If a photo had been provided for every fireplace described in detail in the text, I would have given 5 stars!)Keep in mind this book's emphasis is on the history rather than the 'how to' of fireplaces.

Very few pictures, very few ideas
This book is not worth your money. Fortunetely, I got it used. There are no good ideas and good pictures here. Don't buy it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Fireplaces    4. General    5. History    6. House & Home    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration    9. Residential Interior Design    10. Sale Books   

Reviews (5)

Absolutely the best!!!
I had wanted to get this book for years, and now that I have it I can't stop glancing at its pages.The book is so rich in history, the houses chosen are awesome, and Ange Bourda's work is impecable, as always.A book worth having on your collection to make you proud you are Guatemalan.

Makes me home sick!!!!!
I just move to the usa andbecause I wanted to have something that reminds me of home with the decoration of my apartment I had to buy it I saw the book in a furniture store in Antigua Guatemala days before I left but I couldt buy it!! Courtyards & architecture at a wonderful price
We bought 2 of these books in Guatemala and paid almost twice Amazon's price! Bummer but we loved the book. Pictures are awsome and when we got home everyone wanted our books to keep so I was so pleased to find it on Amazon and at a bargain price.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Architecture, Domestic    4. Design & Construction    5. Guatemala    6. History    7. Interior Design - General    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. Interior decoration    10. Residential Interior Design    11. Architecture / Interior Design    12. Interior design   

Reviews (6)

Excellent budget minded tips!
This book is so creative and incredibly inspiring! Lisa Quinn really knows her stuff. She has innovative twists on everyday objects that can suit anyone's style (and you can mix and match between rooms). I especially love the "sexy bedroom" on the cover. What a brilliant idea to screw desk lamps into the wall! I highly recommend this book for people looking for some inexpensive inspiration to brighten up their abode.

Inspiring!
This is a great book for decorating ideas and tips.The author really breaks down all of the design elements in each of the rooms and has great instructions for low-cost decorating ideas.Some of the projects presented in the book are very original and creative.I also really like the fact that the majority of the decorating projects are relatively simple and easy to complete.I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves or is interested in interior design.

Great decorating on a budget
This is one of the best books I have on redecorating on a budget.The ideas are useful, practical, affordable and very appealing.Many books are full of ideas that look cheap.not this one - can't wait to try many of them.Great pictures and well written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decoration & Ornament    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior Design    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior decoration    11. Interior decoration accessories    12. House & Home / Decorating