Reviews (9)

Great book
Very informational and has a lot of pictures.I wish I would have bought this one before purchasing two seperate titles, because this one includes them.

Pottery Barn Home
I ordered a book Pottery Barn Home.It arrived here much earlier than indicated in the e-mail.However, I noticed that the book had a price sticker from Costco on it (and the price on the sticker was actually lower than the Amazon's price!), so it was obvious that it was a return from Costco.Amazon.com should at least remove the price sticker from another store before reselling them to customers.The book was in o.k. condition, with the dent on one of the corners from transportation.

Very creative...
I disagree with the previous reviewer who felt this book best suited to PB furniture owners.I own not one stick of their line - but I found the book to be full of creative, interesting and usable ideas for the new home I am in the process of building.I have not purchased any other PB books so the duplication issue doesn't apply for me.My taste is a little more traditional, a little less casual...but the clean lines, simple but dramatic accessories, the overall aesthetic ...these all work for me.The lessons here can be adapted easily to a range of styles. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design   

Reviews (7)

Waste of time and MONEY!
Based on the reviews of this book I decided to buy it! To my absolute shock, I dont understand who wrote these great reviews??? They were probably written by the publisher or author of this book.
Good Guide
I was not impressed when I received this book, with the quality of the paper or the overall presentation.I thought some of the photography left much to be desired quality-wise.However, it is quite a comprehensive book and I leaned on it considerably in my studies of furniture and design.So don't let me put you off.I just think that, with all the research and hard work involved, and considering the price, a better quality might have been forthcoming.

Like Cliff Notes for Furniture!
This book has brief history lessons on furniture from the begining of time!It's a great reference when you need an answer about a design period- quick! A must for every Interior Designer! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art    3. Decorating - General    4. Design - General    5. Furniture    6. Furniture Arts And Crafts    7. Interior Design - General    8. Styles    9. Art / Design / General    10. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (1)

Excellent Reference Book
I have many years of architectural drafting experience. Although this book says "Basic Skills" on the cover, it is much more than basic. It's an excellent reference book, covering everything that is needed for interior design drafting: from line weights to scale, dimensioning, plans, elevations, sections, checklists, furniture and finish schedules, contract documents, and the list goes on. I highly recommend this book for students of interior design and practising designers alike. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Building    3. Building Construction    4. Construction - General    5. Decorating    6. Details    7. Drafting & Mechanical Drawing    8. Drafting Technology    9. Drawings    10. Interior Design - General    11. Interior architecture    12. Structural drawing    13. Technology    14. Architecture / Interior Design    15. Computer aided design (CAD)    16. Engineering graphics & technical drawing    17. Home furnishing & decoration    18. Interior design   

Reviews (13)

The Not So Big House Collection
Quick and easy transaction.Fast to get it shipped out.Very satisfied with condition and entire sales process!

Good Reference
Nice reference and will hopefully be useful on our next project.Good photo ideas.

Unique Slant
It's evident Ms Susanka has fashioned a niche for sleek, tasteful and refined living. She seperates style from fashion with a keen eye set for timeless architecture. She stresses quality over quantity in square footage. I was pleased with the quality of these books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Design & Construction    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Domestic    5. House & Home    6. House & Home / General    7. Interior design   

Reviews (3)

Virtues of the Ranch House
"These modest homes were the fulfillment of the American middle-class dream, bringing a higher standard of living to average people, and giving birth to a whole new way of life. There is a type of beauty in their simplicity, their efficient use of space, and the creativity with which they employed inexpensive materials to deliver a modern look." ~Rob Keil
Beautiful Book, Important Topic
This is a great book that finally gives America's "average" midcentury tract houses their due. The photos are beautiful and the information is great. Eichler, Levittown, Westlake, and other midcentury neighborhoods are pictured along with detailed information on remodeling, restoring, and preserving these underappreciated little gems of modernism. It's a nice coffee-table presentation of the subject that is pleasing to just flip through for the sake of the photos, but also informative enough to spend some real time with.

Mid-Century Marvels
Having just purchased my 1954 Mid-Century Marvel I was ecstatic to find this book.It has become an essential resource guide to help me restore my Mid-Century Marvel to its former glory.It is full of gorgeous photography, decorating ideas, and it even has a section on landscaping.This book is a must have for any Mid-Century enthusiast.Simply, excellent!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architectural Design    3. Architecture    4. Design & Construction    5. Domestic    6. History - Specific Styles    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Interior Design - General    9. Ranch houses    10. Residential Buildings Architecture    11. U.S. Architecture - General    12. United States    13. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (2)

This book is expensive, inaccurate, and underwhelming.
Claire Shaeffer writes informative books about sewing and fabrics for the home sewer.Claire Shaeffer should have either stayed in the sewing industry or gained real experience in the garment industry before she dare charge $71 for a vacuous outsider's perspective of this so-called "apparel industry".The book has a generic text book tome and the corny needle and thread clip art screams "home sewer".There is nothing wrong with home sewing.I've been sewing since I was 10.Making clothes has been my quiet hobby and a source of unending fascination.The truth is: the garment industry doesn't want to deal with home sewers."Fashion" designers and home sewers both share ignorance and arrogance as annoying, unappealing traits.Anyone can doodle on a napkin, but who can construct it from a sketch, fit it right, and sew it up professionally, within your cost structure?Not a "fashion" designer or a home sewer can do that, yet they think that they are greater than the process for they are completely unaware of the process.The goal is to work well with the fashion and garment industries.If you are looking for this kind of information in this book, you won't find it. THANKYOUCLAIRESHAEFFER!!!
This is the type of book that should be used in schools for Merchandising OR Fashion Design. I cannot get over it's usefullness. Everything I wanted (and needed) to hear about about clothing manufacture is in this book! Fairchild Pubs could never publish such a USEFUL and INTELLIGENTLY WRITTEN book. Those bastards always make textbooks difficult to understand and fill them with meaningless JABBERWOCKY!! Half the time, they don't even have a decent glossary or INDEX (if there is one at all) whereas Claire it seems, has given us the full tour. Peripheral data you could care less about is not here!! Nothing to waste your time, only a step-by-step layout of what happens when a person or people manufacture clothing for retail purposes. From the design concepts (who and how they're created) to what type of people you would need (including full job descriptions) to what the considerations are for contracting, shipping etc.. There are also tons of other little things including pictures that are laid out in a very intelligible way. The beauty of her writing is that the data is always concious that you may not be a huge entreprenuer, and applies methods for the little guy as well. Just an amazing book. I almost don't want anyone else to know about it... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business/Economics    2. Clothing trade    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Decorating - General    5. Design - General    6. Dressmaking    7. Manufacturing    8. Sewing    9. Tailoring (Women's)    10. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    11. Technology & Industrial Arts    12. Textile Industries    13. Art / Design / General    14. Needlework & fabric crafts    15. Textile & fibre technology   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Architecture    4. Catalogs    5. Decoration & Ornament    6. France    7. Furniture    8. History    9. Interior Design - General    10. Interior decoration    11. Interior design   

Reviews (4)

Must have for designers!!!!!!
Very informative and loaded with pictures of gorgeous fabrics from one of the top fabric design houses in the world. A must have for designers or anyone in the interior design business who deal with high end fabrics and trims on a regular basis. Would highly recommend this book!!!!

Sensuous fabrics, trims, and more!
This book has great historical information on the Scalamandre family and brand in addition to fabulous room photos.

Scalamandre review
This is one of the most beautiful books on Interior Design.It does not have a lot of type to clutter the beautiful photos.It will remain an historical account of an historic company that exposes beautiful fabrics to a discerning clientele.It should be in everyone's library...... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design - General    6. Scalamandre (Firm)    7. Scalamandrâe (Firm)    8. Textile fabrics in interior de    9. Textile fabrics in interior decoration    10. Home furnishing & decoration    11. House & Home / Decorating   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture, Domestic    3. Details    4. Great Britain    5. History - General    6. History Of Architecture    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior architecture    9. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    10. Reference    11. Architecture - Details    12. Architecture / Historic Preservation   

Reviews (6)

Strong Five Star Book
Charles Faudree's style is "Comfortable French"Anyone could live in his rooms.They have a touch of elegance without being stiff or too formal.They are like that favorite outfit that you have had for years and years and still love to wear.This book is full of great pictures so you can see exactly what he means when he talks about French Country Style.

Fantastic!
If you love Country French that is not pretentious, but still elegant, this is the book for you.This is the second of Charles Faudree's design books that I have purchased.The pictures are incredible, and his attention to detail is amazing.He certainly has a gift and I wish that I could afford for him to help me with my house.Especially if that involved traveling with him to the French Market or to the Portobello Market in Notting Hill.Instead, I will use his pictures as a guide.I hope that this book is not his last!

French Country Elegance Defined
Mr. Faudree has knocked another one out of the park with his follow-up book to Country French Design.His high style seems to have calmed down somewhat and isn't quite as "over the top" as it was in his first book.I could literally step through the pages and take residence in any of the rooms featured.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decoration & Ornament    5. Decoration and ornament, Rustic    6. France    7. History    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. House & Home    10. Influence    11. Interior decoration    12. United States    13. Home furnishing & decoration    14. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (17)

Sun-drenched colors of Southern France
"French country decorating at its finest is the harmonious mingling of fabrics, textures, and patterns - an artistic blending of the familiar with warmth and sophistication." For Americans creating French style, who can't go toFrance
Ok, so this isn't "authentic French Provence design." Suppose you won't be visiting Aix-en-Provence and running around looking for all the pieces you need, and then figuring out how to fill up a shipping container and send it through customs, etc etc, (can you imagine doing this in a foreign country in a foreign language?!) You just aren't going to find a lot of genuine French furnishing and fabrics in the US. What if you want to use French elements in your decorating (as we did) and only have access to American furniture lines and the fabrics sold here? French Provencal style influences American interiors
I found this book a wonderful view of French Provencal style, blended with American verve and elegance. Many of us have traveled in France, and know the French are also very influenced by the freshness and ease of American design. Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Decorating    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Decoration and ornament, Rusti    5. Decoration and ornament, Rustic    6. Do-It-Yourself - General    7. France    8. History    9. Home Improvement / Construction    10. House & Home    11. Influence    12. Interior Design - Style Books    13. Interior decoration    14. Residential Interior Design    15. United States    16. Home furnishing & decoration    17. House & Home / Decorating    18. Interior design   

Reviews (8)

Short review
A very interessting and nice book if you are a fan of japanese architecture. Great pictures and very good information about the ancient and actuel way of life in Japan.

Great Inspiration
Book has many different design themes all with first rate photography to inspire anyone considering a remodel or who just has an appreciation of Japanese architecture.

should cherish the style as Japanese too
I am a man that lives in Tokyo, the metropolitan of Japan. Recently in about thirty years, Japanese living styles have changed extremely, that is, the styles are getting to be foreign styles, the windows: not Syouji, tables: not Tyabudai, floorings: not tatami and so on. Especially in big city like Tokyo, Oosaka and Nagoya the tendency is plain. Though there will be the many reasons that recent Japan have gotten to be such situations, recent Japanese especially young men may wish such cool design like European style, for instance, a data was reported a few years ago, the length of foots per over-all body height of Japanese students have gotten to be long, some specialists of the genre say that the cause will be that young men use chairs of styles that stretch their legs, not the Seiza style that have existed from long ago. Off course the cause may be by other aspects like abundant foods. But I approve about the opinion of specialists too.
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Subjects:  1. Architectural Detail    2. Architecture    3. Decoration & Ornament    4. Design & Construction    5. Interior Design - General    6. International Architecture - Asian    7. Residential Interior Design   

Reviews (4)

Beautiful pictures, workable ideas
So you've bought a bungalow--now, what do you do with it?Maybe it's a fixer-upper; maybe it's too small, or doesn't have enough storage space; maybe you're just not sure what kind of furniture to get.This book is a great start toward deciding where to go next.Illustrated with hundreds of full-color photographs, it shows not only many of the features by which you can tell an Arts & Crafts house when you see it (I was surprised to learn that the big old foursquares such as my grandparents lived in for 40 years are included in this classification), but gives actual ideas carried out by other homeowners, even unto before-and-after floor plans.The author's advice is thoughtful and well suited to the houses she writes about, too.And if you just like to look at pictures of vintage American homes, this would be a good volume to add to your collection.

Houses, er, too large
There's a lot of good in this book, and it's given me a few ideas for my own arts-and-crafts vernacular house, but at the same time it's frustrating.Lots of the pictures feel (or explicitly state) that they're from houses much larger than the classic 900-2000 square foot bungalow.
Its a keeper!
As a librarian and a lover of Arts & Crafts style, I recommend this book to all who desire a peek at some fantastic Bungalow interiors.The color photography is stunning and that material which is covered is covered well.Though the pictures will be enticing to anyone fond of this architecture, I consider the text to be aimed at newbies.Having said that, the chapter on "What Style is Your Home" describing basic architectural hallmarks of various Bungalows is especially well written, albeit very basic.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Arts and crafts movement    3. Bungalows    4. Conservation and restoration    5. Do-It-Yourself    6. Dwellings    7. Home Maintenance And Repair    8. House & Home    9. Influence    10. Interior Design - General    11. Interior Design - Style Books    12. Remodeling    13. Remodeling & Renovation - General    14. Residential Interior Design    15. United States    16. Home furnishing & decoration    17. House & Home / Design & Construction    18. House & Home / General   

Reviews (7)

United States to Great Britain: Shared Style
This book takes the reader from the style of America in the early years of the 20th century to the life she created in Britain.Many aspects of style were shared in the two countries, but many are unique to each.It is interesting how Nancy Lancaster blended the two worlds into a grand country style that was appreciated by both.Her childhood home in Virginia was her inspiration throughout her life and helped set the style she was so well known for.

Adrift in the Cozy, Comfortable, Tasteful English Tradition!
Martin Wood is an excellent biographer and chronicler of style and in this richly illustrated monograph on Nancy Lancaster he makes use of his own credentials as a garden designer and interior designer to praise the virtues of a lady few of us know.
A true pleasure
One of the most beautifull and funny books I've read in recent years. A must have for any interior decoration fan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Garden Design    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Home furnishing & decoration    6. Interior design   

Reviews (14)

Wonderful Book!
Great book!The minute I opened it I knew it was going to be a thrilling trip to another time in California history.Beautiful pictures of grand homes, grounds, and other structures built with Spanish and Mexican influence.If you want just one book covering this subject, this would be the one to buy.Highly recommend.

Images of California Style
CSAS CALIFORNIA is one of the coffee table books bound to please not only those who live in California and are eager to study examples of California architecture termed Spanish Revival, butalso a fine gift for those out of state friends who wonder if California has any history before 1950!
Not that special
I didn't glean anything more from this book that I couldn't have gathered on a Sunday drive. Most of the pictures are of exteriors and amazingly enough, none of them really inspires appretiation of this architechtural style. I'm an absolute sucker for Spanish Colonial. There's almost nothing built during the classic era of the 1920's and '30's that I don't swoon over. This book, however, compiled some of the least attractive examples of that style and ends up being thoroughly disappointing. Definitely look elsewhere if your objective is designing interior details that honor the classics. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture, Domestic    3. Architecture, Spanish    4. California, Southern    5. Design & Construction    6. Influence    7. Regionalism in architecture    8. Residential Buildings Architecture    9. U.S. Architecture - South    10. Vernacular Architecture    11. Architecture / Interior Design    12. Houses, apartments, flats, etc    13. USA   

Reviews (1)

Hampton Havens Review
The book was purchased for an anniversary gift for my daughter who resides on one of the Hamptons.She liked the book and even was familiar with the owner of the garden on the cover. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture, Domestic    3. Decorating - General    4. Design & Construction    5. Domestic    6. Gardens    7. Hamptons    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. Interior Design - General    10. Interior decoration    11. New York (State)    12. U.S. Architecture - General    13. Architecture / Domestic    14. Photographs: collections   

Editorial Review

To take something as ordinary as wire and present it as a trueart form is an amazing achievement, and this book does exactly that.According to Suzanne Slesin, the story of wire as a component of usefuland decorative household objects began in Slovakia in the 17th century,where tinkers used thin strands of iron to repair household pottery.The art of wirework flourished and traveled throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the next century, becoming highly developed andquite popular by the end of the 1800s; utilitarian objects such asbaskets, bottle racks, serving dishes, plant stands, trivets, andbirdcages were both made of and embellished with wire. Sadly, wireornamentation as a decorative art is mainly a thing of the past, butbecause these objects are so sturdy, they can often be purchased asantiques. The book has a long directory of European and Americansources for wirework. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive historical and technical book
As an artist and metal worker, I've found this book comprehensive. Great illustrations and historical documents. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques / Collectibles    3. Antiques/Collectibles    4. Decoration & Ornament    5. General    6. Interior Design    7. Metal Arts And Crafts    8. Textiles & Costume    9. Wire craft    10. Wire in interior decoration    11. Antiques & collectables: gold & silver (other than jewellery)    12. Antiques & collectables: jewellery    13. Decorative arts & crafts    14. Home furnishing & decoration    15. Metals technology / metallurgy   

Reviews (12)

Great color guide, with only one problem
I bought this book as I was in the process of buying a house.A house we had seen was so welcoming because of the colors, that it inspired me.I really like what I came up with from this book.The only problem is that you can look up colors by paint color only.I had to page through the book to find our exact color of upholstery in the "upholstery" blocks of color.It was tedious and time consuming, but I saw lots of interesting colors to choose from in my other rooms.Overall, I really like the book and it was veryuseful.

Absolutely fabulous!
I Love the usefulness of this book! The way it lays out which colors to use with which and for what is marvelous. Sometimes I was stumped if the author referred to a kitchen or bathroom and I had a den or living room in mind.
Great book to get a Color Scheme for your Room
Yes, we all want to paint our room some vibrant color, but do we have a clue as to what the complementing colors are ? well , I for one have no idea.. and this book helped out a lot. It lets you pick a color from the first two pages and then leads you to the colors that accent the color you have picked. It also explains the color in detail giving you the mood it stimulates, and gives tips on what kind of colors to pick for bathrooms, kitchens, etc.
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Subjects:  1. Color in interior decoration    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decoration    5. Decoration & Ornament    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior Design - General    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior walls    11. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (1)

Excelent source of information
this book is excenlent describes the medicasl proceduresand what spaces to design for them, coversradiology, surgical suites, nuclear medicneand medical spaces for dentist it was a big help , an it even comes with plant layouts that you can really see how the facilities work! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Administration    2. Architecture    3. Decorating    4. Dental offices    5. Design and construction    6. Health Care Delivery    7. Interior Design - General    8. Medical    9. Medical offices    10. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    11. Architecture / Interior Design    12. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc   

Reviews (2)

Excellent Addition to the Trim Carpenter's Library
The older version of this book was good.This version is much better.The "Elements of Design" chapter is expanded, as is the chapter on crown molding.The most comprehensive chapter for me was Chapter 10: Wainscoting, Pillars and Pilasters.The detail provided on the methods for routing flutes was very helpful.
A design guide covering almost every room in the house
The new, expanded and updated edition of Jay Silber's New Decorating With Architectural Trimwork: Planning, Designing, Installing shows how to use decorative trim and molding in all rooms of a house to transform windows, doors, and more. Hundreds of color photos pack a design guide covering almost every room in the house, but the meat here is the inclusion of actual installation instructions, making this a cut above similar-sounding titles which are focused on appearance alone. All are highly recommended for any homeowner who wants more than a casual hand in construction or renovation choices.
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Do-It-Yourself - Carpentry    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. DIY    7. Home furnishing & decoration    8. House & Home / Decorating