Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Arts And Crafts    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Decorating    6. Decoration and ornament    7. France    8. Handicraft    9. Hobbies/Crafts    10. House furnishings    11. Interior Design    12. Interior Design - Style Books    13. Crafts & Hobbies / Decorating    14. STUDY NOTES - SparkCharts   

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   

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   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decoration    3. History    4. History - General    5. Interior Design - General    6. Interior decoration    7. Ocean liners    8. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    9. Transportation    10. Architecture / General    11. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    12. Interior design   

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 (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 (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 (3)

Highly Recommended!
If you are into tropical architecture, this sure is the book for you! Not much text which makes it of "worth" + great photography! Before planning a house, this sure is a must-have! Houses featured here has its owne individuality and character! Dont miss it!...

A designing must
This is a beautifully photographed and well-organized showcase of wonderful Philippine homes. The range of houses covered is amazing and you're sure to get inspiration from one of the many fine examples of East meets West design as well as the seamless blend of Spanish, Malay, and Western heritage that the Philippines has. The homes are fabulous and even if you aren't thinking of redecorating, you will be after you finish it. One of the things that I particularly like about this is that unlike many books on Asian homes which focus only on either architectural design OR the interiors, this one gives a good balance of both. I just wish that the book had more pages.

Philippine Dream Homes
This was truly a feast for my senses. The Filipino elite is a highly sophisticated, well travelled, cosmopolitan, tropical, and casually elegant group who have developed a blended taste and style of their own. This book could be renamed "Tropical Dream Homes of the Philippines Rich and Famous". What is truly visible in this book is the rich diversity and fusion of the different cultures -Chinese, Spanish, Indonesian, Malaysian, and American - creating a Philippine cosmo-Asian blend. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Design & Drafting    3. Domestic    4. Interior Design - General    5. International Architecture - Asian    6. Art styles not limited by date    7. Houses, apartments, flats, etc    8. Interior design    9. Philippines   

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 (5)

Excellent explanation and demonstration of Ms Hoppen's design philosophy.
Ms Hoppen does an excellent job both explaining and demonstrating her design philosophy in this very readable, very well illustrated book.She discusses origins of various influences and then provides examples of the results of the influences.She will use colors, shapes or textures of Eastern origin and then demonstrate her use of them in contemporary settings.This reader found this very heplful because it showed Ms Hoppen's entire process.If one is interested in absorbing some of Ms Hoppen's design philosophy, this is an excellent book with which to start.

Ingenious
Honestly, when does one come across a designer who has that kind of depth and genious to "see" in nature so vividly, imagine how that could be recreated in interiors and indeed implement it in such warm, balanced and welcoming environments, with such evident knowledge and experience in form, color and structure?You'll keep coming back to this book.

Eastern influence on the Western World.
I have always felt a strong pull toward eastern/Asian style of decorating and have found Ms. Hoppen's book inspiring. Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decoration & Ornament    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Interior Design - General    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Residential Interior Design    11. Architecture / Interior Design   

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 (7)

Mary Muse!
What a scrumptious book! Each page is an inspiration- an indulgent look into Mary's sweetest home. Take a peek at her collections (robots, monkeys, storks, etc) and truly be swept away by her signature style. You will get an eyeful of the rooms in her home, including her incredible attic studio. Collages of colorful and charming photographs fill each page and large text make this a breeze and joy to read. As I moved through this beautiful book, I began to feel as if I were being taken through a personal tour of Mary's home and couldn't wait to put some of the same touches in my home. Home Sweet Home is the perfect book if you want to be inspired to charm up your space or just want to ogle Mary's adorable abode.

Home Sweet Home : A Journey Through Mary's Dream Home
I think this book is fabulous.I would love even more pictures and details.I would love a floor plan to be able to get a better sense of scale.It left me wanting more and that is always good.
A lovely look inside Mary's home!
Do you ever drive by a great house and wish you could look inside? Well...that's what this book is like!Read more

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

Reviews (4)

Good Rules for Specific Styling
I was looking for some basic good advice for smart, clean interior design aesthetics...this book met those standards in a beautiful and sensitively assembled book. My only criticism is that the styling that Kelly shows is a high design with contemporary attributes - not very relevant to many other kinds of decorating challenges. I have an early 1900s home with standard ceilings, wood trim and smallish rooms - not very similar at all to Kelly's gorgeous and mostly spacious examples. I will have to work a little harder to envision the golden rules being applied to my humble abode.

A bit pretentious...
I realize this may not be the most helpful, or relevant of comments but... I was actually quite bothered by the tone of this author's writing.She is, in my opinion, elitist and arrogant.With comments such as "many people try to immitate me, unsuccessfully" or statements to the tune of "I'm more skilled in this than most", I had to devote a lot of energy to focusing on the message, and not the messenger.
Minimalist Chic
I found the photographs in this book to be beautifully presented.It is a minimalist's dream book, clean lines, nothing over done, with rooms full of texture, beauty, and elegance.Nothing overstated, like a fine aged wine, or great architecture.The author, Kelly Hoppen, offers refined elegance, no kitsch. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. House & Home    5. Interior Design    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. House & Home / Decorating   

Subjects:  1. 1865-1950    2. Biography    3. De Wolfe, Elsie,    4. Decorating    5. General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Interior Design    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. Interior decorators    10. United States    11. De Wolfe, Elsie    12. Non-Classifiable   

Editorial Review

Be forewarned: envy, awe, and heavy sighs are likely reactions to Read more

Reviews (3)

Lovely but lacking
I like this book and its sister book, Family Houses by the Sea (which I prefer). Both books, however, make me feel that I am simply looking through a window at something I cannot have. I find I prefer a new book called Second Home, because it offers the same kind of yummy dreamlike quality yet talks to me about how I can make my getaway dream come true. If you can afford a stack of books on retreats, add this Family Houses volume to the pile. If you can only afford one or two books, I highly recommend Second Home instead.

Great for Inspiration
This book gives you great ideas for building a country home. It doesn'tlimit itself to only one geographic area, but moves from country tocountry. It allows you to review different elements, materials and designused over time. It's a beautiful book, great inspiration.

Extraordinary Genteel Living
Forty-three beautiful summer-type homes appear in large glossy colored format covering more than 250 large size pages that make the book weigh as much as a heavy fire-log ready to sink a coffee table. Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Domestic    6. Europe    7. History    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. Interior Design - General    10. Interior Design - Style Books    11. Interior decoration    12. Pictorial works    13. Residential Buildings Architecture    14. Residential Interior Design    15. United States    16. Vacation homes    17. World - General    18. Architecture / Domestic   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art    3. Design - Decorative    4. Interior Design - Style Books    5. International Architecture - European   

Reviews (1)

Great Idea Book
The designs of restaurants is non-trivial. Not only must the design be pleasing to the eye and attractive to the customers, but the flow of the workers, the food, and the dirty dishes must work well. The result says this book is that a restaurant must be considered as a theater where the food is the show.
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Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. Architecture    3. Decoration    4. History    5. Interior Design - Style Books    6. Interior decoration    7. International Architecture - General    8. Public, Commercial, or Industrial Buildings    9. Restaurants    10. Architecture / Interior Design    11. Interior design    12. Public buildings: civic, commercial, industrial, etc   

Reviews (2)

Touring Italy
Instead of reserving this book to a coffee table, read it, enjoy it and see what Italy has to offer.Now that your interest has been sparked, travel to the places in Italy that are featured in this book.

O To Live In Italy!
Catherine Fairweather has honed her skills as a writer from her days as a contributing editor to House and Garden and here joins forces with photographer Mark Luscombe-Whyte to present a volume of life in Italy that not only makes for a beautiful and informative book, it makes the reader long for the pleasures of living in what surely is the world's most romantic country.
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Subjects:  1. Decorating - General    2. Design & Construction    3. Design - Decorative    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Domestic architecture    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior Design - Style Books    9. Interior decoration    10. Interior design    11. Italy    12. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (2)

Informative and Inspirational
I love looking at House Beautiful books. I find the pictures to be inspirational.However, I usually don't think the text is very informative.I was pleasantly surprised to find House Beautiful 750 Designer Secrets to be an exception to the rule.It does contain beautiful photographs, but the "secrets" are useful and/or inspirational comments by designers.I have to admit I don't recognize the names of most of them, but I find the information to be consistent with other interior design/decoration books I have read.The quotes may not always be particulary earthshattering, but there were enough good ones to justify giving House Beautiful 750 Designer Secrets a 5.Out of 750 quotes you are bound to find something that is useful to you!
Top designer secrets revealed
House Beautiful Magazine specializes in award-winning interior design presentations, so you know that when they lend their name to a collection, professionals are involved. Their top designers reveal secrets, provide room makeovers, and pack in over four hundred color photos from selected superior interiors. Utility blends with art in 750 DESIGNER SECRETS: EXCLUSIVE DESIGN IDEAS FROM THE PROS, which tells how to shape and tailor a design project for maximum efficiency and best visual results.
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Home Furnishing    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - Style Books    7. Home furnishing & decoration    8. House & Home / Decorating    9. STUDY NOTES - SparkCharts    10. Sale Books   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating - General    3. Domestic    4. Individual Architect    5. Interior Design - Style Books    6. Residential Buildings Architecture    7. Residential Interior Design    8. Architecture / Domestic