Customer Reviews:
Dazzled...not quite.......2007-05-17
Truth be told, and I am a hard-core Versailles-o-phile, this book left much to be desired in the history department. What, no reproductions of the Enfants de France? And where's Marie Therese? The binding was superior to what I'd been lead to believe by other reviews. Overall, an adequate addition to a casual collection of the Chateau de Versailles.
This book would even make the Sun King proud.......2005-04-15
What an amazing book, it is nothing short of spectacular. The pictures are vivid and the book quality is of the highest caliber. The other reviewer was correct in noting that the reader has to been careful with this book, the pages are so heavy that it will pull from the binding if you are not careful when positioning the book. I have always had a facination with Versailles and this book really captures the chateaux, it makes you feel like you are stolling the gardens and taking in the sumptuous wonders of the palace. Unlike other books on Versailles this one is complete, it covers everything and in striking detail. I urge anyone with any interest in Versailles to buy this book, even used at 200 U.S., it is a bargain. I assure you you will not be disappointed in this book.
NEWEST EDITION BETTER BOUND!!!!.......2004-08-11
Five stars PLUS! I have a new edition and it is very well bound - no need to worry about it falling apart! If you've ever been to Versailles this book will mist you up! If you're planning a return trip this book will be your bible... It is amazing how inexpensive this book is when you consider the spectacular colour photos.
Really deserves 10 stars! However, I must warn you..........2001-11-15
This is THE BEST book there is on Versailles (which is probably why its normally a hundred bucks!) There is only one problem I have ever had with the book and that is the poor physical quality. I had to order it twice because my first copy fell completely apart within a few weeks. Needless to say I was not happy at all when that happened. Every copy that I have seen (in libraries, other bookstores) has the same problem. Normally, I would not have tried again after that, but I HAD to have this book. My second one has also begun to separate from the binding, so I rarely read it... but when I do, I use **EXTREME** care. I think the main reason for this is the size and weight of the book, so if you decide to purchase it, keep that in mind. I recommend turning the pages *slowly* and not leaving it completely flat and/or open for any long period of time. Also, store it horizontally, NOT vertically... the pages are so heavy, they will end up tearing themselves out!
Absolute perfection!.......2001-09-12
Without a doubt, the most beautiful and informative book ever on the Palace of Versailles. Architectural history , decorative wonders, sumptuous furniture, this book explores it all! THE BOOK for all lovers of Versailles or eighteenth century French art.
Book Description
As indoor kitchen design books do, The New Outdoor Kitchen covers initial design and planning and, in subsequent chapters, covers "stove" options (grills, smokers, wood-fired ovens); the rest of the kitchen (outdoor refrigerators, sinks, cabinets, and countertops); the entertaining and eating areas (including a discussion of outdoor heaters, social fire-fireplaces, firepits, and chimineas--and bug control to increase your season of enjoyment); and, finally, the grace notes of the outdoor kitchen--lighting and sound systems, plantings, and water features. Ten portfolio kitchens will be laced between the chapters, and the book will conclude with an extensive source list. The kitchens pictured in the book will run the size, price, ambition, and creativity gamut, from kitchens sited on decks and patios to a small urban backyard set up to elaborate built-in, freestanding outdoor environments.
Customer Reviews:
simply beautiful - a must have!.......2007-06-06
Deborah does an amazing job with this how - to on outdoor cooking. beautiful pictures and designs to inspire even the most uncreative of readers. highly recommended - she even includes pictures of her own amazing outdoor kitchen which is just a testament to her knowedge and experience. even if you are just looking for ideas or creative possibilities pick up a copy and you will not be disappointed- you truly get what you pay for. i wish i could just carry out all of the projects she puts in here!
Book Description
A lavish look at the private homes of the storied Hamptons, with gorgeous photographs and engaging text that discusses the history, decor, and architecture from an insider's perspective. HAMPTONS HAVENS offers readers a glimpse behind the hedgerows of the Hamptons on Long Island, New York. The photographs are drawn from the archives of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens magazine and feature 24 homes and gardens that vary greatly in architecture and interior design. Every home in the book, from cozy cottage to grand estate, is a testament to the enormous breadth and natural beauty of the seaside region.
Customer Reviews:
More cottages than gardens.......2007-09-19
A lovely book with interesting stories but I was after beach gardens and there are very few. The title is misleading as it is from the magazine by this name.
Hamptons Cottages and Gardens.......2007-09-06
This is a beautiful book which is as entertaining to read as it is to gaze at the pictures! I would have appreciated it more had all the houses featured been in a similar style to the one on the cover. There is quite a large spectrum of different designs. I wished they had presented more photographs of each individual home, but overall there is plenty to feast your eyes on.
Hampton Havens Review.......2006-08-27
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.
Book Description
Enter the world of the stylish Japanese house, where every object in sight is a work of art. Japan Style introduces 20 special residences. With more than 200 color photographs, this book showcases the stunning beauty of old homes, and reveals how they are cared for by their owners.
Traditional Japanese homes, with superbly crafted fine wood, great workmanship and seasonal interior arrangements, have an aesthetic of infinite simplicity. Unlike Japanese inns and historical buildings, the houses featured in this book are private property and are not open to public viewing. Japan Style offers a rare glimpse into the intimate world of the everyday Japanese and fascinating insight into the traditional architecture of Japan.
Customer Reviews:
Indeed an outstanding book.......2007-04-07
Like one of the other reviewers, I own quite a few books on Japanese houses and architecture. This is an outstanding example, with very beautiful high quality photography and printing, as well as a great selection of houses I have not seen before. Most are traditional, but a few are modern. I am glad I bought this book.
Excellent Book worth every cent.......2006-11-04
Beautifully illustrated with tons of large pictures of houses and gardens on every page with notes on each one. Very tastefully put together. Great style which epicts beautiful Japanese living in a more contemporary way. An excellent book for anyone wanting ideas on how to decorate their home or garden in the typical Japanese or Asian style. Also makes a wonderful coffee table book. Very pleased that I bought this.
Inspiration for western architects and craftsmen.......2006-02-25
Among our collection of a dozen or more illustrated books about Japanese architecture and design, this is by far the best. The exquisite photographs are accompanied by a thorough yet interesting explanation of the various traditional styles found in Japanese architecture.
Although the emphasis is upon traditional homes, the volume also includes examples of the adaptation of these styles to elegant homes in Japan today. Be forewarned, however, many of the homes illustrated, both very old and modern, are far more spacious than middle-class Japanese are able to enjoy, even those living in rural Japan.
When our present home, blending Japanese and Craftsman influences, is finished, we will give this book to our architects and contractor as tokens of our appreciation.
(By the way, this reviewer lived in Japan for ten years.)
Great Book on Real Japanese Interiors.......2005-05-22
Beautiful photos of great interiors. Mostly traditional Japanese homes as they are currently lived in. Features homes with collections of traditional Japanese crafts. Also, some modern homes designed with Japanese aesthetic. I would also recommend the book "Japanese Style".
Book Description
This book examines Nancy's contribution to the arts of interior decoration and garden design by chronicling her own homes and gardens. These are Mirador, a Virginian country house, etc.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent read.......2007-06-27
I truly enjoyed this book. The pictures were excellent quality and representative of the text. For the professional decorator or a person interested in house decoration it is funny and informative. I highly recommend this book.
Nancy Lancaster:English County House Style.......2007-02-09
Book was not what I expected. Book was recommended by a decorator who said Nancy Lancaster was her inspiration so I was expecting more decorating and less biography-like book. It does make an excellent coffee table presentation!!
A classic tale of high style.......2007-01-18
This book is sumptuous and entertaining. Martin Wood weaves a fascinating story of the founder of English County House Style. If you love biography, decorating, and history along with beautiful photographs, renderings, and paintings of exquisitely decorated rooms, this book will fit the bill! A lavish feast for sight and soul.
United States to Great Britain: Shared Style.......2006-08-30
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!.......2006-04-10
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.
Nancy Lancaster gained her reputation as a gardener and designer of gardens whose only clear rival has been Gertrude Jekyll. But Martin Wood increases her stature by naming her the creator of the English country house style. His writing style is fluid, humorous, tender and informative, giving all the biographical data about Lancaster's heritage, youth, and life in a manner that makes what seems to be a picture essay become a page-turner novel!
Lancaster devoted herself to recreating the English Country atmosphere, though she was a born and bred American. Her own various homes as well as those of people who engaged her expertise demonstrate how even the most modest dwelling can breed the charm of the English Country house. Her gardens are like dream sequences out of Arthur Rackham and her taste in balancing room space with the gracious furniture and window treatments and light is impeccable. The Book is filled with some very lush photography that takes the time to scrutinize her concepts as well as pleasure the eye over her accomplishments. This is far more than a design book. This is a book about a life and how it extended into creating a personal world of quiet dignity and beauty. Grady Harp, April 06
Book Description
The Tuscan house, whether a simple homestead or expansive villa, has become one of the most sought-after living environments. Its design is virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages, when landowners in the golden hills of Tuscany built country retreats with gardens, porticoes, and loggias. The landowners often drew upon the natural resources of the region-and it is these materials that give the Tuscan house its unique character. Tuscan Elements brings to life the colors, textures, and aesthetics of the Tuscan house-the magnificent stone and marble work; the hardwoods like chestnut, oak, and elm; earthy terra-cotta and brick; and the all-important water feature, used in ponds, fountains, and pools. This unique, visual sourcebook deconstructs the typical Tuscan home and examines its basic components in dazzling detail, from the tiled roof and floor, thick stone exterior walls, and vine-covered loggia to the exposed wooden beams, luminous frescoes, and the sunny courtyard garden with an ancient well or exquisite swimming pool. Filled with extraordinary photos by world-famous interiors photographer Simon McBride, Tuscan Elements emphasizes living life well with a home that nurtures and comforts, accentuates the importance of family and friends, and entertains with good food and drink. For anyone interested in infusing their present home and garden with a little bit of Tuscany, here is a delightful source of never- ending inspiration.
Customer Reviews:
BUY IT.......2006-03-30
Wonderful book on contemporary tropical design. Just looking at the pictures transports me to another place! I've even incorporated some of the simple design ideas into my own home. From the simple & serene to the eclectic, you won't be disappointed.
Functional Art.......2005-04-28
In short, this book has exceptional photos and displays wonderful furniture and design of natural materials. It's amazing to see how these materials can be formed into such beautiful and practical pieces of furniture. It's functional art!
Book Description
Answers to help home decorators make their favorite colors work in any space.
Innovative color ideas that incorporate paints, fabrics, and accessories.
Color basics and how-to techniques for every room in the house boost decorating confidence.
Unique color scheme recipes and color swatches accompany inspirational photos.
Easy-to-navigate chapters are organized by color.
Interior designers and color experts answer questions on common color dilemmas.
Special quiz provides home decorators insight to color personalities.
One-of-a-kind, 16-page insert gives readers take-along color recipes for buying paint, fabric, and accessories.
Customer Reviews:
A good reference book.......2007-06-08
Learning from experience takes too long. It is better to read this book so that designing with the right combination of colours is more cost effective and less hassle.
Good color combos.......2007-03-09
This is a good book on color for your home.
The first part of the book covers the color wheel and basic color theory. It's nothing new, and not really detailed, but a nice overview.
Then each chapter focuses on a different main color. The pictures of the rooms are beautiful - very much like you might see in Better Homes, Country Home, or Country Living magazines - and usually show a good use of the color scheme they are portraying. It is not too trendy, most seem like you could live with them for many years.
I would have liked to see deeper and brighter oranges though. Leaned heavily toward apricots and corals.
Also needed more warm-toned browns.
The end of the book has all the color schemes used in the book, for matching to paint chips or fabric samples. Also a nice way to match color schemes if you were planning a whole house, since the main color in a plan turns up as an accent in other plans.
This book could also be useful to crafters looking for new colors to try together. I'm thinking of using some of the color schemes in knitting.
Very helpful.......2007-01-09
This is a great reference book. Having just built our home, I needed some professional help in the coordination of the colours I wished to use and it gave me some fresh great ideas I would never have thought of on my own. Highly recommended.
Helpful & Inspiring!.......2007-01-05
This book offers some rare inspiration that I've been hard pressed to find elsewhere. What it does especially well is lay out multitudes of color combinations that one would not normally think of as harmonious...then provides great photographs of actual rooms tastefully done in these purposed color schemes.
I'm a Garden Designer by profession ...not an interior decorator...but there are very few color guide books relating to plants thathave anything new to say. I often rely on the tools of Interior Designers & their books for help. I've bought several books on the this topic & this book is by far one of the best....& it's not only helpful indoors but has been useful in giving me ideas for outdoor groupings of furniture & planters, house colors etc too....
I highly recommend it & suggest anyone looking for new & innovative color schemes check into getting this book!
Unique and helpful.......2006-05-18
Excellent book to provide inspiration and ideas for selecting and mixing color schemes. Information is divided by color families. Each room has a sample color palette. In addition there is a complete section at the back of all the color palettes used so you can bring them with you when you select your paint. I refer to this book often.
Customer Reviews:
May not be for everybody,but I loved it! .......2007-06-13
This decorating book may not be for everybody, but I SURE DID LOVE IT!
If you are expecting a "HOW TO" decorating book, then this is book may not be for you. However, if you've been looking for a book with wonderful photos of truly romantic (modern) homes, [and with GORGEOUS photos], then you might like this book, as I did.
(Plz note... my stress is on the words :"ROMANTIC MODERN")
This is more or less a coffee-table book. At least that's how I see it.
As with most BETTER HOMES books, this book has gorgeous photos, as stated before.
Once again, I have to say that the stress of this book is on "modern romantic" style decorating.
Continually Inspiring .............2006-11-22
I can't begin to tell you how many times I've referred to and reread this book over the years. It always reinspires me to try to achieve the casual, opulent, lush, intriguing, chic, timeless feelings expressed on the pages of this book. I highly recommend this book to inspire and guide your own decorating vision.
So beautiful and filled with ideas.......2002-08-23
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 be American homes. The European style decorating 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.......2002-05-08
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" ..........2002-04-29
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.
Looking at photos is definitely awe-inspiring -- but, I want to hear the 'details' of how each look was achieved ... along with alternative options for creating the same, or similar, looks on anyone's budget. Romantic Style took the form of a somewhat elitist expression of 'lifestyles of the rich and famous' instead of a 'to-the-masses' type read.
And, at least in my circle of friends, acquaintances and design colleagues, very few have the unlimited funds to jet off to Europe, Asia or Africa whenever the urge strikes to bring back antiques, furniture and furnishings to transform their homes into the "romantic style" as most of the homes showcased have described. With a unlimited gold card and frequent access to jet around the world I, too, could create rooms to rival the ones in this book - but, in the real world, it would have been more beneficial if the book had shown a wider range of ideas for achieving the looks -- from budget-conscious - to - carte blanche.
The photos are definitely beautiful, but the true substance leaves something to be desired.
Book Description
The natural world has been a muse for artists throughout the ages, and jewelry designers have always shared that inspiration, their fascination with flora and fauna coming through in their work. Now, Jeweled Garden traces the evolution of garden-inspired jewelry from the 19th century to the present day in beautiful photographs and an absorbing text.
From Louis Comfort Tiffany's delicate realist creations of the Victorian Age to Cartier's 2006 Caresse d'orchides necklace encrusted with precious stones, the tradition's most beautiful pieces by master jewelers are represented. Featuring pieces from turn-of-the-last-century Art Nouveau, 1920s Art Deco, 1950s and 60s jet-set, and 1970s individualism, from Fabergé, Lalique, Tiffany, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, and even from fashion houses such as Chanel and Christian Dior, this gorgeous volume will delight jewelry aficionados and gardening enthusiasts alike.
Customer Reviews:
A visual ravishment!.......2007-08-09
A superb book! A visual ravishment!
The book is well researched and wide ranging in its study of flora based jewellery!
Focusing not only on the great jewellery houses but also on historical pieces, it makes for interesting reading for anyone who appreciate fine workmanship but also the history of jewels!
Great Jewelry Books.......2007-05-31
A "Must-have" for jewelry collectors, designers ..... Excellent pictures!!!! Great details!!! With lots of great masterpieces! 100% +++++ satisfaction in owning it!!!
Books:
- Waiting for Wings
- Walled Gardens
- Wedding Bouquets: Over 300 Designs for Every Bride
- Yankee Magazine's Pantyhose, Hot Peppers, Tea Bags, and More-for the Garden: 1,001 Ingenious Ways to Use Common Household Items to Control Weeds, Beat ... and Save Time (Yankee Magazine Guidebook)
- You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls
- Your Green Home: A Guide to Planning a Healthy, Environmentally Friendly New Home (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)
- 15 Books in 1: L. Frank Baum's Original "Oz" Series. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, The Patchwork Girl Of Oz, Little Wizard Stories of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow Of Oz, Rinkitink In Oz, The Lost Princess Of Oz, The Tin Woodman Of Oz, The Magic of Oz, and Glinda Of Oz.
- A Childs Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents
- American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants
- American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- How to Use Limited Liability Companies & Limited Partnerships
- Bungalow Bathrooms
- The Best Men's Stage Monologues of 1997
- The Last Prairie: A Sandhills Journal
- The Road to Serfdom Fiftieth Anniversary Edition
- Aunt Dimity Goes West
- Xeriscape Gardening: Water Conservation for the American Landscape
- Stock Options and the New Rules of Corporate Accountability : Measuring, Managing, and Rewarding Exe
- The Leadership Gap: Building Leadership Capacity for Competitive Advantage
- Improbable Cause
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Paris, City of Art
The Splendor of France: Great Chateaux, Mansions, and Country Houses
Italian Splendor
The Private Realm of Marie Antoinette
Walks Through Marie Antoinette's Paris
