Mediterranean Inspiration: 125 Home Plans Inspired by Southern European Style (Inspiration (Homeplanners))

The Spanish-style architecture of Southern California's seaside estates, canyon villas, and courtyard bungalows is central to its romantic image, one that has traditionally evoked a Mediterranean paradise. The details of this inexhaustively rich style-- ornate wrought iron and wood balconies, colorful tiles, graceful arches, and palm-dotted gardens-- reflect the region's Spanish, Mexican, and southwestern history and culture as well as its popular outdoor lifestyle.

This book showcases Southern California's most historically significant and beautifully preserved Spanish-revival houses of this century. Twenty-one private homes built between 1922 and 1991 are featured in stunning color photography that captures exterior and interior architectural details, Spanish and Mexican antique furnishings and folk art, and lush landscaping and tiled fountains. Among these are the Adamson House in Malibu, with its extraordinary collection of custom tile from Malibu Potteries; the contemporary Greenberg House in Brentwood, by Ricardo Legorreta; The Andalusia Courtyard Apartments in Hollywood; and Casa Pacifica, the former home of Richard Nixon, overlooking the ocean in San Clemente. Brief narratives highlight the history of each building and its design influences on the Spanish-revival movement in California.

The Spanish revival grew in popularity around the turn of the century when many young American architects traveled to Spain, Italy, and Mexico, bringing back sketches and, as the foreword notes, romantic memories of "graceful foliage...small Indian towns...tiled dome and rococo towers." Hundreds of Spanish-style houses, apartments, and bungalows were built throughout Southern California in the following decades, many of them commissioned for movie stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino.

The Spanish revival is marked by two main phases: the mission revival, which incorporates the white stucco, cloistered patios, tile roofs, and exposed-beam ceilings typical of eighteenth-century California missions; and the more elaborate Mediterranean revival, influenced by Spanish and Italian Renaissance sources, eighteenth-century Spanish plateresque and churrigueresque forms, and Moorish-Andalusian styles.

Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente.......2007-03-09

--Presents more than 30 interior designers based in and primarily working in the South, from Virginia to Florida to Texas.

-Each of the featured interior designers share ideas, philosophies, and backgrounds, and present a visual sampling of work.

-The extraordinary projects presented are among the most engaging, sophisticated, livable, and enduring you will find anywhere in the country.

New Orleans designer Angèle Parlange shows readers how to transform their homes and lives in true "Creole style"–creating modern beauty out of personal heritage without breaking the bank.

Southern tradition blends with modern whimsy in this first offering from famed New Orleans designer Angèle Parlange–and the result is this extraordinary home decor book. Known for her fresh designs and unexpected blends of the opulent and the offbeat, Parlange brings her particular brand of "Creole thift"–the art of making beautiful, quality decorations out of heritage pieces without spending a mint–straight to the budget–concious reader.

From a fabric pattern inspired by vintage 1830s calling cards to shower curtains originating in a seventy–year–old college football program, Parlange's designs are eclectic, riveting, and utterly gorgeous. An integral part of her design philosophy is that everyone has personal mementos that can be transformed into beautiful "cocktail dresses for the home," whether it's a string of Grandma's antique glass beads or the faded material from an awful (but sentimentally valuable!) high school prom dress. With "trash and treasures" from her own home, Parlange demonstrates how each object can be used to create something that is both uniquely personal and richly lavish.

Filled with wry anecdotes, recipes, illustrations, before–and–after photos, and step–by–step instructions, Parlangerie will inspire readers to unleash their imaginations, unpack those dusty attic boxes, and transform old keepsakes into signature items that add spice and life to the home.

Author Mark Mayfield and the editors of Southern Accents magazine have a firm grasp of the essence of Southern style and provide guidance on working the style into your own home; gorgeous full-color photographs provide the visual inspiration. The authors point out that one of the most obvious influences on the South's interiors has been the area's weather and environment. A sleeping-porch bedroom with mosquito netting over the bed, a large verandah stretching the length of the house, a living room filled with floral prints echoing the lush gardens outside are all hallmarks of Southern style. Historical changes have also helped defined the South's present decorating style. While some Southern traditions and trends have fallen by the wayside--for example, the trend of having a formal living room--others, such as formal dining rooms, have abided for decades because of their practical nature or cultural importance.

After a look at the interiors of Southern homes, including living, dining, and bedrooms, the book moves outside to take a look at Southern architecture and gardens. There's also a chapter regarding the South's efforts to preserve old architecture and interiors, as well as a listing of historic Southern homes and museums. A resource guide at the end of the book lists Southern interiors shops by state. The authors of Southern Style have done an impressive job of defining the elegant, warm design style of the South, one that all homeowners, not just Southerners, may want to integrate into their homes. --Kris Law

Southern Rooms, Volume 2: Magnolia Style—Southern Rooms Redefined is an inspirational collection of the current trends in Southern interior decoration created by well-known interior designers and is written by top-notch design journalist Shannon Howard.

The book highlights designers' vision, challenges, inspirations, and their individual style, and offers practical tips and ideas that readers might use in their own homes. Howard looks at what gives the South its unique appeal and what defines Southern style, and she provides answers as to why the South is a hotbed for new ideas and great design. She looks at the South's take on traditional, casual, eclectic, and rustic décor and provides a guide for shopping “magnolia style.”