Book Description
"Provides an excellent introduction as well as suggestions for using these plans to add architectural detail to your own home...an excellent bibliography."--Victorian Homes
"The best home, barn and landscape designs...in a charming book....[It] contains numerous original illustrations showing a wealth of construction details, site plans and plantings."--Fine Homebuilding
This classic bestseller contains the finest collection of architectural designs from a bygone era--and it's a boon for anyone hoping to construct that dream house or add charming touches to a modern one. Hundreds of illustrations from actual 19th century building plans feature architects' blueprints and drawings, full-color photos, and more. The buildings range from humble farmers' cabins to summer getaway cottages for the rich, and there's plenty of detail work, including built-in shelves, dormers, and turned balusters. With this information, an architect could easily create anything shown on the pages.
Customer Reviews:
LLL.......2007-07-26
I was very disappointed in this book. Ever since I learned that the house I grew up in was built in 1752, I've been fascinated with early American architecture, particularly old farmhouses, outbuildings and barns. I was hoping to discover the original floorplans for some of these sprawling farmsteads I've seen through the northeast and midwest. None of the houses included in this book look like any of the farmhouses I've seen. What about the huge two-story farmhouses meant to hold the dozen or so children farm families had in order to work the farm? Most had a large central hall at the entrance with a large staircase. Some had the kitchen in an ell so the whole house wouldn't be heated by the wood cook stove in the summer, or even had a separate summer kitchen. There is no mention of saltboxes or sprawling capecods with the sheds that connected to the barn. Plus every barn shown has the animals housed on a floor below ground level! Most of the old barns I've seen house the animals on the main level and have a loft for the hay. If you're looking for original floorplans of old houses you're familiar with, look elsewhere!
One-of-a-kind book.......2006-08-25
This was exactly what I was searching for....a history lesson on how to properly plan a site for a home with ancillary buildings on anything over an acre.
Nostalgia and Fun Bits of History.......2006-07-04
This book is all about 19th century buildings, just like the title says. These are the houses that pushed forth from the established coastal settlements through upstate NY, OH and the Midwest during that century of expansion. I confess that this isn't my preferred style of house, but the book itself is a delight. The illustrations are exquisite; Currier & Ives stuff that make you just want to jump into the scene. And the texts that accompany the plans are full of fun facts. This is not a scholarly text, just a breezy ride back through time with a guide that makes it all come alive. You'd have to be a real curmudgeon not to enjoy this book ...unless of course you were determinedly looking for something else. A note however on the coverage. Although the subject of the book is the 19th century, the early part of the century (Federal and Greek Revival in particular) up to about 1840 is not really treated in this book. This book is about what was built during the industrial revolution, when things -including house plans- were mass produced. Buy it for a couple of hours of light reading and some new perspectives on how we lived and built in the latter 2/3 of the 19th century.
A rare find of historic country building plans.......2001-04-14
I am an architect designing a house for a client -it is a Charleston Style house with the master bedroom in a "carriage house" attached at the rear. This book helped me to create/design a more authentic carriage house. I am a horse lover from way back so I ate up the book front to back! I was pleased to find many examples of architectural details and embellishments. The plans of historic houses and barns are a rare treasure. Would be fun to build one of the farm houses!
A background of the evolution of early american housing.......2001-03-21
Donald J. Berg does an outstanding job of showing the evolution of the designs and the backgrounds of the designers of single family housing primarily in the 19th century. The plans and illustrations are excellent for those that want to use them as a guide for present day construction.
Book Description
Reproduces all of Sheldon's fascinating and historically important photographs and plans for a total of 97 buildings (93 houses, 4 casinos) built during the 1880s. Adds a new, thoroughly accurate text by Arnold Lewis. Approximately 200 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Richly Illustrated.......2006-08-06
This book is richly illustrated with black & white photos of historic houses in the United States. For the person interested in houses from the gilded age, this book provides clear photographs with a minimum of text that can be studied in detail. The photos, more often than not, set the house in its surroundings, however photos of gardens and landscape architecture is minimal. This book is ideal for someone looking for ideas to incorporate into their own plans for home-building, as well as for students and professionals seeking a good photographic reference to the gilded age that covers houses in many regions of the country.
Interesting and Informative.......2006-05-27
The homes shown and described in this book are wonders of a world gone by, and sadly many of them have fallen to the wreakers ball. Thankfully, this book has saved the images, basic floor plans and stories of these magnificent homes. This book is a nice addition to any Victorian lovers library.
A smorgasbord of architectural opulence.......2001-01-12
"American Country Houses of the Gilded Age" reprints 100 photographs from "Artistic Country-Seats," a book originally published in 1886-87 with commentary by George William Sheldon. This new version of the collection replaces Sheldon's original comments with those of Arnold Lewis. But the real "stars" of the book are the 93 houses and four casinos portrayed in the excellent black-and white photos.
These houses represent some of the most stunning mansions of the late 19th century. Most of these buildings were built in the northeastern United States. Each plate is accompanied by both Lewis' comments and by a first floor plan.
The houses themselves represent many of the popular styles of the era: Tudor, "Shingle," Queen Anne, Chateauesque, Richardsonian Romanesque, Colonial Revival, and Exotic Revival. The crisp photography captures a wealth of beautiful details: covered verandas, stone arches, classical pillars, towers, pinnacles, parapets, half-timbering, castellations, fanciful dormers, and intricate decorative flourishes.
The only disappointing aspect to the book is the fact that only the first floor plans are included. Plans for the other floors would have increased the book's value as a record of social history. Nevertheless, the detailed first floor plans do offer fascinating insights into the lives of the wealthy families of the "Gilded Age." You can imagine yourself wandering through the billiard room or music room of your favorite mansion! If you are fascinated by American home architecture, or if you simply want a taste of this opulent era, you will love this book.
Excellent.......2000-08-21
This book let's readers see how the wealthiest people in America lived back in the late 1800's. The floor plans are, although small, completely readable. I do wish the author would have included the floor plans for the second, third, etc. floors. Great photographs and good desrciptions of the homes.
Well worth the money.......1999-08-04
I work in the home construction field and marvel at the houses that were erected in the late 19th century. I try to imagine what it would be like to build these homes today. Reading the book gives me an idea of the time and effort put into constructing these homes. The sad reality is that more than half of them have been lost to fire, the wrecking ball, or progress. I recommend this book to anyone who is working in the residential construction field. In particular anyone who is erecting our modern "McMansions"for the pseudo rich. The book will show you what a real Mansion should look like.
Customer Reviews:
Repetition of material.......2000-01-25
I bought this book because I was so pleased with Fine Homebuilder's book, More Small Houses. My disappointment was with the repetition of selected homes that were in both volumes. If you want one all around good selection of plans, try the Enclyclopedia of Home Designs by Home Planners.
Book Description
This book offers practical advice and plans to help you transport your daily life into the romantic and artistic trappings of Provence. It introduces you to this French region as well as an overview of French Country architecture and interior design. There are over 100 French-inspired home and landscape designs accompanied by striking renderings and easy-to-read plans.
Book Description
american Collection: Farmhouse Find the warmth and honesty of the farmhouse style with the 165 home plans featured in this book. Prospective homeowners can tour handsome finished homes for inspiration on building their own farmhouse plan.
Customer Reviews:
American Collection Farmhouse: 165 Home Plans.......2007-08-29
I feel the plans are very similar to plans already featured in other
books by Home Planners. The floor plans and exteriors are I believe
do not have the farm/country feel I was led to feel in the brief
description of the book. Most of the homes I could not imagine in
a "country,farm-like" setting.
Book Description
Providing a unique combination of full-color photography and illustrations,
Country & Farmhouse Home Plans offers readers 350 plans of the best-selling and stylish home designs available. From farmhouses with wraparound porches to center-hall colonials to comfy cape cods, this book offers a wide variety of home styles and sizes to fill the need for tradition and meet the budget of most readers. In addition to the designs, the book offers practical tips and advice to create the home of one's dreams.
Customer Reviews:
Loved it!.......2005-08-09
This book is layed out very clean. Each house plan is easy to view, really nice color pictures, and unlike some country/farm home books I've looked at - the houseplans truly fit the category. I highly recommend it if you're on the search for a plan.
Offering 350 home plans in full color.......2004-11-08
Offering 350 home plans in full color, 250- full-color renderings, tips on design, notes on home decorating, and quick and easy means to order services by phone or online, America, Country & Farmhouse Home Plans fully captures the experience of seasoned architects and designers. Vivid concept sketches, floor layouts, and full-color photographs make abundantly clear exactly the size, appearance, and structure of home one is getting with each plan. The homespun motif of country living reverberates in these dwellings; even a generations-bred city clicker will recognize the quiet, comfortable, practical feel to the design and empathy of each sample building, down to the sloping roofs meant expressly to prevent too much snow from piling up above. America, Country & Farmhouse Home Plans is an enjoyable and useful resource to page through, especially when contemplating decorations or especially architectural designs for one's own rural homestead.
Book Description
Japanese Country Style introduces sixteen unique and sumptuous homes rescued by Yoshihiro Takishita, a professional antiquarian, and illustrates how his renovations rejuvenated these all-but-forgotten architectural gems. Takishita candidly discusses the thoughts and inspirations that led him to adapt and convert these centuries-old farmhouses for modern living. Chapters on their unique history and construction demonstrate the value of these towering traditional homes, and illustrate their place in Japanese rural life, where several generations often lived under the same roof which allowed for a horse in the stable area and silkworms in the attic. Japanese Country Style also showcases the artful blending of traditional Japanese elements with modern lifestyles. Tatami rooms, Japanese antiques, traditional wooden furniture, and other treasures fill the rooms of these homes, and evoke the understated elegance of country-style living. With over 200 photographs and illustrations of beautifully refurbished folk homes, this volume presents a portrait of a sublime yet simple way of life that will give anyone interested in design and architecture a host it useful ideas. This books adopts a bilingual format, providing both Japanese and English commentary.
Customer Reviews:
Japanese Country Style: Putting New Life into Old Houses.......2005-07-26
Enjoyable reading. The author lovingly describes how he relocated and remodeled a selection of traditional Japanese farm houses that otherwise would have been destroyed. The descriptions of each house includes anectodal notes as well as beautiful photos of the houses interiors & exteriors. Thank goodness there are people who are interested in preserving a nation's cultural heritage.
Book Description
american Collection: Country Homes The rural character and relaxed, down-home spirit of country homes are among the most popular wishes in new homeownersand this wonderful collection delivers homes with all that and more.
Books:
- Arts & Crafts Home Plans: Showcasing 85 Home Plans in the Craftsman, Prairie and Bungalow Styles
- Baroque Baroque
- Big Red Barn Board Book (rpkg)
- Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs
- Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion
- Bungalow Basics: Kitchens
- Bungalow Bathrooms (Bungalow Basics)
- Bungalow Style: Creating Classic Interiors in Your Arts and Crafts Home
- Casa Mexicana Style
- Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui
Books Index
Books Home
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- Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands, 13th ed
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General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
The Farmhouse: Classic Homesteads of North America
The Farmhouse: New Inspiration for the Classic American Home
The Farmhouse Book
Creating a New Old House: Yesterday's Character for Today's Home (American Institute Architects)
American Farmhouses: Country Style and Design
