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
Much like the history of art, the history of interior design encompasses numerous styles, movements and the international political and social developments that have informed or challenged its evolution. This lavishly illustrated book will be of interest to anyone who appreciates interior design as well as antiques, furniture design, textiles, decorative objects and the general evolution of the space where we work and live.
The new edition contains 150 new photos, 35 new line drawings, 32 more pages, making it more lavish than the first. A companion web site filled with even more images is also new to this edition and offers great value.
Customer Reviews:
amazing resource!.......2006-07-19
WOW! beautifully organized and articulated. thoughtful and well-rounded discussion of the variation and evolution of interior design. it was purchased to use as a course resource (on 20th century American consumer culture), but am now tempted to buy my OWN copy.
Usefull For designers.......2006-07-05
It's a very interesting book, it offers a vew over design from ancient times to ower days. We can follow the developement of design over time. The book is recomended especialy for professional designers.
A History of Interior Design.......2006-03-25
I really do enjoy the book except that on some important topics in the class I am taking with this book there is little information. Nonetheless on the topics it greatly expands upon the book shows impressive and accurate knowledge. The pictures also aid in examples and are for the msot part the best picture examples that any book could offer.
Don't like history -- but love design? Buy this book!.......2006-01-14
If you're bored with historical overviews of a discipline, you're in for a surprise. Pile brings interior design to life with vibrant examples, wonderful background detail, and the kind of information that will help you understand this arena with much more depth.
The Wonderful Mr. Pile.......2005-06-24
History of Interior Design is great. I study interior design and, without John Pile's books, this wide-ranging subject would have been far more difficult. Studying the subject "history of interior design" would have been such a struggle for me without having this book at my side. I just couldn't find all I needed on the internet. Apart from the high quality paper and excellent images, John Pile has a writing style that gets his point across very clearly. That makes for rapid reading and faster absorption of information.
Book Description
From the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia and Quitandinha in Brazil to her important fabrics for F. Schumacher & Co. and her automobile and airplane interiors of the 1950s, Draper continues to influence designers today.
Customer Reviews:
Dorothy Draper: an inspiration to her field! .......2007-10-12
As one of the previous commentators stated, this book is a wonderful book in terms of historical significance to the Decorating/Interior Design field, but this book is certainly not a "how to" book on decorating. Therefore, if you are looking for a basic "how to decorate" book, then this book may not be a way to go.
HOWEVER......
If a person is buying this book as an historical reference book to their home decorating (or interior design) library, then this book would be a wonderful addition.
For example, if I were a person majoring in a form of home decorating field, then this book would be of tremendous value. WHY?...because so many ideas that Dorothy Draper implemented are still being used today or still inspiring home decorators today!! (eg: if you were to look at Jonathan Adler's current design concepts, you will see alot of Dorothy Draper's influence in Jonathan's work). Thus, Dorothy Draper's influence to the home decorating field is truly immesurable.
This hardback book is large in size.The photos are amazing. Most are in black-and-white since that is how the photos were orignally taken. But still,....the author describes the colors that would have been used in the book's B&W photos, and THAT helps the reader so much! I could certainly visualize what the B&W photos would be like in color, thanks to Carlton's wonderful descriptions.
The Height of Glamour.......2007-07-12
When High STYLE was "in-style" Dorothy Draper was the queen of design... Every page reflects her understanding of space, light and perfection!!! This isa great read for the design professional as well as the casual reader. Her life story and her work are inseperable - she loved beautiful things and had an un-erring eye for the dramatic. "In the Pink: Dorothy Draper --America's Most Fabulous Decorator" is a visual treat as much as it is a fun read! As an iterior designer I see her design principles are as easily applied today as it was in the age of glamour. I would give it a 5!!! all across the board.
The gorgeous terror of excess, or "How I was blinded with ornament".......2007-06-01
While Kelly Wearstler was still in the womb, Dorothy Draper was jetsetting the style world in a solid gold Deusenburg that was fueled exclusively on Chanel no. 5. Her contribution to the interiors and custom fabricated furnitures and fixtures has forever seared a scar into the homes of hollywood and beyond. Liberace himself would be sent into a seizure over Dorothy's hallucinagenic oppulence and fearless approach to her indulgent, decorative torture chambers. Get this book and blow your mind.
Absolutely gorgeous book.......2007-04-06
It took a while for me to finally decide to drop that kind of coin on a book, but its absolutely gorgeous and worth the price. Very cool to page through and see her imprint on decorating and design through the 30's up to now. You page through a Domino magazine and see a cool black and white modern print on a white french chair and think 'wow' and then you page through the book and see that she was doing it in the 40's. Just makes me wish I had my own chandelier fabricator and my own master plasterer as those seem to be her tricks of the trade. Beautifully put together and one of the few decorating books I actually wanted to READ every word and not just page through for the pretty pics.
As History & Biography: Bravo! As Design Inspiration: Blah!.......2007-04-02
I bought this book for my wife, who is an artist and color consultant, because I thought she'd enjoy seeing an iconic designer known for her bold use of color and thematic environments -- especially done on a grand scale. And, yes, you will find page after page after page of grand ballrooms, hotel lobbies, mansion-size dining rooms, and so on here.
80% of them, unfortunately, are photographed in black & white. So much for the bold use of color.
There are two great color photos -- pages 161 and 207 -- that show off Draper's lush, vibrant style. But the rest of the book is either slightly out of focus color photos, color illustrations and old ads, or black & white photos. It's just sad in how it under-represents Dorothy Draper.
"But be fair," you say. "Dorothy Draper's peak took place before the advent of color photography." That's fine. But this book is a perfect example of the rare publishing project that truly is BEGGING for Photoshop colorization. On page 53, for example, the text refers to a House & Garden magazine article which declared one of Draper's most visible design projects, Hampshire House, to be "a gold mine of decorating ideas, particularly in color." And yet all four photos on that spread are in black & white, as are the spreads before and after it. A very good Photoshop artist -- and several do perfect, true-to-life work -- could give those old black & white shots the vivid, vibrant colors that would represent Dorothy Draper properly and accurately without changing Draper's style one iota.
As I say in my title, as a history (of the advent of superstar designers) and a biography (of Draper), this is a very good book that should not be overlooked. But how can you do a history of bold interior design, or a biography of a top interior designer, without SHOWING the vivacious use of color which was central to both? That's like doing a bio of Abe Lincoln without including the Gettysburg Address.
So is this worth seeing? Definitely. Worth buying used? Probably. Worth buying new? Only if you're rich.
Book Description
Francis D. K. Ching's illustrated introduction to interior design is now completely revised and even more clear and accessible than in the previous bestselling edition. His unique approach is more useful than ever, with a reformatted, larger trim size for easy reading and an all-new full color section! The book includes new and updated material on finishes, furnishings and textiles, lighting, sustainability, acoustics, workstations, and much more. Order your copy today!
Customer Reviews:
great book.......2007-05-12
This book is a great book. no color pictures but only scetches. This book is about scale, orientation, symmetry, proportion, shape of objects and interiors etc etc. You get the idea. I recommend you buy this book.
Excellent illustrations.......2007-01-28
No regrets for having bought the book. Excellent illustrations, something you can refer to over and over again!
Interior Design Illustrated.......2006-03-02
I got this book earlier than i expected and it is everything i expected.
Great Resource.......2003-11-13
I am currently getting my degree in ID, and I think that this resource is invaluable. The drawings are great and they really help with perspectives and rendering.
Excellent but abit outdated.......2002-02-15
The auther is fantastic, the book is well written otherwise he wouldn't have got the 4 stars, the book covers the subject from A to Z literally speaking, a must have, BUT it is too much outdated.
Book Description
In this lavishly illustrated book, Hollywood's hottest new interior designer shows readers how mixing and matching designs from different eras and adding an element of the unexpected can redefine any room–residential or commercial.
With a painter's eye for colour, unwavering esteem for the historic, and a finely tuned sense of detail, Kelly Wearstler, one of Hollywood's most talked about young interior designers, has led her Los Angeles–based interior design firm, kwid (Kelly Wearstler Interior Design), to national prominence with an array of noted residential and commercial projects. Now, she shares her famous design philosophies and secrets, and inspires readers to create unexpected style in their own homes. Through full–colour photographs and sketches and informative text, Kelly explains the elements of unexpected style: inspiration, shapes and forms, graphics, texture and colour, masculine vs. feminine, and unusual details. Kelly takes readers through the creative process and shows how a Franco–Chinese piece of vintage wallpaper led her to a shopping spree in Paris and inspired the layered, classic look of the hotel Maison 140 in Beverly Hills. She explains the need for "icebreakers" in a room and how unexpected designs and details can lighten a room's load.
This is the perfect book for anyone looking for new and creative ways to decorate their homes. Whether it's shopping for a bedside table, putting reflective paint on the underside of a dining room table, or finishing a ceiling with high–gloss paint, she inspires readers to add an element of the unexpected to their homes. Others will enjoy living vicariously through Kelly's shopping sprees throughout the US, Asia, and Europe and appreciate discovering how each item found is a starting off point for a fresh and fun room design.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent & Inspiring.......2007-10-05
Kelly Wearstler's creative expressions inspire in her book, Modern Glamour. I found the book to be beautifully presented and packed with ideas I'd love to incorporate into my own work & home.
Eye candy.......2007-08-06
I was pleasantly surprised as to what an interesting read this book is - having bought a copy of this after her second book "Domicillium Decoratus", I wasn't expecting a lot of text. It's not revolutionary, but still an interesting insight to her processes. For those who are fans of Wearstler's style there are lots of photos of completed projects, some I'd previously not seen before - like her old LA apartment, and others of her buying up antiques and art in exotic locations. As a designer, I think this is a good book to add to your reference library. Kelly is a master at combining styles and colours that are seemingly disparate, so it's a great source of inspiration - or even just a bit of eye candy.
A beautiful book.......2007-02-12
Kelly Wearstler's top projects (including her old apartment and her current office) are photographed beautifully and can really provide inspiration if you enjoy her graphic, bold and irreverent style. There's a bit of Dorothy Draper in her aesthetic, in that she too takes classic influences and twists them in a way that is thoroughly modern and completely beautiful. A lovely book.
Are Kelly and Jonathan The Same Person?.......2006-09-27
Is Kelly Wearstler Jonathan Adler in drag? Or vice versa? Both are wildly talented people, who just happen to use the same things in their work, same colors, etc. Jonathan is an artist, who adoringly references and copycats retro pottery, and makes it unqiuely his own. Kelly is a cool chick, good dresser, has tons of style and can make a pretty room out of old glam junk and ideas. I love them both, and their books are worth having. I wish Kelly had more personal rooms. Too many hotel rooms which are very stagey. In the book she says she didn't like doing set design, yet that's what she does - designs sets for cool people like her to inhabit. Hollywood Regency is the word bandied about to describe both Jonathan & Kelly, he sometimes getting the East coast moniker of Palm Beach Style too (and she the West coast of Palm Springs). I say if you shop on eBay you will see all this great junk (just search Hollywood Regency) that I call eBay Regency. Both books give you a few ideas of how to put it together. Jonathan is more playful, Kelly more serious, but both make wonderful, zany, colorful, retro inspired modern human rooms. I think they bring back the words INTERIOR DECORATOR, so refreshing after everyone and his mother is a DESIGNER (used to be everyone's mother was a station wagon driving decorator with a business on the side). I wonder if these two have ever met, and if so do they like one another, or are they really the same person?
By the way get his book too, if you don't already have it JONATHAN ADLER PRESCRIPTION FOR ANTI DEPRESSIVE LIVING - they have it here at Amazon.
Fifteen Minutes of Drama........2006-08-11
This designer clearly aims for exclamations of surprises from viewers. She has an admirable eye for color. But for real class and style, refer to and study truly great and original minds like the late David Hicks, Madeleine Castaing, Jacques Garcia, and the highly intellectual Jacques Grange. Then re-interpret to suit your life and add your own sense drama for a real originality.
Book Description
The hands-on sourcebook for creating or restoring a stylish bathroom in the Arts & Crafts spirit. In this sequel to the best-selling Bungalow Kitchens, Jane Powell and Linda Svendsen turn to the second most complex room in the house. As reflected in these pages, the bathroom can-and should-be a beautiful extension of the home style-and what better examples than those from the Arts & Crafts era. Though it may seem a self-evident feature of the Arts & Crafts style, bungalow bathrooms are truly artistic endeavors. They go beyond the traditional pedestal sink and claw-foot tub to some of the most beautiful tile work, woodwork, fixtures, and decorative elements available. Bungalow Bathrooms is a guide to restoring or designing a period-style bathroom for a bungalow or other early-twentieth-century house. It provides a wealth of information about flooring, cabinets, countertops, fixtures, faucets, and all the other elements that make up a bungalow bathroom, as well as advice on how to integrate modern technology while maintaining the bungalow look. Jane Powell, the author of Bungalow Kitchens, is the proprietor of House Dressing, a business dedicated to renovating and preserving old homes, particularly bungalows. She is the former president of the historic preservation organization in her hometown of Oakland, California. Linda Svendsen, a graduate of Music and Art High School and Parsons School of Design in New York, specializes in architectural interior and exterior photography. Her work has been seen most recently in Camps and Cottages, Bungalow Kitchens, Old House Journal, Old House Interiors, Victorian Decorating, and Lifestyles Magazine.
Customer Reviews:
Great Pictures.......2007-08-05
In the midst of planning for the remodeling of my bathroom in the Arts & Crafts style, I found this book filled with plenty of pictures and examples of bathrooms from that time period. Arts & Crafts magazines rarely show pictures of bathrooms. So it was great to have a book that was filled with such a variety of pictures as well as giving the history of this time period and tips for those who actually want to restore their bathrooms. Better money spent than trying to buy a huge amount of magazines hoping to get one picture here and there.
Not useful for building my new bungalow home.......2007-03-10
If I were restoring an old bungalow, this book probably would have been useful. The author gives explanations of "Obsessive Restoration" and a "Compromise Solution" for each part of a period Bungalow bathroom. For my new Craftsman bungalow, I merely want to bring in a few period touches, so the examples in this book were too extreme for me. Also, the author wastes too many pages discussing the history of bathrooms, which is irrelevant to me. Her companion book, "Bungalow Kitchens" is much the same.
Great for Remodels & Restorations.......2007-01-11
This book was very helpful for selecting the tile, fixtures, and faucets needed to achieve a bungalow-look for my bathroom.
No bungled bathrooms with Bungalow Bathrooms!.......2007-01-10
This little book is a goldmine for anyone who wants to put together an early 1900's bathroom. Almost everyone has seen the beautiful tiled baths of the past, but when one is trying to recreate such a room it is often hard to recall exactly what it was that made it so special. This richly illustrated book leaves no doubt. I recently wanted to put together one of these baths in my home, and finding this book made it possible beyond my wildest expectations. Anyone who has a similar project, or just wants to learn more about this style of room, will find Jane Powell's book worth its price - many times over.
best bungalow book.......2006-03-24
Together writer Jane Powell and photographer Linda Svendsen create the best bungalow books on the market. Whether you are thinking of remodelling your bathroom, changing a few details, or just want to understand the history of your bathroom, this is the book to buy.
Book Description
With its unforgettable images of oceanfront vistas and creative decorating details,
Family Houses by the Sea invites us to sample the gracious possibilities of living within reach of a gentle offshore breeze. The book's beautiful photographs capture the varied but always engaging personalities of seaside homes around the world.
Illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Sumptuous and inspiring.......2000-12-22
I received this book for my birthday last year and still enjoy looking at it. In fact, I was getting ready to order it for a friend for the holidays when I saw an earlier review of this book that also mentioned another vacation home book called Second Home, I bought it, too. I highly recommend both books. This is wonderful dream book, as is Second Home. Second Home also includes pointers (throughout the book) on deciding where you might want to have a second home, real estate shopping tips, and ideas on building and decorating, too. Second Home is as inspiring as Family Houses by the Sea, but it offers the bonus of being practical and talking directly to me about what I can do to actually realize my dream of having a weekend house.
One of our favorites.......2000-11-17
We are accumulating a wonderful little stack of books related to second homes as we plan a getaway of our own. This one is a favorite because of its dreamy photography. I also highly recommend SECOND HOME: Finding Your Place In The Fun, which is a new book that mixes dreamy photos of real homes with some helpful tips on finding a location as well as buying, building, remodeling, or decorating a second home. Like Family Houses, Second Home is a larger hardback book. Gorgeous.
Family houses - eclectically by the sea.......2000-10-07
And therein lies the beauty of this book. Yes, some of the homes are older & some are rustic-but there's the sleek & contemporary too. In other words, something for everyone who loves to live by the water (or wishes they did). Buy this book to appreciate the different ways to express loving the natural light & atmosphere in a home that is reflective of the sea. You may not get Decorating Lessons 1-100 - but thats not the point. You can escape thru this book, dream thru it, share it, admire those who have created beautiful spaces in beautiful places - without displaying every obvious "seaside" nic-nac but with much good taste & class. Buy it for those pleasures & of knowing that kind of life does exist & can be lived by those to whom it means the most. To the authors - a beautiful volumn - thank you for seeking these places out & creating an arm chair trip to some incredibly beautiful spots by the water.
A Classic.......2000-09-08
A beautiful book that captures what it feels, smells and looks like to live by the sea. If you want glitzy resort style houses then this book is not for you. The houses shown are not show cases for a glossy magazine but places filled with memories and life. It's my favourite beach house book.
Seaside Fantasies Brought to Life.......2000-06-30
This book was my inspiration for a beach house I just finished completely cosmetically rehabilitating. The book took me all the way through the process by stimulating me with the beautiful visuals of its photos. I would look through it repeatedly, looking one time at flooring, another at windows, and so on, depending on where I was in my rehab process. I can't imagine it not being a superb stimulus for anyone.
Book Description
Whoever said “Everything old is new again” could have been talking about French Pompadour Style. The flamboyant, opulent, refined aesthetic—so characteristic of the eighteenth century—has enjoyed a spectacular revival in recent years. In The New Eighteenth-Century Style, journalist Michèle Lalande and photographer Gilles Trillard, both experts in the field of interior décor, survey 30 examples of this quintessential blending of exquisite detail and ostentatious affluence. From lush velvet upholstery to the emblematic use of turquoise with gold accents, these perfectly captured interiors beguile the reader with well-worn extravagance. In an era of “shabby chic” the more refined, more pristine accents of Pompadour may be just what the world of interior décor needs—and this beautiful book provides an indispensable guide.
Customer Reviews:
Love that shabby chic French style!.......2007-06-01
An absolutely smashing book, full of details. After all, it is the details that make the room finishesd and unique. This is a classic look in my way of thinking, but then again, it is my style! A decorator by trade, I am always open to new concepts, and I found the book to offer many different perspectives on the same style, pages after pages of them. Excellent book layout and design, and wonderful photography.
Lovely book.......2007-04-04
I'm an artist & antique collector and not an interior designer by trade, so I am totally enjoying this book. I find it to be a lovely book full of great photography and many interesting details to spark one's imagination. Regardless of the fact that all the styles are not necessarily my own taste, the book as a whole is great fun to look at and I found it inspiring. Each time I looked at a room, I found some new little detail that I'd missed the first time around. It made me itch to re-vamp a room, stat, and I consider anything that inspires me or makes me feel creative money well spent.
Dangerous Liasons.......2007-02-09
This is a pretty, pretty book with lots of great stuff to look it, lots of interesting vignettes. It's French shabby, chippy _hit, uh, I mean chic. This was a great trend in the mid 1990's here in the USA before Rachel A. made shabby and chic a brand. Big style on a budget using detrius no one wanted. And it was cheap back then. Just took a can of white paint to chic up everything.
These French 18th century and 18th century inspired objets in this book, are not cheap. They are shabby and they are beautiful. The vignettes look like the Broadway stage set for the play Dangerous Liasons - decay, messy, artful, romantic, monochromatic and mad.
Like many decor books, the vignettes are impossible to see as life like - like does anyone really live in these vignettes. Still, they are beautiful to look at. The new 18th century style is a little like the new emperor's clothes. Smoke and mirrors to the highest degree of accomplishment. Get this book for the fun of it.
Fabulous Book! .......2006-11-18
If you're style is that of a Paris flea market, the bazaar in Bombay or a eclectic old shop somewhere in Eastern Europe, you'll love this book. Great photography; the individualism of each space comes through with color and texture. My new favorite. The highlight is more photos of the Stockholm attic apartment, which is a true style icon.
French Flea Market (if you like that look).......2006-11-02
More like Madame Pompadour is probably rolling over in her grave. I hope to goodness gracious that this isn't the new 18th century style. If you like 18th century style on a seriously tight budget then you may enjoy this book. It's full of pages of colorless 'schemes', seriously abused furniture and icy cold lighting. Was it all photographed in rooms with Northern exposure? The editors of Veranda will love this book. I am an interior designer who collects period 18th century furniture and art. I have truly studied 18th century furniture, decorative arts and customs for years and this is a popular look although I find it horribly depressing. On the positive side - the photography in this book is very well done. If you like French flea market 'junk' then you'll love this. I gave it a 4 vs. a 2 because the quality of the book is excellent and the photography is excellent but much of my disdain for this book is from this horrendous & prevalent style that I wish would go away.
Book Description
Filled with handsome photographs of retro-style kitchens, this is a "what to" book for those who want to learn how to restore or re-create a bungalow-era kitchen. It is filled with invaluable information describing what was in these kitchens, when it was available, and how it went together. You will be inspired to re-create the Bungalow aesthetic of old while enjoying contemporary conveniences.
Customer Reviews:
Priority for the Poor.......2007-07-21
Being on the extremely limited budget, the idea of restoring our 1923 craftsman kitchen to the obsessive original is not even an option. This fabulous book gives you numerous ideas/ paths as to what a $100,000 restoration would encompass, and then provides compromises that the 'normal' home owner can accomplish with great results. It definitely made me re-contemplate several ideas that we had already set in stone, and I think ultimately will save us investment money. My favorite aspect of this book? Unlike several bungalow magazines (which will go unnamed) that feel the need to pretentiously describe the 'color of fumed oak' and ten million other things that the average home owner will never afford or see, Jane Powell is down to earth and able to 'talk' to you like your neighbor next door.
Not useful for building my new bungalow home.......2007-03-10
If I were restoring an old bungalow kitchen, this book might have been more useful. But I am just trying to bring some period touches to the new Craftsman bungalow that I'm building. The author gives examples of "Obsessive Restoration" and a "Compromise Solution" for each element of restoring a bungalow kitchen. I found a few things useful, such as what countertops were found in a period bungalow, but I could have found that elsewhere on the internet. In addition, the author wasted way too many pages discussing the history of kitchens, which is irrelevant to me. Her companion book, "Bungalow Bathrooms" is much of the same.
What a great resource!.......2007-02-22
I've been toying for years with plans to fix up the kitchen in our 1923 American Foursquare house, but last year when both my nonagenarian grandmothers moved into Assisted Living Facilities, I found myself clearing out their kitchens. When I brought some of their vintage kitchen equipment into my own kitchen, it suddenly came clear that my own kitchen re-do simply had to honor the history of my house and more importantly, the histories of my grandmothers' kitchens.
I am in no way interested in obsessive restoration, but I really needed to see what kitchens of my grandmothers' childhoods and young married lives would look like. What might my own kitchen have looked like when it was first built? There are charming Craftsman details elsewhere in my home... under the barn-red paint and 1970's "country primitive" wallpaper, what was the feel of this room?
This book is like a stroll through a neighborhood-full of kitchens from this era, wonderfully photographed and clearly explained. While my kitchen renovation will be a relatively simple project, I am thrilled to have such a lovely resource on which to base my search for the kitchen that lies beneath all that paint!
My favorite home decorating book bar none.......2006-12-27
I can't even count the number of times I've reread this book or just leafed through and admired the fabulous pictures. As the owner of a 1920 foursquare, nothing makes me sadder than to see an old house that's been "improved" by someone with no sense of history or vintage style. This book celebrates vintage kitchens in painstaking detail, describing the form and function of every single surface, nook and cranny. If you're using this book as a "how to" guide, the authors are realistic enough to give you several levels of authenticity from which to choose -- for instance, are you going to go all the way and have a vintage icebox? Can you not live without a microwave and dishwasher? What kind of screws should you use on your cabinet hinges if you want to be "period authentic?" The companion bathroom book is great, too, but this book is my very favorite and inspired me to replace my brand new (but characterless) gas stove with a yellow and green 1920's model with shapely long legs!
Best Bungalow Book.......2006-03-24
Together writer Jane Powell and photographer Linda Svendsen create the best bungalow books on the market. Whether you are thinking of remodelling your kitchen, changing a few details, or just want to understand the history of your kitchen, this is the book to buy.
Average customer rating:
- FRENCH BY DESIGN
- Should you buy French By Design?
- Beautifully presented.
- Brilliant, Great Sense of Design, a Visual Delight
- France, American Style
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French by Design
Betty Lou Phillips
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
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Similar Items:
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Unmistakably French
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Provencal Interiors: French Country Style in America
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French Influences
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Villa Decor: Decidedly French and Italian Style
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Secrets of French Design
ASIN: 0879059729 |
Book Description
The enduring appeal of French-country style spans the centuries, a gracious mingling of elegance and ease. After years of largely echoing the furniture, fabrics, and accessories linked with the region of Provence, these days French country is often far removed from the primitive images that hearken back to the early seventeenth century. Room by room, FRENCH BY DESIGN reveals the secrets to creating a contemporary French-country look, including textiles, furniture, floor coverings, window treatments, color palettes, wall treatments and lighting, thus allowing anyone to bring the look home.
Customer Reviews:
FRENCH BY DESIGN.......2007-01-12
I ACTUALLY BOUGHT THIS BOOK BY MISTAKE AS I THOUGHT I HAD ORDERED "UNMISTAKENLY FRENCH" BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
Should you buy French By Design?.......2005-08-13
I just did. The homes & rooms featured in this book indicate that money is no object and these homeowners want you to know it. Subtlety is non-existant. Rooms are very "we had a decorator & we spent a LOT". Most items looks too new, too ruffled, smocked, tucked and otherwise adorned. HOWEVER, if you can get past the pictures & READ THE TEXT- Phillips has a lot to say that is excellent. She lists sources & frequently shares fascinating comments on everyday details of French style (who knew about brass hardware vs brushed nickel?). If you read; buy it. If you look only at photos, don't! Charles Faudree is much better in the genre in my opinion.
Beautifully presented........2005-01-20
Another of Philips' beautiful French decorating books. Homes presented in this book, as with her other books are high end showing us the sumptuous fabrics, and lovely French furniture she specializes in. Homes shown are mostly mansions, not the average house. Good coffee table book.
Brilliant, Great Sense of Design, a Visual Delight.......2004-04-22
Not unlike all of Phillips' books, this book is a masterpiece of European syle and design. No detail is left unnoticed. The furniture, fabrics, antiques, architecture, artwork, and carved stone are each carefully considered and beautifully photographed. Every page is a visual delight. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
France, American Style.......2003-04-03
Beautiful photos and interesting commentary on French social customs. However, the featured residences are not French, but American homes decorated "in the French style," which is somewhat disappointing.
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