Book Description

" The entire story of furniture is presented as it never has been before.Written with great verve and in a highly accessible style, The History of Furniture conveys a vast knowledge of history and design with stunning intellectual clarity.In surveying the development of furniture from antiquity to the present day, John Morley focuses on the Western traditions, but he includes the outside influences of China and Japan, India, Egypt, and Africa.His bravura analysis reveals connections between pieces of furniture, such as the direct line from antiquity to a neoclassical French commode, a Biedermeier dressing table, and a twentieth-century bois clair cocktail cabinet.

The story is shaped by a conflict between "classical" and "anti-classical," order and fantasy, and includes the wild extravagances of exotic styles.We see how the simple challenge of making a chair to sit on could generate a huge variety of forms, depending not only on changing fashion in interiors, as well as motifs, ornaments, and ideas from the worlds of politics, religion, architecture, and the fine arts.Works by famous designers-Boulle, Chippendale, Riesener, Makintosh, Eames-appear clearly in the context of the stylish ideals of their times, and nearly 700 illustrations are closely integrated into the text.

The result is not only an essential reference tool for everyone concerned with collecting, selling, or studying furniture and the decorative arts but also a tour de force of scholarship that will enthrall anyone with the least interest in the traditions of Western culture." ... Read more

Book Description

Acclaimed furniture designer George Nakashima (1905-1990) made boldly original pieces prized for their superb craftsmanship and their organic use of the natural lines and grain of wood. Today his beautiful creations are avidly sought by private collectors and are housed in museum collections all over the world. This survey of Nakashima's life and work-written by his daughter, the noted designer Mira Nakashima-is the most revealing look we have ever had at this woodworking genius and his profound influence on contemporary design. Mira Nakashima chronicles not only the furniture designs for which her father was best known, but also his equally fine work as an architect. Illustrated with a wealth of photographs never before published and containing much new information from the Nakashima studio archives, Nature, Form, and Spirit is timed to coincide with the release of a full-length documentary film on Nakashima and an exhibition at the Mingei International Museum in San Diego. In exploring his personal and philosophic journey, Mira Nakashima provides a remarkable look at the development of an artist whose reverence for nature was at the heart of his creative work. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Japanese National Treasure
I attended an auction a few weeks ago and a fabulous 16 foot long George Nakashima bench from the Dana house in Chilmark, MA sold for $20, 000. This peaceful item intrigued me and I wanted to learn more about this modern master. Just in time to quench my curiosity, Nature, Form, and Spirit: Abrams published The Legacy of George Nakashima. Lavishly illustrated with archival photos of the family home, vintage catalogs, working drawings, plus new photos of classic pieces this oversized hardcover is a great addition to your library.

Written by his daughter Mira, Nature, Form, and Spirit showcases Nakashima's sparse strong furniture as well as his architecture. Vital, collectable, and contemporary Nakashima's furniture is memorable for its simple designs hewn from monumental pieces of wood. Represented in museum collections around the world Nakashima was declared a national treasure by the Japanese Emperor in 1983.

Although he is deceased, the Nakashima legacy continues as Mira Nakashima continues to produce her father's bold and original designs. If they are within budget check out http://www.nakashimawoodworker.com. If you can't afford a piece of this masters furniture then the next best thing is owning this gorgeous book. ... Read more

Book Description

Robbie Blakemore leads us on a breathtaking journey through five millennia of interior space. This book presents a comprehensive survey of the major historical periods of architectural and decorative styles and offers the reader a unique approach to the history of interior space, architectural details, and furniture. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Outstanding Book -Dont miss it
This is an outstanding book, with plenty of pictures - great insider material on furniture and architecture. And I already have a design MA with my own firm.

NOT SUCH GREAT BUY
I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS TWO REVIEWERS, THIS BOOK IS GREAT ONLY IN THE WRITTEN INFORMATION, IN THE PICTORIALS IT IS INDEED SORELY LACKING. I HONESTLEY SAY THIS WITH FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE I MYSELF AM CURRENTLY A DESIGN STUDENT, AND I HAD TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK FOR A MAJOR PART OF MY INTERIOR DESIGN EDUCATION. I RECOMMEND THAT THIS BE A BOOK THAT YOU CHECK OUT FROM THE LIBRARY FOR REFERENCE AND NOT ONE YOU PURCHASE.

Underwhelming and overpriced
The text of this volume is decent and well organized but in the area that most designers are interested in, visual examples, it is sorely lacking. A very minimal section of color photographs (which jump from Roman to the Renaissance. No sign of the Gothic)and a series of low contrast black and white ones are augmented with a series of uninspired drawings. All of this might still be helpful and useful were it not for the price. There are many volumes on furniture and decor that have come on the market recently which are superior in their content and priced more reasonably.

Better for furniture/antiques dealers than designers
This book is a good encyclopedia of the history of interior design going back to ancient era- it catalogues the general overview for each period chronologically, explaining the function and materiality of a space or piece of furniture. The book is particularly nice for classifying particular styles of furniture and may be more suited to an antiques dealer or furniture dealer than a professional interior designer. The major problem i have with the book is that most if not all of the photographs are black and white, and it completely skips the modern era of design, pretty much ending with the turn of the 19th century. No mention of my favorites like Mies van der Rohe or Mr. Wright. This absence somehow makes this book seem incomplete. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

1000 Chairs
It is a great coffee table book that covers almost 200 years of chair design. As with many other books in the Taschen series, it is written in English, German, and French on each page. The book begins with an introduction about the form and function that must be included in chair design. After this, there is a picture of the chair, a description, the designer's name, the year, and some other miscellaneous information. Many of the designers are architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Antonio Gaudi i Cornet. It is very inspirational to interior and industrial designers and architects. This is a great book just to skim through.

Needs to include more Dunbar and Edward Wormley
Very good overview.. wish they would have spent more time on mid-century modern leaders like Edward Wormley of Dunbar fame.

Those in the know -- seek out Wormley for a clear viewpoint on the essence of modern design.

Turn up the stereo and pass me a martini...

Great Book
This book has pictures of 1000 different kinds of chairs and is a great resource. It has adequate information about Eames chairs which have become known worldwide. It has many other kinds of chairs including some very exotic chairs.

1000 chairs
Read through this book, let me know how great is the designer is. In fact, i'm not so familar to the chair. i started to learn how to appreciate those design.

a small book with big content
This is a very informative reference book on chairs. The introduction summarises succinctly the significance of chairs in our day to day life. It's not only something that we could sit on. The book is conveyed in 3 different languages, illustrated with mixtures of colour & B&W pictures. Biographies of the designers & manufacturers' information come in rather handy indeed. Brief descriptions of chairs are useful at times but then again, I'm finding the descriptions too brief for my full understanding. If the book is too technical, this would turn off general public who merely want to have a general overview on designer or lifestyle chairs. The book was published in 1997 & needless to say, more new chairs would have come out by now. Then again, I'm not complaining considering that almost all modern classics chairs are included. I think it's quite risky to try to squeeze too much information into one book. Having said that, this book deserves a spot on my coffee-table for being a well presented book (as we expect of Taschen) & as a good talking point. ... Read more

Book Description

The crowning glory in many a classically proportioned room, the chandelier is once again enjoying the spotlight. Whether a traditional design or one found in the flea market, whether ballroom glass or galvanized steel, its shimmering beautyprevails in even the most modern interiors. This book takes the reader through the history of the chandelier from its first candle-lit forms to the innovative designs produced throughout the world today. With 200 beautiful photographs in a variety of settings, this book reveals what a chandelier can do for your home. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Shimmer and Shine
If you are a student of decorative arts or you simply love the sparkle of crystal droplets and soft candlelight in a dimly lit room, "Chandeliers" is for you. It is lavishly illustrated and informative. Hilliard offers a thorough history of the chandelier, from the most rustic wood or bronze medieval pieces to the highly refined crystal showpieces of the 18th and 19th centuries to fanciful Venetian glass creations and contemporary works. Chandeliers are shown in period settings as well as in modern homes and in unexpected settings. An excellent resource list of antique dealers and retailers is also provided complete with website addresses. ... Read more

Book Description

John Townsend (1732–1809) is one of the most revered cabinetmakers of Colonial America. He spent his life in Newport, Rhode Island, leaving a uniquely large body of documented work. This handsome and generously illustrated book—the first publication ever devoted to Townsend—looks at the life and legacy of this extraordinary cabinetmaker.

The book opens with an overview of Newport and a discussion of other important cabinetmakers, including Job and Christopher Townsend, John’s father and uncle. John worked as an apprentice to his father before establishing his own shop when he was twenty-one. The catalogue section of this volume presents new color reproductions, including details of carving and construction and inscriptions and labels, of all thirty-five documented pieces by John Townsend. Comparative works by Christopher, Job, Job Jr., and Edmund Townsend as well as by John Goddard, another significant Newport cabinetmaker of the time, are also featured. Other documentation includes: a genealogical chart of the Townsend and Goddard families; wills and inventories of Christopher and John Townsend; a list of Townsend family furniture; names of John Townsend’s clients; and a list of all documented Newport furniture.
... Read more

Book Description

A completely revised edition, covering every period and development to the present, the designers and makers, the woods and other materials, the architecture and decoration. 2,000 photographs. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Boring
This is an encyclopedia of furniture. The information on each subject is limited. It makes a good quick reference, but didn't help me too much..

Good dictionary-style book
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FURNITURE is more like a dictionary of design terms with pictures of specific furniture pieces. It gives a brief history of the furniture periods, but it will not aide you in learning about the characteristics of the pieces in each style. It is a good choice if you are looking for a quick reference guide with pictures and definitions. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"The first axiom for camp is... do not make yourself uncomfortable for want of things to which you are accustomed," advised The Complete Indian Housekeeper and Cook in 1890 to high-born Brits living in India, most of which England had by that point colonized through a succession of wars, or military "campaigns," throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. This impeccably curated, insightfully narrated, and richly illustrated volume proves that the homesick subjects of the Raj took such advice deeply to heart. It showcases nearly 200 years of furniture designed expressly to approximate all the refinement of a proper British household inside the canvas tents of ranking officers afar, but also to break down and fold up fast for easy, compact transport (hence campaign furniture's other appellation, "knock-down" furniture).Masterfully put together by independent curator Brawer, previously a researcher in the Indian and Southeast Asian departments of London's venerable Victoria and Albert Museum, this handsome volume succeeds on two levels: it amply highlights the stylistic elegance and technical ingenuity of this kind of furniture--a bureau that becomes a bed when its drawers are removed; a lady's bidet that folds into a leather case; or a dining table seating 20 that fits inside a 10-inch-deep box--while putting it (often quite wryly) in the historical context of an expatriate society that sought to re-create Britain wherever it went and had little or no interest in adapting to or learning about the customs or designs of the people it conquered (and essentially enslaved). Throughout, Brawer includes excerpts from a fascinating array of letters, journals, and other documents of the period, and an excellent pictorial directory of the furniture's craftsmen and manufacturers helps make this impressive tome invaluable for collectors, design historians, Anglophiles, and Merchant-Ivory set designers alike. --Timothy Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Lavish Coffee Table Book on British Campaign Furniture
This book is a must have for anyone interested in English antiques, social, military, or naval history. I have never seen another book on this subject and it is filled with very interesting "before" and "after" photographs of dozens and dozens of pieces of campaign furniture "assembled" and "disassembled." I imagine this book has been a great hit in London.

Oh that all books were as beautiful..........
This is an excellent review of British Campain Furniture.

Each piece is photographed in colour and/or Black & White, discussed and given brief measurements. The "disembled" photos are of great use to anyone who wishes to reconstruct any of the items from the book, as well as satisfying the just plain curious. Some of the gadgets are fantastic.

Unfortunately, like most books of this type, the author is limited by the pieces that he can access within a year or two. I know there were 'Campaign' folding rocking chairs, and I an certain that there are other examples of furniture, with other systems of assembly ( Louis Vouton made a folding-bed-in-a-trunk for the Brazza Expedition in Africa in the late 1800's which survives - there is a single picture in 'Treasure Chests').

I can only hope that the author will be encouraged to keep looking & photographing, and that we may see a second volume in years to come.

Sorry Amazon, you just don't have enough stars........

Great picture book
I just had to have this book. The subject matter was unusual and touched on the social aspects of camp life in the British Army.
The pictures are fabulous.

Review from The Arizona Republic, June 27, 2001
"If you were a British officer during the 18th or 19th century, your home had the look of a proper English residence, with desks, chairs, sofas, chests and fancy bedroom suites--even if you lived in a tent.

'The only real difference between fine household furniture and its campaign counterpart was that the latter could be quickly folded up, packed away in boxes, transported, and--without the use of nails, tacks or tools--reassembled...,' Nicholas A. Brawer writes in British Campaign Furniture.

How the furniture can be taken apart and stored is fascinating. One dining table and set of four padded chairs and a chaise lounge can be broken down into pieces that fit into two small crates.

There are pictures of the furnishings set up and stored. Often officers lived better overseas than at home. One cartoon depicts a British officer and his wife dining in their home overseas, with a half-dozen servants waiting on them, and then dining at home after retirement, with only one housekeeper.

Nearly half the book is a portfolio of the furnishings and detailed descriptions of manufacturers and furniture makers."

Review from Quest Magazine, April 2001
"There was a time when the sun never set on the British Empire. From Ceylon to the Americas, England ruled, bringing her lifestyle to Crown colonies around the globe.

Being stationed in India or Egypt, however, was no excuse to relax the standards of living to which British Army officers were accustomed. Living 'under canvas' did not mean roughing it. Instead, they brought their homes with them, packing cunningly constructed, portable furniture suitable for any elegant tented dinner.

Today, campaign furniture's elegance and simplicity have made it a must-have item for decorators and antique lovers. Nicholas Brawer's new book British Campaign Furniture: Elegance Under Canvas (Abrams) provides a fascinating history and a guide to collapsible decor." ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring working shop drawings, this book demonstrates 27 pieces of authentic Craftsman household furniture by Gustav Stickley and his contemporaries. Every type of furniture is represented here: Morris chairs, chests of drawers, wall shelves, bookcases, sideboards, dining tables, occasional tables, beds, side chairs, and rockers. Each project includes a perspective view along with elevations, sections and details, and complete measurements. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

"Shop Drawings" useful and fun
Ever since building our first piece of "Stickley" style furniture I've been looking for a book with more ideas. This one certainly filled the bill. Given the time, I could outfit my whole house with these attractive pieces! Mr. Lang's style helped make it an enjoyable read while his hints and advice came in useful from the start. An added benefit was the facinating history of the Stickley company. It really gave me some insight as to the designs.

Highly recommended do-it-yourself guide
Professional cabinet maker and draftsman Bob Lang's Shop Drawings For Craftsman Furniture: 27 Stickley Designs For Every Room In The Home is an a draft book filled with precise, exacting line drawings that can be used as models to create a wide variety of elegant and practical home furnishings. A beginning section aptly introduces novice builders to the art of interpreting shop drawings, and the drawings themselves come with brief commentary and instructions. Overall, Shop Drawings For Craftsman Furniture is a superbly presented, highly recommended do-it-yourself guide, and especially useful for building a handmade holiday gift when store-bought gifts just won't do.

Experience Required!
There are a lot of books about making Arts and Crafts furniture, but only a few really good ones. Some offer inspiration, some offer detailed instructions, and all offer a brief history of the Arts and Crafts movement. Very few offer the kind of detailed drawings it takes to really build the furniture pictured.
I'll confess that I haven't built a piece from this book yet, it's simply too new, but a review of the drawings tells me that I could start on a piece tomorrow knowing that the dimensions are accurate.
Here's where the experience part comes in. There are no step by step instructions. It is up to the reader to interpret the drawings, decide on the construction techniques to use and plan the project before starting. This book won't tell you the order in which to assemble the parts you make, you'll decide that, among many other decisions. To me, that's part of the fun and challenge of building furniture.
If you are inexperienced in building furniture, buy this book for future projects and also buy one with some detailed instructions in it for your first few pieces. (I'd recommend "Authentic Arts and Crafts Furniture Projects" by the editors of "Popular Woodworking" magazine.) ... Read more

Book Description

This book is the first monograph on the product designer Ross Lovegrove. Written by the designer himself, with a forward by Paola Antonelli, it presents a complete overview of the designer's career, featuring realized and unrealized project. While the main texts explains Ross Lovegrove’s philosophy and way of working, the products descriptions reveal the main feature and characteristic of every project. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Inspiring
Ross Lovegrove Britain's prolific and unique product designer is profiled in a beautifully produced volume called Supernatural: The Work of Ross Lovegrove. Nature and organic shapes influence Lovegrove's designs. His designs come to life and push the boundaries of what is possible with the help of modern materials and technology. He has designed for Knoll, Capellini, Moroso, Kartell and many others. Enriched with 300 photographs Supernatural presents a variety of chairs, house wares, and even a bike. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Inflatable tables deflate preconceptions.
If you think tables are boring check this book out. The table featured on the cover is an inflatable. This is an interesting overview of truly innovative tables. The layout is superb and each table featured includes nice details and drawings of things like tricky joinery and unusual materials. I use this book to shake up customers and deflate preconceptions. ... Read more

Book Description

Marquetry, also called intarsia or inlay, is the art of creating intricate pictures and designs on furniture by skillfully cutting and fitting together thin pieces of colored wood, horn, metal, shell, and other precious materials. While this highly specialized art has roots in ancient times, it was popularized in the eighteenth century in France and today remains centered in Paris. This three-volume set—originally published in French and now available for the first time in English—is the most comprehensive examination to date of the techniques used by expert marqueters in creating their exquisite masterpieces.

The first two volumes are detailed studies of the history of the medium from antiquity to the end of the twentieth century, illustrated with examples from the collections of European furniture and decorative arts in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Wallace Collection in London, and the Getty Museum. A final volume presents the masterpieces of some of the greatest cabinetmakers and marqueters in history, including Pierre Golle, André-Charles Boulle, Bernard van Riesenburgh, Jean-Francois Oeben, Jean-Henri Riesener, and Abraham and David Roentgen. Methodically organized and lavishly illustrated, this set is an invaluable resource for art historians, antique collectors, and dealers, as well as contemporary fine furniture makers. ... Read more

Book Description

Whether there is a fire burning or not, there is something about a fireplace that gives a room warmth. The mantel we build around the fireplace becomes a focal point of decorating, bringing to all that surrounds a sense of elegance. In this new book Steve Penberthy and Gary Jones help the homeowner build a classic fireplace from stock materials and moldings and tools found in the most basic of workshops. From measurement to the finished product, they take the reader through the complete process. Every step is illustrated with a color photograph and a concise instruction. In the back are drawings and photographs of many design variations that can be made using the same building techniques. This is the, without a doubt, the best book ever published on building mantels and will be a welcome addition to the woodworker's library., 200+ color photos & line drawings, 8 1/2" x 11" ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great book but dont order via the market place
This is a very good book with some basic designs. If you are a beginning woodworker or have some basic tools, you can build one of these. As pointed out, the design is simple, but it is flexible and you can customize your own design. I build a surround from stain grade birch with pine trim and moulding. It was finally painted white and primed. We are very happy. I give the book 4 stars, ...

Step-by-step, but not much variety
Great instructional book for building a traditional style fireplace surround (title a bit misleading - the mantel is only the shelf above a fireplace - the surround is the mantel, columns, etc.) Limited, though in that it only covers one style surround with different variations.

If you like the style of fireplace surround on the cover of the book, then buy it. It steps you through building that style in "great" detail.

building the classic mantel
this book cleared up a lot of questions i had about building a mantel.written clearly so that most anyone could understand the sequence to get a very professional job.this was money well spent.

Detailed Pictures every step of the way
We just completed our fireplace mantle construction using the techniques outlined in this book, and I must say I'm thrilled with the outcome. A detailed layout guideline, what to measure and how, and what to buy made the project come together more effectively. Although a fairly complete woodworking shop will be needed to complete your project, the instructions and closeup pictures will aid even a novice in reaching the ultimate goal of an attractive centerpiece of the home to be admired for years to come. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Feted by aficionados of woodcraft for his reverence of historical forms and traditions, attention to elegant proportions, and devotion to exquisite detail, Thomas Moser has achieved the highest quality in the creation of fine furniture. Here, in his own words, the world-renowned woodworker recounts the history of his workshop, Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers, and provides insight into the philosophy, materials, and processes that are the foundation of his style. Moser furniture references Arts and Crafts, Mission, Shaker, and Japanese styles, but is always completely original and meticulously hand-finished. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 full-color and black-and-white photographs and shop drawings, this is a sumptuous celebration of a master artisan and his oeuvre. ... Read more

Book Description

An innovative social and cultural history of the British roots of Federal style furniture in Boston. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Most significant American Furniture Book in Recent Years
This is far more than your coffee table antiques book. The author provides a facinating social history wrapped around John seymour's early life in England and the move to Maine and Boston. Through the window of the ups and downs of furniture making we can get an understanding of the times. This aspect reminds this reviewer of Morison's Pulitzer Prize winning book, John Paul Jones, A Sailor's Biography, which addressed the same time period and began with Jones early life in Scotland.
But the book is really about the furniture, some of the finest and most significant to have been made during the Federal period. To understand the Seymour's work Mussey devoted ten years and didn't look at just a few exampls-he looked at and studied just about every suggested example. From this he developed a construction and aesthetic dictionary that allowed him with some confidence to identify pieces that are really made by Seymours, father and son. In chapter 5 he lays out these criteria. My only very slight quibble with the book is that I would like to have seen a page of say lunette-inlays and say a page showing many examples of Seymour dovetail joints. This would better allow the reader to come to his own conclusions.
The remainder of the book, basically the last two thirds, is a catalogue of the furniture. The photographs are beautiful and the descriptions are far more interesting and informative than the norn for this type section.
The book qualifies as a coffee table book because it is a big, has significant weight and is beautiful. But this is not the reason that it should be in the library of those who appreciate American furniture. Rather it is because this is in this reviewer's opinion the most significant American furniture book to have been written in recent years. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

50 Favorite Rooms Review
This book is great either if you are wanting infornmation on Frank Lloyd Wright, his personal life or the works of art he created. It gives examples of his personal choices and styles. Each page includes a full page color picture of one of the rooms he designed.
It also is a good book if you are just looking for examples of interior design or aritechture. It has unique pieces and will give you great ideas!

Excellently arranged; quality overview of great room spaces
The first thing that struck me about this book is how well put-together it is. In "50 Favorite Rooms by Frank Lloyd Wright," Diane Maddex (listed in the credits as "Project Director") has crafted a book that is clean, simple and elegant in its presentation of the architect's trademark design of personal living spaces.

If you've visited more than a few of Frank Lloyd Wright's creations, chances are they won't all be represented here. He completed hundreds of homes and buildings, which means that this book could have been entitled "250 Favorite Rooms ..." and it still would have been too thin. What you do find are superb photos which are amazingly successful in capturing the perspective and harmony of lines, space, furniture, ornamentation and even lighting. My favorite views are inside the homes, but the public spaces are interesting also. You don't have to be an architect to appreciate the mastery in Mr. Wright's designs.

The chapters are grouped by room type (e.g., living rooms, dining rooms), with each of the pictures taking up AT LEAST one full page, and supported by 20-30 lines of text describing key design aspects of the room. The photos are of the highest quality in terms of exposure, lighting and balance. In some cases, the vantage point allows for a look beyond the windows to the surrounding landscape or greenery. A nice touch, indeed. In short, if you're looking for the definitive image of a room, you'll find a bunch of them right here.

If Mr. Wright had designed a book, I think this is what he'd have come up with. I give this my highest recommendation.

Seeing the Sublime from Behind Closed Doors
Most of the 5,000 plus wonderful rooms designed by Frank Lloyd Wright are not open to the public. This book gives you a chance to go where you often cannot go in any other way to see 50 of the best.

Unlike most architects, Mr. Wright designed in such a way that "the rooms inside would dictate the architecture outside." Even inside, he designed all elements of the room, including floor and wall coverings, art glass in many cases, lighting fixtures, furniture, and where everything should be located. He also specified that those who used the rooms should be limited to bringing in only certain types of objects, and for certain locations. For example, ornamental china was allowed on one ledge of the dining room in Robie House.

I have had the chance to visit many Wright homes and buildings, yet this book greatly expanded my understanding of his work.

Mr. Wright was primarily a home architect, and "the living room was the heart of the home" for him. He would use built-in benches to encourage reading, fireplaces for conversation, windows with designs to inspire contemplation, tables for informal dining and card playing, and views of nature for living more organically.

Clearly, it would be hard to outdo a Wright living room, and most of the best examples of his work in this book are living rooms. I thought the best ones were in the home and studio in Oak Park, Dana-Thomas House, Robie House, May House, Little House, Fallingwater, Taliesin West, Wingspread, Cedar Rock, R.L. Wright House, and Rayward House.

I liked his dining rooms best in the home and studio in Oak Park, Dana-Thomas House, Robie House, May House, and Boynton House.

For nooks and crannies, I liked the Oak Park studio library, and the Storer House Terrace.

Of the public spaces, my favorites were the Unity Temple Sanctuary, Coonley Playhouse, the Guggenheim Museum atrium, and the Marin County Center skylit atrium under the barrel vault.

If you ever have a chance to see any of these, be sure you take advantage of it! Robie House is now being rebuilt in Hyde Park, Illinois, but is open for tours. Final restoration is expected to be done in 2007. The Oak Park home and studio are open every day. Taliesin West is open most days. Fallingwater has an extensive schedule of being open. Unity Temple, the Guggenheim, and Marin County Center are usually open.

After you examine these wonderful living spaces, think about how your life would be improved in such more natural surroundings. How can you make where you live closer to his ideal?

Look for the most natural way to be with others!

The Essence of Eternal Art and Architectural Mastery!
This book touches me in many ways. First, it brings memories of childhood, with the illusions of art full in my mind. I have always loved art and buildings and when in Sr. High School, I had the opportunity to visit one of Mr. Wright's creations, I was in awe at the sight of it. It was in Falling Water, PA. When you have the opportunity to walk into one of these homes, not houses; it is like you feel the presence of the man who designed it, not just a building. Looking at the pages in this book is as close to walking in one of the luxurious rooms as a person can get without actually physically being there. Frank Lloyd Wright truly is an Eternal Artist. His book is lively and full of feeling, as well as detailed artwork that comes from the love of designing itself. I could go on for a long time about his works, but I will leave a little to the imagination now. If you haven't already seen or looked at one of his creations, I suggest that you at least buy one of the many wonderful books about them. You will be delightfully pleased for years to come.

A beautiful record of classic Frank Lloyd Wright interiors.
Having recently visited several Wright designed homes in Illinois and Southern California, I was very impressed with the exquisite photographs contained in Diane Maddex's book. The brief commentaries identifying the owners of the homes who engaged Wright, as well as the descriptions of Wright's basic concepts in fulfilling his designs, added additional interest. ... Read more