Book Description

Amazon.com

For the bibliophile anxious to enhance the home library, At Home with Books presents both practical advice and divine inspiration. Chapters on starting a collection, organizing the library, and caring for books offer useful information on categorizing, editing, storage, and space-saving--"break down the books into categories by subject matter ... and compare their quantities to the available shelf space. If necessary, measure. Consider the book's height as well as its width. You may need to adjust your shelves to optimize your space.""Library Lighting," "The Art of the Bookshelf," and "Library Ladders" further encourage collectors to create a personal space suitable for its intended purpose, yet reflective of one's passion--"shelf lighting can draw attention to cherished objects and volumes; track lights can highlight certain areas of your room." Interspersed throughout these highly helpful chapters are interviews with noteworthy bibliophiles, including Keith Richards, Loren and Frances Rothschild, Bill Blass, and Paul Getty, whose "literary lairs"--ranging from the classic book-lined walls to books in the kitchen and the bathroom--are beautifully photographed, making At Home with Books not only a valuable resource for the dedicated collector, but a beautiful addition to any collection. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Book Lover's Delight
"At Home with Books" is a real pleasure for the book lover who browses its pages. It is a handsome large format book for and about readers who are very much at home with books. Featured are the personal libraries of 41 book lovers, from rock stars to designers to serious collectors. The libraries are arranged in sections according to type: "The Grand Passion" , "Beautiful Bookscapes", "Designer Stacks", "Wall-to-Wall Books", "Literary Lairs", and "Private Pleasures". Each library is showcased with excellent photographs and a short article in which the featured book lover describes his or her library and the significance of books in his life. Interspersed between the sections, there are articles on library lighting, bookplates, book conservation, book care, book collecting, and library ladders. There is a resource directory in the back of the book which directs you to sources for rare books, library furnishings, book restorers, book fairs, and library lighting, among other things, in the United States and England. Although it is certainly useful as a practical guide, "At Home with Books" is not comprehensive as such and is intended more for entertainment purposes. Readers get to ooh and ahh over the libraries of some notable book lovers, fuss over which ones they like best, get some ideas for their own book collections, and read interesting tidbits about the featured book lovers on a subject not normally addressed in interviews. The quality of the paper and binding are very good. The photographs are lovely, and many are full page. "At Home with Books" would make an excellent addition to any book lover's collection.

A Book for booklovers!
If you love books, if you love reading, whether you are a serious book collector, have a small library at home or at the office or even if you have a small shelf full of books at your bedroom you should have this book. With beautiful photographs and well written comments about English Country House Libraries, libraries designed by designers, writers'libraries, book collector's libraries and much more,in At Home with Books you will find visual delights, wonderful readings and a Resource Directory that will inform you about Rare-book dealers shops, Book Fairs, Library furnishing and illumination and more ( with web page directions about those topics)I think that every book owner should have a book like this one, buy it!

For People who Love Books and Interior Design
This book is a wonderful resource for people who own many books. I have just begun to work with an architect to design a new space in my home for my 4,000+ books. This book provides a variety of ideas for and aesthetic approaches to creating spaces for storing, displaying and reading books in one's home. It provides ideas for the the smallest libraries to very large ones. I especially enjoyed seeing Michael Graves' and Robert A. M. Stern's libraries. If you don't already have a home library, this book will inspire you to create one.

A Room Without Books Is Like A Body Without A Soul
What we got here is one of my favorite of about 6000 books.This is a fantastic "BOOK ABOUT BOOKS"in every way, and I would find it hard to believe that any booklover would not be thrilled to have it.While all the pictures are stunning;the ones with their owners are my favorites.There,s something magical about these pictures that show how people and books complement,and yes,compliment each other.Not being as well heeled as these pictures suggest,doesn't mean one can't have a wonderful ,personalized book room and maybe another book showing how the common folk do it would be fun.Something along the lines of "Weird Homes"--but "Weird Libraries"

A Bibliophile's Delight
Where do you put hundreds, a thousand, even several thousand books? Here are some examples from book collectors, writers, and even a Rolling Stone.

"At Home with Books" highlights, with photos and text, more than two dozen offices, libraries, and studies in the U.S. and Great Britain, covering every kind of room where you might want to put a book. From large and impressive home libraries, where the books are more on display than they are for reading, to small offices, where ease-of-use is of key importance, to places where most people wouldn't even think of putting a lot of books, such as kitchens and hallways - nearly every kind of place where you might imagine a book is here.

Magnificent, stately rooms are included as well as the cramped quarters of a poet; the most post-modern designs imaginable to the most traditional. One of the more interesting parts in the book is the home library of Keith Richards, the guitarist for The Rolling Stones and, apparently, an inveterate reader. My personal favorite, though, was the author Frances Fitzgerald's library in her Manhattan apartment that she shares with her journalist husband. It was a room I could imagine putting my own books.

"At Home with Books" also includes useful information on how to care for your books, how to plan a layout for that future library you might build someday, and how to light your library. It has sections on bookplates and binding books, a resource directory on rare book dealers and the great libraries of the world. If you have any interest in books and the rooms they are found in, then look no further. ... Read more

Book Description

Modern furniture, with its clean lines and pure shapes, has its own cachet. Dating from the 1920s to the mid-1960s, it represents several stages and sources of development: Marcel Breuer, who created tubular steel for chairs, tables, stools, and sofas in the 1920s; Gilbert Rhode and Russel Wright, who designed maple and birch furniture with sweeping, aerodynamic lines for Heywood-Wakefield in the 1930s; Bruno Mathsson and Alvar Aalto, who used blond birch plywood and heat-molding techniques to produce graceful furniture in the late 1930s; and architects and industrial designers who made goods with molded plastics, laminates, aluminum, and stainless-steel after World War II. By profiling the interiors of 14 homeowners, New Classic Style shows how to mix these pieces with traditional furnishings. Strategies include combining shapes to achieve harmony, using color to unify diverse furnishings, and contrasting the old and new. The results are dramatic, exciting, and comfortable. The book also explains key furniture shapes and important figures from each period in design history. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An exciting book
I can't think when a new decorating book excited me as much as this one. I buy a lot of decorating books, but New Classic Style is so chic yet so helpful all at the same time. The premise, which is carried out stylishly by the photos, involves mixing classic furnishings from all eras and genres to create "personal" style. The book is so what I'm all about and what I see my friends doing. I've never seen a book on how to create your own mix before. ... Read more

Book Description

Classic Design Styles is a beautifully illustrated chronology of European and American period styles from the medieval to the end of the nineteenth century. Top interior designer, Henrietta Spencer-Churchill shows us room-by-room, how elements of classic decorating styles can be adapted and used in the home today. Over 200 new photographs of previously unseen interiors accompany insider decorating tips and practical advice on how to recreate period living in your own home.

In Classic Design Styles well-known author and interior designer, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill turns her attention to the history of American and European classic interior design traditions including: Victorian, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Colonial, Federal Style, Queen Anne, Georgian, Empire, and Arts & Crafts. Spencer-Churchill outlines the enduring decorating movements of these classic styles, explaining and illustrating the distinguishing characteristics of each one. She show how elements of these classic decorating styles can be adapted and used today to recreate period living in your own home.

The first section is a richly illustrated chronology of period styles and a guide to the history of European and American interiors from the medieval to the end of the nineteenth century. In the second section, Spencer-Churchill takes us on a room by room tour of one spectacular house decorated in each style. She explains in detail the theory and methods behind each look, how to interpret traditional styles for your own home, and the enduring value and allure of each period. Illustrating how to work with an existing room, Spencer-Churchill includes a section on architectural and furnishing details like walls, windows, fabrics and paints. Beautiful and practical, Classic Design Styles is an insider's guide for decorators and enthusiasts of period living.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Best Housewarming Gift Ever
What a pleasure! Lady Henrietta's books are always a wonderful combination of how-to and design history. Unlike many decorating books, this is a pleasure to read, even if you're not planning on specific changes. Also, while the photographs are all of splendorous homes of the wealthy, the author consistently gives tips for those of us with a significantly tighter budget. I recommend this to anyone interested in design history (beautiful photos!), and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who lives in a "classic" home, regardless of your level of know-how. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The craze for "getting away from it all" in buildings of log, stone, and unpainted lumber has been a part of American life since the 1800s. From the Gilded Age retreats of the Catskills and Adirondacks to the rugged Wild West lodges of Yellowstone and Yosemite, Cabin Fever celebrates the architectural elements that make cabin style unique: gleaming hand-peeled and polished logs, cowhide sofas, and river-rock fireplaces. Some are large, old, and built as public lodgings, like Putnam Camp, the Adirondack summer retreat founded by philosopher William James, which still has the cheerful austerity it had when Freud and Jung mingled there with Harvard academicians. Others, like the grand hunting lodge nestled on the edge of a marsh, are more recent monuments to quirky private visions of the perfect rustic retreat. Rooms in both are accessorized with animal heads, native American blankets and art, snowshoes, antler chandeliers, and willow twig furniture. The book's appendix includes catalog sources for everything from small wooden summerhouses to buffalo-plaid blankets, and a list of hotels in the grand old style (like Yosemite's Ahwahnee and the Grand Canyon's El Tovar). Even if you can't have a piece of the wilderness to call your own (and the burl furniture to match), you can still enjoy the rustic yet substantial comforts of Cabin Fever. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Fun to look at
Thanks to a previous reviewer, M. Pass, I bought this and also bought a book called Second Home. Both are great. This Cabin Fever book is limited to homes that are a bit more rustic than what we had in mind, but we still love it. Second Home also is a gorgeous dream book but it has a wider variety of home and decorating styles. Second Home also has given us a lot of information on how to shop for a retreat, how to decide what location is best for us, as well as tips on decorating and building. Second Home approaches the topic from a broader perspective.

A good getaway-style book
My favorite book related to vacation home style is Cottage Style, and I wrote a review of that book on amazon awhile back. This Cabin Fever book is a bit narrower in scope, but I am enjoying all the photos. Because I love Better Homes and Gardens Cottage Style, I just bought the new BH&G book called Second Home, which shows one great house after another. I'm getting lots of decorating ideas from those homes. But Second Home also has great information on real estate shopping, home design, and decorating, too. It's my kind of book, because it's a dream book that also helps me do something to achieve the dream.

Outstanding photographs
I have been searching for books for months now that would give me real life examples of cabin type homes to use in designing my country home. While there are a lot of books out there on small cabins, I was looking for a book that showed examples that I could incorporate into a larger home. This book is exactly what I was looking for! The photographs are beautiful and truly capture some of the key elements that make these homes special. The author has managed to find some of the best examples out there of truly beautiful, well designed log/natural material homes.

In addition to the photographs, the narative is also quite entertaining. It helps the reader understand some of the thinking that went into the creation of these great spaces.

If you are looking for a very enjoyable book with wonderful pictures of a vast collection of cabins (both small and large), then this is the book you have been looking for! I know it was for me; I already have dozens of ideas that I plan on incorporating into my, not so small, cabin. Enjoy!

Cabin Fever
Excellent book with great pirctures of rustic rooms and homes. Great decorating ideas!

See the log cabin of your dreams....
A great coffee table book for your house or mountain cabin! Most of these "vacation homes" are nicer than our regular houses. Great to curl up with this book in front of the fire. ... Read more

Book Description

Santa Fe-style decorating is a coast-to-coast trend. Hundreds of thousands have scoured Christine Mather’s previous books, eager to incorporate Santa Fe design elements into their own homes. Now, in Santa Fe Houses, Mather combines concrete and practical home-decorating suggestions with the beautiful photographs of her longtime collaborator, Jack Parsons, creating an invaluable guide for anyone interested in building, decorating, or remodeling a home in Santa Fe style.

Santa Fe Houses draws inspiration from the four traditional Native American elements—fire, earth, water, and air—and shows how they can be used to wonderful effect in kitchens and dining rooms, entry-ways and living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, porches, and patios. Along the way, Mather showcases furniture, rugs, lighting, hardware, tiles, shutters, and other expressions of the Santa Fe look, and ends with a comprehensive directory of sources. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

BEAUTIFUL BOOK!
This is a gorgeous book with amazing glossy pictures on every page.

After a visit to Santa Fe I got this book for my Mother. I thought that it would be a lovely Mother's Day gift.

There are 240 pages- and page 241 through 248 is the Santa Fe Directory.
Included in the directory are all types of companies relating to the home- and their addresses and phone numbers-such as: Adobe and Construction Companies, fireplace companies, wood product companies, decorative details, antique door companies, lighting companies, tile companies, and so on. Also in an index of Santa Fe bookshops, Santa Fe food stores, and Santa Fe plants and pots stores.
And 7 home preservation organizations are listed- with their address and phone numbers.

The chapters are divided into 4 categories: Earth, Fire, Water and Air.

In the Earth section:

Color: Native colors of the Earth
Season: Winter
Place: Pueblo
Rooms: Entryways and Salas
Collecting: Native American Art

In the Fire section:

Color: Santa Fe Red
Season: Fall/ Harvest
Place: The Hearth
RRooms: Kitchens and Dining Rooms
Collecting: Devotional Art

In the Water section:
Color: Taos Blue
Season: Spring
Place: Rivers and Acequias
Rooms: Bedrooms and Baths
Collecting: Ethnic Arts

In the Air section:
Color: Pink
Season: Summer
Place: Gardens
Rooms: Portals and Courtyards
Collecting: Garden Art

Within these categories are gorgeous photos of each type of theme. Fountains are one of the items featured in the water section.
Pictures of beautiful interior Santa Fe fireplaces are featured in the fire section, and so on.

I highly recommend this book. It is a lovely big coffee table book with incredible photos. ... Read more

Book Description

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

Book Description

Written for architects, interior designers, and color consultants, this ambitious study explores the psychological and physiological effects of color in the man-made environment. Scientific findings and industry-by-industry examples are furnished to help professionals specify colors that will create healthful environments in hospitals, schools, restaurants, and other public facilities. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Book- Very Helpful
This is an excellent book. It's very interesting and was the first book of it's kind that I have read. I gives color and light suggestions for different environments such as schools, office spaces, etc. It gives detailed scientific information about why these colors and types of light are good to use in these environments that is easy to understand. I think this book is a must have for all interior designers who care about the effects the environment they design will have on the people that will be in it!

Good Enough I'm Looking for the Author
Help! My cousin in Brazil is trying to contact the author of this book. The letter he sent was returned to him as the address being no good. He had gotten the address out of the back of the book. Does anyone know how to contact the author? ... Read more

Amazon.com

The American South has long been renowned for its hospitality and gracious living, and these qualities are reflected in the region's distinct interior design. Southern Style captures this easygoing yet stylish feel of Southern homes designed to provide comfort the family as well as entertain guests.

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 ... Read more

Reviews (3)

great book
I have been an avid reader of Southern Accents for years. I found their book to be well written and filled with the beautiful photography I've come to expect from the magazine. Chapters are broken out room-by-room, making it an easy reference guide. The book is one that you'll not only keep out on the coffee table, but also will refer to often for great decorating ideas.

southern style
I found Southern Style a great compedium of how design in the South has evolved. As an editor at a competing magazine, I wish more publications would give us a backward glance at their previously featured work. This book shows not only where southern design has been, but the way past photography and styling techniques have changed. I wish more magazines would publish such a compendium. It would save us all a lot of space with hoarding decorating magazines. Oh admit it,we all do it. Also great text, with deep insight into it's subject matter.

Big disappointment
I eagerly awaited Southern Style's release ll/l only to find that the content was repeated from past issues of Southern Accents. I was looking forward to new pictures/content but found very little that wasn't in old magazines. I think the editors could have at least given us different camera shots of those same rooms. Big disappointment. ... Read more

Book Description

A style book, a wish book, and a practical how-to guide to creating handsome and functional interiors, Naturally Modern offers a fresh approach to decorating with natural materials, including wood, leather, stone, and textiles like cotton, linen, and wool.

In a world dominated by technology, nature's raw materials are back in fashion0and with them a taste for interiors that minimize clutter and accentuate sensual appeal. Design writer Ros Byam Shaw offers a wealth of useful and inspirational decorating ideas to help the reader bring the colors and textures of nature into the home. As illustrated in some 250 photographs of contemporary American, European, and Asian rooms, natural materials bring a warmth and intimacy to both country and city dwellings-and a look that will wear beyond the vagaries of fashion.

With its emphasis on simplicity, durability, and comfort, this is an interior design manual perfectly suited to today's lifestyles.

ROS BYAM SHAW is a former features editor of World of Interiors. She is now a freelance journalist and writes on design and interiors for Country Life, House & Garden, and various other publications. She lives in London.

ANDREW WOOD specializes in interior and fashion photography.

250 illustrations in full color, 91/4 x 9" ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Highly recommended reading for the novice homeowner
Naturally Modern: Creating Interiors With Wood, Leather, Stone, And Natural Fabrics is a practical how-to guide for creating handsome, functional home interiors using natural materials including wood, leather, stone, as well as textiles such as cotton, linen, and wool. Design writer Ros Shaw's "reader friendly", informative, and occasionally inspiring text is enhanced with 250 photographs of contemporary American, European, and Asian rooms that offer concepts and appearances that are beyond the vagaries of short-term fads and transient fashions. Highly recommended reading for the novice homeowner as well as the experienced interior designer, Naturally Modern is a welcome and invaluable contribution to any personal, professional, and community library interior design reference book collection.

Brings out the nature lover in all of us
This books explores ways in which we can substitute man-made materials for those that are found in nature, offering the reasons why nature is almost alwasy best. The book is aimed towards a contemporary design oriented audience, but the ideas can be adjusted to fit most decors. Beautifully photographed and well written, this book is a great addition to any design library.

The review of Naturally modern
A fantastic book. Provides lots of information of the various materials and textures and information on how the materials are processed and how to maintain them. Features unique products and accessories like calfskin chessboard and leather tiles. ... Read more

Book Description

Western furnishings today range from meticulous leather-wrapped armoires to hand-carved mantelpieces depicting a trout stream or local wildlife. An extraordinary commitment of time plus a pure passion and singular creative vision are the hallmarks of the fine furnishings of the contemporary West. Today's artisans are creating works that are fresh, beautiful, meticulously crafted, sometimes nostalgic, often humorous, and always celebratory of both the region and its traditions. This is COWBOY CHIC. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful Book!
I needed pictures to help me figure out how to design a Country Western style art gallery. This book had beautiful pictures, gives an overview of the history of the western culture, and provides names of companies and/or creators of furniture pieces. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the Rustic/Country Western style home; this book was absolutely wonderful!

Cowboy Chic
I enjoyed the book, but I was a bit disappointed, since there wasn't enough technical decorating information on color schemes, regional variations in styles, etc.

Great pictures, though. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I couldn't live without it.
As a licensed Interior Designer I refer to this book frequently. To determine the space required for any activity from opening a file drawer to dining, watching a movie or simply removing an object from a shelf this book gives it to you straight with no fluff. It contains simple but indispensible scientific data for the 95th percentile and beyond. Whether you are a student or a professional, in Interior Design, Architecture or Industrial Design I highly recommend Human Dimension and Interior Space.

This book serves as a linchpin in designing any interior!
Human Dimension & Interior Space provides information about interior space requirements and human dimensions that are indispensable to the beginning design student or the practicing professional. Its drawings and charts are clear, easy to understand and even easier to apply. It should be part of every design professional's library or student's required reading list. It is also refreshing to note that this book has integrated barrier free design/accessibility issues into each space type that is covered, and not made it a separate issue. ... Read more

Book Description

The innovative structural designs of Cecil Balmond underpin architectural forms and give them their own integrity. Balmond's collaborative work with architects such as Daniel Libeskind, Rem Koolhaas and James Stirling demonstrates the process of fusion between architecture and his engineering. His structural thinking differs from that of other engineers in his field in its completely new conception of the engineer's contribution to architecture. The plasticity of architectural plans is enhanced through a decisive development of its structural design. The border line between structure and architecture thus becomes increasingly blurred. In this book, the process is explained by reference to eight projects through which the author makes the theoretical basis of his engineering solutions understandable for the reader. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A behind the scenes of great architecture
It was quite interesting to get a look at the somewhat unusual engineering process of Cecil Balmond.

And to discover his inputs behind some famous building, from Koolhas, Libeskind to Siza.

The book is quite easy to read and don`t think you are going to get a structural crash course from Balmond (I must admit, I was bit disapointed of not finding that) but you do get the kind of passionate and heartily discussions you would get if you had the chance of drinking down a few drinks with Balmond and ending up with his famous sketches he drew on the bar's napkins.

Expect a book with graphics and layout of Koolhas' SMLXL / Big fonts, dual-tone pictures.

GOod read, good essay, not for someone looking for glossy pictures

Balmond Student
Cecil Balmond is passionate and inspirational. When working with him, you know there is something amazing happening. I had the pleasure of having him as a studio instructor at Yale University, School of Architecture. Cecil believes in the possibilities of architecture and engineering working together in ways that enhance and grace both fields. This book brings his insight and passions together. I highly recommend it to engineers and architects alike.

A dialogue
Informal is a terrific read; it places me right at the table as the author engages with his architect collaborators pursuing innovative building designs. The range is fascinating, from a box shape in the Villa Bordeaux to a curvilinear form in the Arnhem Interchange to the serene and effortless canopy in Lisbon. In each project the author establishes simple initial moves which lead ultimately to new configurations and importantly develops throughout the book a rigorous basis for exploring the non linear. This is welcome in an age when so much architectural form making is whimsical. As an architect I was fascinated how this book also brings out the lyrical and poetic inherent in structure. Best of all perhaps is the 27 sectioned speculation at the end on the anatomy of form, and an insight into the structure of organisation itself. In conjunction with his intriguing earlier book Number 9 Balmond sets out a new agenda for designers everywhere, including architects and engineers.

spiral light
besides being incredibly beautiful, the book has a coherence and depth that is unlike any other - it requires reading quickly and then slowly, forward and backward and over and over...

its importance is clear

On-line Research
As a student I was carrying out research on the web and in particular on the extension to the Victoria and Albert Museum. I discovered the many sites with reference to the work of Balmond and Daniel Libeskind. My interest grew as I examined their wide range of projects all over the world. It was on one of these sites that I first heard of the Informal and eagerly awaited its publication. I was not disappointed. I was interested to read about how these projects came to materialise and was amazed at the graphical images. I think it was a very well put together book and one which should appeal to architectural and engineering students. I have since shown my tutor and he has highly recommended it. This was a first for me. I beat him to this remarkable book. ... Read more

Book Description

While it may be easy to visualize fabrics from swatches and largesamples, lighting is much more complex. One cannot touch or feel it, yet it isall around and responsible for what we see. Lighting by Design takes animaginative and creative look at the potential of creating and using light bothinside and outside the home.Since skillful lighting is the balance between light and shade, the book beginswith a discussion on the nature of light and the interplay of light and shadowon buildings inside and out. It demonstrates unique ways to become creative withlight within the home to achieve varying effects from calm softness totheatrical drama. Lighting by Design also offers a comprehensive overview onoutdoor lighting; entrances and exits; roof terraces and decks; and even specialtopics, such as topiaries, swimming pools, and statues. What's more, it alsoincludes timeless advice for using colored light, patterns, and focus, anddemonstrates ways to use lighting to blend garden and interior dimensions into aunified whole.Magnificent full-color photography specially commissioned for this extraordinaryreference details amazing before-and-after effects and creative ways of usingdaylight and artificial light to create new moods. Also included are scores ofinspirational photos that feature the interiors of such well-known designers asJonathan Reed, Mary Fox Linton, Nina Campbell, and Tricia Guild. Packed with elegant ideas, superb examples, and imaginative suggestions forcreating a dramatic and changing environment, Lighting by Design offers a brand- new and innovative perspective on outdoor and indoor decor! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An impressive and inspiring variety of lighting effects
Informatively written by architecture-trained interior designer Sally Storey, Lighting By Design is a beautifully illustrated presentation filled with full-color photography by Luke White showcasing the impressive and inspiring variety of lighting effects that can be used to add a special touch to an interior design. From using light to create mood, to the skillful use of colored lights, to making patterns with lights, as well as selecting and positioning outdoor lights suitable for gardens and roof terraces, Lighting By Design is admirable in its imagery and practical in its techniques.

Look elsewhere for useful lighting techniques
This book should be titled Lighting for Luxury Homes. It would be diffficult to translate the ideas presented here into lighting technques the average reader would find useful. Although the cover looks modern, the interior decoration style represented in most of the pictures is a combination of Traditional and Classic. The photos are nice, but not particularly inspiring. Storey's other book titled Lighting is more informative than this one. I don't think this would even make a good coffee table book. ... Read more

Book Description

The First Go-Anywhere Database of Architectural Answers! Take one look at the thousands of checklists, details, codes, formulas, and techniques we've packed into this compact new building almanac and you'll never leave the office again without it. The first tool of its kind, The Architect's Portable Handbook, by John Patten Guthrie, AIA, is huge in coverage, small size (only 5" x 8"), and delivers page after page of easy-access reference data for everything from initial planning to final construction. Use it for fast answers on: bulding sites; concrete and masonry; metals and wood; thermal and moisture protection; doors, windows, and glass; finishes; specialties; equipment; interiors; assemblies conveying systems; mechanical and electrical systems. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Dont like book
book is very basic. for the home owner (or joke architect) to become familiar with the basic concepts of building. not for a contractor or engineer.

if you need something small
As a portable handbook and quick reference it contains some useful information if you need something to carry in your pocket, beyond that I feel if you have a graphics standards or building construction illustrated you are better off. The cost estimation is a bit simplistic but useful, but does not offset the lack of information. Plenty of areas are covered with only the most generalized and basic information. Reason for two stars: should be a 10 dollar notebook.

Guthrie continues to improve the perfect reference book
I have had the First Edition of this book since 1993, and have used that as a reference almost daily throughout my education and well into my professional practice. I decided to purchase this revised edition since the original book was becoming worn and flat out-of-date. This new version (a good 200 pages heavier than the first edition) includes new building code information (specifically IBC 2000), and provides revised cost estimate numbers. To this day, it is still the ONLY book worthy enough to reside on my desk.

This book is an excellent source for the student and professional alike. Basic concepts, construction methods, and principles for design considerations are organized and indexed for easy reference and all attempts have been made to make the content easy to understand. Rules-of-thumb and graphics are provided throughout the text as well as commonly used tables, charts, graphs, maps, etc. Guthrie has also managed to develop several clever little checklists, which assist in making sure all issues have been addressed.

The book is getting a little thick, and the distinctive oversized laminated cover has evolved into a standard size cover (it's not spiral bound - it's a paperback). The price is a little high, but I think the information found in this tidy little book is well worth it.

Great Gift For Clients
I have had my own professional engineering firm (building energy systems) for twenty-two years. This small-sized, well-bound (in soft plastic), and amply illustrated volume is my favorite gift to clients who are new to the building process. It allows them to get comfortable with common ideas and terminology used by design professionals on their projects.

The book also is a useful reference for site construction personnel, junior architectural design personnel, and engineers who need to know what the architects are talking about.

Awesome reference book
This book truly is a great reference book for the design professional. As the author says it contains 20% of the information used 80% of the time from various sources. It has information ranging from building codes to design requirements, tips on quick perspective drawing, construction cost info., building materials selection, material sizes, plumbing, electrical and much more. If you don't want to spend buying too many reference books, this is a great one to buy. ... Read more

Book Description

Admired around the world for its ingenious use of space, proportion, and material, contemporary Japanese design and architecture is a brilliant combination of the traditional and modern styles.With gorgeous four-color photos and rich, descriptive text, Japan Modern takes readers into dozens of innovative Japanese homes to discover:

* New ways of managing space

* How to experiment with materials and how to re-interpret tradition AUTHOR BIOS: Michiko Rico Nosé has written extensively on design and lifestyle-related topics for Japanese magazines and for television.

Michael Freeman has photographed extensively in Asia, both for magazines such as the Smithsonian, GEO, and Conde Naste Traveler, and for numerous books, including In the Oriental Style: A Sourcebook of Decoration and Design and Strange Foods. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Examples of Truly Innovative Design
This book provides total eye candy for design enthusiasts. Not your typical formulaic shoji screen stuff. Very original solutions to design problems from a Japanese perspective. I find it very inspiring and look at it all the time.

Stunning spaces!
This book is filled with page after page of stunning rooms and living spaces in Japan. A must for anyone who believes all Japanese live in cramped, dark, unattractive homes. An excellent conversation starter and coffee table book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Do It Yourself Projects to Create the Swedish Look
Here are some practical ideasand projects for creatingthe Swedish Look.Some such as theinstructions for creating a "Roller Blind with Lace Trim", are useful, some, such as "The Garden Gate Radiator Cover", are of dubious utility and inspiration.Authentic this book is not, but if you are interested in the Swedishstyle and wish to transform a room or apartment into a semblance of the Gustavian look on a tight budget, it may be of use to you. ... Read more