Amazon.com
Most Americans are pack rats, and Mary Emmerling seems to be no exception, but she knows how to make it look chic. Emmerling's specialty is a quintessential American country look: light fabrics, Western knickknacks, Navajo rugs, sunflowers, seashells, and gingham. The great thing about Emmerling's style is that it's flexible--when summer comes, you change the damask drapes to canvas tab curtains, put out some new pillows with mattress-ticking stripes, and--voilà!--you've got the beach cottage look. Every possession becomes decorating fodder: you can use nice, old chairs as end tables, house your videos and CDs in wicker baskets, or keep your spices in a test-tube rack. The division of the book into decorating periods of 5, 15, and 30 minutes (as well as "1 Hour to an Afternoon") is a bit odd and arbitrary, but the ideas are interesting and the look is great, especially for people with a lot of stuff.
Book Description
Mary Emmerling's American Country Cottages 0-517-58365 Mary Emmerling's American Country Details 0-517-583690
Customer Reviews:
Timeless cottage decorating.......2007-08-23
This will be one the books you constantly reach for when you need inspiration. It is one of my favorites - it will probably become one of yours too. And it's all so do-able - even with thrift store, garage/estate sales and antique store finds.
Old-fashioned country looks for your home.......2007-06-04
I bought this book in the late 1990's.
I still browse through it today, and this book does hold up,even now.
The chapters are easily categorized by styles & ideas. The photos are wonderful!
If you're familiar with COUNTRY HOME MAGAZINE or Mary Emmerling's style, then you'll like the format & ideas in this book.
Somebody else described the style of this book as "rustic", and I agree.
NOTE: If you're expecting "shabby chic" or "minimalist" country style, then this book is not for you.
But , if you love the "naturally" rustic look of the older country styles, then you'll love this book
For the love of rustic.......2006-11-09
This book is a real winner for those who love rustic, casual but sophisticated rooms. There is a lot of Southwestern decor here but you can apply a lot of what Mary Emmerling is showing without going that far. I think of it as introducing some Native American culture into my spaces and that is so earthy, colorful and rich. Her textiles and textures are very inspiring. This is my favorite decorating book! Just about every page is a hit with me.
Inspiration generation.......2004-02-09
I have a shelf full of "country" decorating books, but this is the one I pick up most often when I worry that things around here have been the same for too long. It's full of little ideas that can make it look as if you have spent longer re-vamping than you have done. Some of the suggestions are more long term and perhaps Mary shouldn't try to catagorise them as "quick" projects, but she has loads of quick ideas to perk up rooms around the house.
Buy it for the inspiration it generates - for the beautiful photography and the concept that you don't have to do much to make a difference to the look of your home.
Fantastic Book - full of inspiration!.......1998-10-14
I loved this book! The many different styles covered by Mary (everything from Southwestern to Shabby Chic) was my initial reason for purchasing Quick Decorating. Also, this book is filled with many examples for placing and arranging ordinary items for an extraordinary look! I refer to this book often for inspiration and loan it to friends when they are in need of some too!
Average customer rating:
- Lady on the Hill
- Like Going To Biltmore School
- Biltmore Since George Died
- If you are interested in the Vanderbilts or the Biltmore Estate ... read it!
- BILTMORE
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Lady on the Hill: How Biltmore Became an American Icon
Howard E., Jr. Covington , and
The Biltmore Company
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Biltmore Estate (NC) (Images of America)
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Biltmore Estate: The Most Distinguished Private Place
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The Vanderbilts
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Fortune's Children
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National Geographic Guide to Americas Great Houses (National Geographic Guide to America's Great Houses)
ASIN: 0471758183 |
Book Description
"What William Cecil has accomplished at Biltmore Estate is one of the great preservation success stories of all time. He has set a high standard for what all historic house museums strive for: magnificently preserved buildings and grounds, engaging interpretation, and—perhaps most challenging of all—economic self-sufficiency. It is no surprise that Biltmore Estate is widely recognized as one of America's finest places to visit."
—Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
"Biltmore is a glorious national historic landmark that, through creative vision and entrepreneurial management, preserves and provides insight into a way of life in the early 1900s. Bill is the imaginative and multifaceted leader who has built this great monument to enrich his community. George and I admire his dedication and success."
—George and Abby Rockefeller O'Neill
"Bill Cecil and his team at Biltmore Estate have sure proved that they know how to build a successful business. They did it the old-fashioned way: embrace a bold idea that others said could not be done and—through commitment, determination, and hard work—bring it to life. Their achievement against the odds is inspiring, and their vision and perseverance are valuable lessons to us all."
—Don Logan, Chairman, Media & Communications Group, Time Warner
"If George Vanderbilt did nothing more than engage the two most prominent and storied designers of their time, architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, to carry out his vision of a European estate in the southern Appalachians, he would have created an American icon. The beauty of the method by which the estate was executed and, even today, the meticulous attention to detail, in the presentation and care of the estate by William Cecil, have brought history to life."
—Gary J. Walters, Chief Usher, The White House
Customer Reviews:
Lady on the Hill.......2007-07-12
I've read and studied regarding the lives of the Vanderbilt families and the Biltmore inparticular. This is truly one of the BEST books I've read. We've all learned about the house and George Vanderbilt's ideas and thinking on building Biltmore. This book describes the life of his wife Edith and their daughter Cornelia after his death and what they had to go through to keep Biltmore after his death. The research is absolutely amazing. For anyone who is interested or obsessed with The Biltmore, this is a MUST read.
Like Going To Biltmore School.......2007-06-27
Half way through the book it just becomes tedious. There is a fair amount of repetition. I had to purchase another book because this one lacks enough photos. We are planning a trip there in the coming weeks
and now I think I know more than I need to know.
Biltmore Since George Died.......2007-03-09
This book is intriguing for those who enjoy nonfiction. It describes how Biltmore formed a business to keep from being sold and subdivided, what happened to the family members since George's death, and the relationship between Biltmore and the city of Asheville, among other things. It is extremely interesting if you would like to know more about the history of the estate and its families.
If you are interested in the Vanderbilts or the Biltmore Estate ... read it!.......2006-11-26
There is not a whole lot of literature around when it comes to the Vanderbilts and the Biltmore. SO this book is a refreshing and very easy to read story about the Vanderbilts and their successes leading up to the building of Biltmore taking 6 years.
Everyone that can find the time and is planning to visit the Biltmore should read this before going. The Biltmore is so large and there are so many things to see that a visit requires some advanced planning to get the whole picture about this family and this American marvel. After our first visit to the Biltmore during this year's Christmas lights, we bought an annual access pass (upgrade while your day pass is still valid and you save a bundle), this and a picture history book. Now we are planning to go back and be prepared to really udnerstand this marvellous site.
BILTMORE.......2006-10-09
Very interesting read on how Vanderbilt heir's found a way to afford to maintain this behemouth in the foothills of the Appalations. Biltmore is without peer as far as American's great houses go, it looks like the kind of place Frances I and Catherine de Medici would have felt right at home in, it's quite simply a breathtaking tour de force, but as such a true money pit and the proverbial white elephant. You have to give Vanderbilt heir, Mr. Cecil, credit for finding people to tell him how to do what his grandfather could not, and that is to make this place, if not make money, at least break even; indeed, not an easy task. As someone who has toured Richard Morris Hunt's anachronistic Biltmore, I for one applaud his efforts; the mansion looks great and the tour is very well persented, although, very expensive, but I suppose one has to look at it as a donation of sorts, to help to assure the vital survival of this singular American mansion, and the fact it helps enrich, the already rich Vanderbilt's, I suppose it an unfortunate biproduct I can live with, frankly the Vanderbilt's, thanks to the slash and burn ruthlessness of the Commador, will probably always have wealth, well at least they gave us Anderson Cooper. Good read, highly recommended.
Book Description
From the Tidewater region of its Atlantic Shore to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia has some of the most architecturally rich, and perhaps the most historically important, homes in America. The treasures of American heritage showcased in this volume range in time from the seventeenth century to the twentieth, and include such peerless masterpieces as Colonial Williamsburg's Governor's Palace, George Washington's Mt. Vernon, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Robert E. Lee's Arlington House, and Stratford Hall Plantationâall presented in new photography commissioned for this book, the first to feature in one place the beautiful houses of some of this country's most influential and renowned citizens. Each home shown is either linked to a famous American region or event, or is a National Historic Landmark, a Virginia State Historic Landmark, or listed on the National Register of Historic Places or on other landmark registers.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent pictures of historic houses of Virginia.......2007-07-30
This books presents twenty of the most wellknown historic buildings in Virginia. As always in Rizzoli's books the pictures of exteriors and interiors are beautifully taken and gives a clear understanding of the buildings. The print and paper are of excellent quality.
Very nice coffee table book.......2007-06-28
Beautiful pictures. Book is a tad heavy, but it is a coffee table book after all!
Book Description
"Provides an excellent introduction as well as suggestions for using these plans to add architectural detail to your own home...an excellent bibliography."--Victorian Homes
"The best home, barn and landscape designs...in a charming book....[It] contains numerous original illustrations showing a wealth of construction details, site plans and plantings."--Fine Homebuilding
This classic bestseller contains the finest collection of architectural designs from a bygone era--and it's a boon for anyone hoping to construct that dream house or add charming touches to a modern one. Hundreds of illustrations from actual 19th century building plans feature architects' blueprints and drawings, full-color photos, and more. The buildings range from humble farmers' cabins to summer getaway cottages for the rich, and there's plenty of detail work, including built-in shelves, dormers, and turned balusters. With this information, an architect could easily create anything shown on the pages.
Customer Reviews:
LLL.......2007-07-26
I was very disappointed in this book. Ever since I learned that the house I grew up in was built in 1752, I've been fascinated with early American architecture, particularly old farmhouses, outbuildings and barns. I was hoping to discover the original floorplans for some of these sprawling farmsteads I've seen through the northeast and midwest. None of the houses included in this book look like any of the farmhouses I've seen. What about the huge two-story farmhouses meant to hold the dozen or so children farm families had in order to work the farm? Most had a large central hall at the entrance with a large staircase. Some had the kitchen in an ell so the whole house wouldn't be heated by the wood cook stove in the summer, or even had a separate summer kitchen. There is no mention of saltboxes or sprawling capecods with the sheds that connected to the barn. Plus every barn shown has the animals housed on a floor below ground level! Most of the old barns I've seen house the animals on the main level and have a loft for the hay. If you're looking for original floorplans of old houses you're familiar with, look elsewhere!
One-of-a-kind book.......2006-08-25
This was exactly what I was searching for....a history lesson on how to properly plan a site for a home with ancillary buildings on anything over an acre.
Nostalgia and Fun Bits of History.......2006-07-04
This book is all about 19th century buildings, just like the title says. These are the houses that pushed forth from the established coastal settlements through upstate NY, OH and the Midwest during that century of expansion. I confess that this isn't my preferred style of house, but the book itself is a delight. The illustrations are exquisite; Currier & Ives stuff that make you just want to jump into the scene. And the texts that accompany the plans are full of fun facts. This is not a scholarly text, just a breezy ride back through time with a guide that makes it all come alive. You'd have to be a real curmudgeon not to enjoy this book ...unless of course you were determinedly looking for something else. A note however on the coverage. Although the subject of the book is the 19th century, the early part of the century (Federal and Greek Revival in particular) up to about 1840 is not really treated in this book. This book is about what was built during the industrial revolution, when things -including house plans- were mass produced. Buy it for a couple of hours of light reading and some new perspectives on how we lived and built in the latter 2/3 of the 19th century.
A rare find of historic country building plans.......2001-04-14
I am an architect designing a house for a client -it is a Charleston Style house with the master bedroom in a "carriage house" attached at the rear. This book helped me to create/design a more authentic carriage house. I am a horse lover from way back so I ate up the book front to back! I was pleased to find many examples of architectural details and embellishments. The plans of historic houses and barns are a rare treasure. Would be fun to build one of the farm houses!
A background of the evolution of early american housing.......2001-03-21
Donald J. Berg does an outstanding job of showing the evolution of the designs and the backgrounds of the designers of single family housing primarily in the 19th century. The plans and illustrations are excellent for those that want to use them as a guide for present day construction.
Average customer rating:
|
Preserving American Mansions and Estates
William C. Shopsin
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill
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ASIN: 0070570418 |
Amazon.com
Have you ever visited a friend's home and found yourself saying "what a great idea" when you saw how they displayed a quilt collection or had seen how they had painted an old piece of furniture? That is exactly what you will find yourself doing a hundred times over when you open this book. This will be the place I go for a new design, decor or craft ideas. The best part is Mary will probably not be stopping by your house and noticing you copied her ideas.
Book Description
The first name in American Country offers a fully illustrated, idea-packed treasury of 16 elements of country style. Beginning with Architectural Elements and continuing through Windows, Mary Emmerling shows how to create a style detail by detail.
Full-color photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Mary's style,... packed with photos!.......2007-06-04
Of all of Mary Emmerling's "idea" books, this one is one of my favorites.
I think that this book holds up very well, -- even in 2007.
The photos are absolutely wonderful, and there are soooo many photos!
...(Please note that in order for the author to fit-in so many photos, you'll discover that some are smaller than average).
Anyhow, if you're familiar with COUNTRY HOME MAGAZINE or Mary Emmerling's style, then you'll like the format and style of this book.
Also,if you like books with many many photos, then this book is good for you.
Mary Emmerling's American Country Details.......2000-10-15
Don't judge a book by its cover! This fine small book is loaded with those 'small things' that let people know you know what you are doing. I found this book on a library shelf, checked it out and sat down and read it, not just looking at the pictures -- which is what I usually do -- but truly reading it all. Mary Emmerling IS the word 'details' ... this is a book to study, to learn by and one to have for reference. It's in my shopping cart!
Mary Emmerling's American Country Details.......2000-06-21
It was a great inspiring book for the person who just love country living. This book is good for anyone who would like to bring a little country home with them. If you love country then this book is for you some great ideas through out the whole book.
Book Description
The Miami estate of Vizcaya, like its palatial contemporaries Biltmore and San Simeon, represents an achievement of the Gilded Age, when country houses and their gardens were a conspicuous measure of personal wealth and power.
In Vizcaya: An American Villa and Its Makers, a celebrated architecture critic and writer and an award-winning landscape architect explore the little-known story of Vizcaya, an extraordinary national treasure. Witold Rybczynski and Laurie Olin use a rich collection of illustrations, historic photographs, and narrative to document the creation of this stunning house and landscape. Vizcaya was completed in 1916 as the winter retreat of Chicago industrialist James Deering. The cosmopolitan bachelor, who chose Miami for its warm climate, enlisted the guidance of artist Paul Chalfin, with whom he traveled throughout Italy to survey houses and gardens. With the assistance of architect F. Burrall Hoffman, Jr., and garden designer Diego Suarez, the 180-acre site on Biscayne Bay was transformed into a grand estate, complete with lagoons, canals, citrus groves, a farm village, a yacht harbor, and a 40-room Baroque mansion.
The lure of this architectural and landscape masterpiece, named for a Spanish Basque province, is undeniable. John Singer Sargent planned a short visit in 1917 but stayed for several months, producing an inspired series of watercolors, many of which are reproduced here for the first time. The book is further enriched by archival material and by the color images of noted photographer Steven Brooke, paying homage to Vizcaya as a lens through which readers learn about architecture, landscape and garden design, interior decoration, and art.
Witold Rybczynski is the Martin and Margy Meyerson Professor of Urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of many books, including the award-winning biography of Frederick Law Olmsted, A Clearing in the Distance, and the best-selling Home: A Short History of an Idea. He has written on architecture and urbanism for the New York Times, New Yorker, Slate, and New York Review of Books.
Laurie Olin is Practice Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and Principal of the Olin Partnership, a landscape architecture firm in Philadelphia. He is the author of Across the Open Field: Essays Drawn from English Landscapes and a coauthor of La Foce: A Garden and Landscape in Tuscany, both published by the University of Pennsylvania Press.
Customer Reviews:
Vizcaya, by Rybczynski and Olin .......2007-09-20
This book by two architects that is the story of Vizcaya, the James Deering Estate built in the early twentieth century in Miami as the lavish and sumptuous expression of the great wealth of its tractor-manufacturer owner, is an exceptionally first-class literary production from every point of view that could have a bearing on its subject. Written in the technically precise phraseologies appropriate to architecture and interior decoration, its prose is free of and stands above the contamination that abounds in the otherwise usual debasement of modern literature, and it is illustrated with a landslide of stunningly magnificent photography in both color and black-and-white. But something else with which it is illustrated is what recommended this book to me. I am neither an architect nor an interior decorator, nor has the stuff of those callings ever engaged much of my attention, but as soon as my eye fell on the watercolors painted of Vizcaya by John Singer Sargent when he was a guest of Deering's there in 1917, while I turned the leaves of a friend's copy of the book, I knew immediately as one with a profound attachment to watercolor painting that I must own this book for myself. For although I have held perhaps a hundred Sargent watercolors in my hands in the Metropolitan, Brooklyn and Boston Museums, and seen many more besides in other books, I had never before seen these, as they have lain quietly in private collections without ever being published to my knowledge until now, and they are among the finest examples of Sargent's amazing wizardry in this medium, which defies belief that a human being could have painted them. And the rest of the book is a plus even for one not particularly attracted to matters of residential design or interior décor, for it is a record of an era of refinement, gentility and taste, a belle époque in American history that is gone.
Very strongly recommended.......2007-02-03
An impressive architectural achievement of the Gilded Age when country manors and their gardens were a conspicuous documentation of personal wealth and power by their owners, the Miami estate of Vizcaya was the equal to such famous contemporary structures as the Bilmore and the San Simeon. The collaborative work of Witold Rybczynski (Martin and Margy Meyerson Professor of Urbanism, University of Pennsylvania) and Laurie Olin (Practice Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Pennsylvania), Vizcaya: An American Villa And Its Makers" is the complete story of how this magnificent building came to be constructed, landscaped, and utilized as a 180-acre estate on Biscayne Bay complete with lagoons, canals, citrus groves, a farm village, a yacht harbor, and a 40-room Baroque mansion. Enhanced with a wealth of seventy color and 96 b/w illustrations, "Vizcaya" is an informed and informative body of impeccable scholarship presenting a seminal study that is very strongly recommended as an addition to professional, academic, and community library American Architectural History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
Product Description
This volume chronicles the magnificent country estates and remarkable individuals who made this legendary but intensely private suburban enclave the most beautiful and desirable residential section in Americ
Customer Reviews:
Could have and should have been better.......2005-01-11
I had been waiting for a book on this subject for some time so you can imagine my excitement when this book came out. I am sorry to say that it's somewhat of a disappointment, I expected a better researched book and also one that including some current color pictures of the surviving estates. The authors of the book on architects Delano and Aldrich did a wonderful job of combining great archival B&W photos with rich currect color pictures. The archival photos in this book are wonderful, but you finish the book wondering what the surviving estates look like today and in color, I really do hope the authors take this criticism to heart and make vol. II a five star book, they are not that far from it with this book and quite frankly the subject deserves it.
Stellar launch to a great series........2004-12-27
I bought this book two years ago when it came out and I had to reply to the simple comments of another critic on this page. The author put together an incredible group of old photographs from around the time the houses were built, showing exteriors, interiors, and gardens. He talked about the architects and the clients and about the designs of the houses, as well as giving a detailed history of the Main Line and how it came to be. Color photographs would have ruined the old-time feel of the book, which is beautiful in design and execution. Any educated eye will appreciate this book and the series that it is a part of. Congratulations to the author and the publisher.
Customer Reviews:
The age of the not-so-innocent.......2007-04-28
America and Europe of the 1800s were stiff, gilded, formal place, full of "old" families, rigid customs and social transgressions.
And nobody chronicled them better than Edith Wharton, who spun exquisitely barbed novels out of the social clashes of the late nineteenth century. This collection brings together four of her best books, exploring the nature of infidelity, passion, social-climbing and a woman's place in an unfriendly world.
"Age of Innocence" is a pretty ironic title. Newland Archer, of a wealthy old New York family, has become engaged to pretty, naive May. But as he tries to get their wedding date moved up, he becomes acquainted with May's exotic cousin, Countess Olenska, who has returned home after dumping her cheating count husband. At first, the two are friends, but then they become something more.
After Newland marries May, the attraction to the mysterious Countess and her free, unconventional life becomes even stronger. He starts to rebel in little ways, but he's still mired in a 100% conventional marriage, job and life. Will he become an outcast and go away with the beautiful countess, or will he stick with May and a safe, dull life?
"The Custom of the Country" takes whatever is biting about "Age of Innocence" and magnifies it. Undine Spragg is a mesmerizing beauty from a tiny town, whose parents made a small-scale fortune and have moved to the glitzy world of New York. Undine wants the best of everything, more than her family can afford, but she thinks it's all worth it -- so she marries a besotted son of "old New York," but it doesn't take long for him to realize how incompatible they are.
And he doesn't realize that Undine is hiding a (then) shameful secret -- she was once married and quickly divorced from a vulgar businessman. In the present, Undine continues her quest for a life of pleasure, moving on to a French nobleman and getting just as dissatisfied with him. The only way to succeed lies in the one man who sees her for what she is.
But the mockery in "House of Mirth" is not meant to be funny, but saddening and eye-opening. Like most not-so-rich women, Lily Bart is on the prowl for a marriage to keep her in luxury and affluent circles. What's more, she has the rapid intellect to be able to navigate these treacherous waters.
But her schemes and plans start to collapse, as she rejects all her adoring suitors because they aren't rich enough, and a nasty society matron decides to deflect attention from her adultery by accusing Lily falsely. Her life rapidly descends into a spiral of wretched unemployment and poverty, until the tragic finale.
"The Reef" is far more romantic in nature, but Wharton still tackles the touchy, shades-of-grey nature of relationships and infidelity. George Darrow receives a telegram postponing a meeting with his might-be-fiancee, reserved widow Anna Leath. Hurt and angry, he chaperons a young American woman, Sophie Viner, around Paris... and then has a fling with her.
Several months later, he and Anna have patched up their relationship, and are on their way to the altar and a steady, rewarding life together, travelling the world. But Anna's stepson is also secretly engaged -- and to Darrow's horror, it's none other than Sophie, Anna's daughter's governess. Of course, they can't keep this secret.
Wharton tended to pay attention to three things: human nature, society, and how the two often clashed. These four books are, in fact, crammed with the societal clashes of the time: infidelity, divorce, the impact of "new money," and what it took for a person to break out of the bounds of society -- and the cost it had.
Her writing is striking even now -- it has the formal, detailed quality of nineteenth-century prose, but it isn't nearly as stuffy. Instead, her writing is lush, perfumed languid and shimmering with repressed emotion -- even "Custom of the Country," with its nasty shallow anti-heroine, has moments of pure lyrical beauty, although they usually come from someone else.
These four novels are perhaps the best that Edith Wharton ever penned -- intricate looks at society and human nature, wrapped up in beautiful writing. Definitely a must read.
An essential collection for any library.......2000-09-19
Along with her good friend Henry James, Edith Wharton was an expert at studying the stiff social fabric of New York in the 1800's. In this collection of some of her best work, the reader is invited into the lives of characters who struggle against the confines of society, for love and/or their own sanity. The House of Mirth is one of the best novels I've ever read, with the thoroughly captivating character of Lily Bart taking center stage. Wharton proved that she could see love and all of its tribulations through the eyes of a man when she wrote The Age of Innocence. No matter what she wrote, she did so with unerring detail and an almost uncanny knack for "the right phrase" for every situation. This collection is an interesting study not only of "old New York" but of characters who stay with you long after the last sentence is savored.
Book Description
A country farmhouse surrounded by fields and trees is a quintessentially American secene, but it's one that has universal appeal. These simple homes speak to us of history and values, promising both comfort and protection.
The "country look" remains the single most popular American style. Despite social and economic changes and the whims of fashion, it continues to shape our design and decorating tastes. Now in these lavishly illustrated pages, American Farmhouses offers a rich and inspiring survey of country architecture and design, from painted furniture to porches, stenciling to saltbox houses.
Part of the appeal of country homes lies in their hand-hewn individualism and heritage of Old World charm. Many familiar design elements derived from distinct traditions brought by the early settlers, then adapted to local conditions and materials. Even in the early twentieth century, most country houses were still designed and constructed by local craftsmen, resulting in an immensely rich variety still visible in farms large and small across the country.
Today, the interior of a country home can be a meticulous restoration in a traditional style or a flea-market mix of furnishings and collectibles. The nearly twenty profiles of country homes in American Farmhouses, ranging from a rustic German-style house in Texas to a classic Greek Revival in upstate New York to a contemporary reinterpretation in Connecticut, are full of stimulating and original ideas.
To help readers bring the "country look" home, whether in a city apartment or a rural getaway, American Farmhouses also includes a detailed sourcebook of manufacturers, craftsmen, and architectural antiques dealers nationwide. Here is everything from cast-iron firebacks to milk paint to farmhouse tables, from suppliers who continue to keep the spirit of the farmhouse vital and alive today.
Customer Reviews:
american farmhouses.......2006-03-22
this is a very nice and informative book anybody who likes country and primitive will surely enjoy this book
Great, but narrow spectrum.......2005-05-25
I grew up in California agriculture and the houses selected for this book bare little resemblence to Western farmhouses. All the houses are from east of the Mississippi, mostly East Coast and very old. There is one Texas farmhouse from the Civil War era.
It seems that the design strategy of the owners has been to restore the old farmhouse ambience with older style elements. In California we try to reach the ambience of the farmhouse but with modern elements and techniques. If this is your objective then the book is still interesting but it won't give you much direct inspiration.
I rate it three stars because the author forgot that the western US has its own farmhouse style and we happen to be American also. A more appropriate title would have been "Colonial American Farmhouses".
- jim
a new must=have for country decorating.......2003-01-20
This book could revolutionize and galvanize traditional country decorating, much like Mary Emmerling's American Country did when it was first published. If you buy only one decorating book, this should be it. Not a bad photo in the whole book. I am thrilled with it!
Sumptuous and Informative.......2002-10-11
As a devotee of country style and an admirer of farmhouses around the northeast, I found this book to be charming. A cross between a coffee table book and a reference guide, it's the kind of thing you can pick up and peruse easily without having to read straight through. It's refreshingly useful-with just enough historical information for the nonacademic. I learn something new every time I refer to it. Yet it's lovely to page through, which also makes it a great Christmas gift for anyone who loves country style. The nicest thing of its kind to come on the market in a while.
Books:
- Natural Born Charmer
- New Millennium Reader, The (4th Edition)
- Organizing from the Right Side of the Brain: A Creative Approach to Getting Organized
- Patternmaking for Fashion Design (4th Edition)
- Planet Earth: As You've Never Seen It Before
- Planning and Design of Airports, 4/e
- Planning and Installing Photovoltaic Systems: A Guide for Installers, Architects and Engineers
- Psychoanalytic Diagnosis: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process
- Richard Meier: The Getty Center
- School Builders
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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Mary Emmerling's American Country Cottages
Mary Emmerling's Smart Decorating: Inexpensive Projects for Every Room of the House
Mary Emmerling's Romantic Country: Style That's Straight from the Heart
Mary Emmerling's New Country Collecting
The Smart Approach to Country Decorating (Smart Approach)
