Furniture Books

I bought this as an inspiration for my wife who makes boxes. We both love the book and have come away with some great ideas!

This book is a great resource for those of us who wish to see in great detail various inlay patterns in Craftsman furniture. Most photo-oriented books really do not take the time to focus-in on the inlay, leaving the details a blurry mystery. The author has taken the time to reproduce authentic inlays using Autocad line drawings. This is a highly specialized kind of book and I was elated to find it! Leave it to Robert Lang to give us the expert's details.

The book could be greatly improved by the addition of close-up color photos of the inlays the designs were taken from.

A great addition to the Craftsman movement! A 5-star effort!

Please note that this excellent book is 96 pages, not 3 as indicated, and that it is the second of three volumes in a series.

shop drawing of shaker furniture and woodenwar

Excellant photography. Simple instuctions and good tips. Addresses most paint and design techniques needed. Gives good ideas to create painted furniture with a personal touch. Well done.

This book provides all the information you might need to create painted furniture yourself.

I recommend it as concise, interesting with colored pictures and explanations. Good book for the topic.

Even if you have researched Victorian interiors, you may have a warped perception of how those homes really looked. Many books and magazines portray Victorian style as nothing more than red velvet and cutesy crafts. This book is filled with the real thing--hundreds of interior photos taken between 1860-1917. It reminds us that Victorian is not a single style, but a whole range of styles that were adapted and interpreted throughout the age.

The houses range from rural structures to grand urban dwellings and represent all parts of the United States. Each period photo is accompanied by commentary that offers insight into the room's furniture, lighting fixtures, wallpaper, and floor covering.

For anyone who is trying to decorate a house from the mid 19th century to World War 1, this is the book to own. Whether you want a period style or not this book will help you understand what the house looked like when it was new and what the intentions of the builders and first owners probably were. It is jammed with photos and they are mostly middle-class houses that an ordinary person can relate to. Get 2 (you'll want to give one as a gift).

If you're interested in antiques, American furniture, or architecture, I'm sure this book is full of indispensable information. I'm not interested in any of them, and I loved the book.

It's just plain fun! It reads like a collection of short stories. You can't wait to see what happens next in the evolution of the chest of drawers or the porch -- because you don't learn only about the chest or the porch, but about the people who designed and used them. And you learn answers to all those questions you've always wondered about and never known whom to ask.

The pictures not only make it a great gift and perfect coffee table book, but tell you what something looks like exactly when you're trying to imagine it.

Most of all, I learned a lot without it even hurting a little bit!

Sometimes suffering from a forced theory or analogy, the book is nevertheless strongly recommended. It contains many insights into the American mindset as seen through objects. The black and white illustrations are well-chosen for their ability to inform. The author's grasp of modern scholarship is impressive, and many other authors are cited. Throughout, the author keeps up her commitment to debunking myths by including what she has dubbed the "fawbit", a "fictional account without basis in truth" (x). An example of a fawbit from the room use chapter is the assertion that a small, downstairs room in an 18th century house was the "borning room". Kaye reminds us that scholarship has never turned up a period inventory that included a "borning room"; more likely, it was a sleeping chamber for a servant. Kaye moves easily through styles and time periods, providing remarkable examples and details while keeping the big picture in sight.

This was a nice clean book in really good condition...just as advertised. I am pleased with it's condition and with the speedy delivery.

Collaboratively compiled and written by Tiffany experts and appraisers George A. Kemeny and Donald Miller, Tiffany Desk Treasures: A Collector's Guide is an informed and informative history of the wealthy American artist Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) and his especially crafted desk sets, as produced by Tiffany Studios and Tiffany Furnaces between the late 1890s and 1933. Full-color photographs showcase memorable works of art, while the "reader friendly" text accessibly describes the pieces' histories and subtle nuances of their creations. A superbly organized and presented history for Tiffany antique collectors (it also includes a Catalogue Raisonne of Tiffany Studies and Tiffany Furnaces Desk Accessories), as well as a gorgeous book for connoisseurs of fine art to simply page through, Tiffany Desk Treasures is far more inexpensive than (and the next best thing to) owning a personal Tiffany collection.

This is a great tale of forgiveness and redemption. It was very easy to enter this Victorian world thanks to good writing and precise historical details. A satisfying and uplifting read!

Having read "Written in Sand, Written in Stone", I enjoyed reading this second edition, "To Rebuild a Life", even more. Ms. Feldbush skillfully weaves several different plotlines together to create an interesting and richly detailed novel. The themes and values are inspiring and uplifting. I would highly recommend this book!

Nancy Feldbush takes us back in time to an interesting era in Michigan's history. The novel is set during the Victorian period but the issues confronting the main characters are still relevant today. Through crisp dialogue, wonderful imagery and fast-paced techniques of plot, we are taken into a world that is both foreign and familiar. This is a story of love and trust, disappointment and disillusionment, a story of overcoming personal obstacles and fighting for what is right in the end.

To Repay a Debt is a wonderful novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. I found the book inspiring as both the mystery and romance progressed. This second edition of Ms. Feldbush's novel has even richer descriptions not only of the historical Victorian setting in which the novel takes place, but also of the characters involved, allowing the reader to see the full development of their emotions and perspectives. If you're looking for an up-lifting, enjoyable read, I would highly recommend To Repay a Debt.

This is a must have book for anyone that wants to learn the most sound spindle turning techniques and apply that learned knowledge to a furniture project. Get the video by the same name too.

This book has very good instructions on how to get good results in turning furniture parts. The chapter on table legs is a high point. I would give it a 10 just on that. I wish the author had skipped some of the basics since most buyers already know it. Nevertheless there is a lot of good material. If I come out of a book with something added to my work I consider it money well spent. This one certainly fits the bill.

As a child, J. J. Haverty witnessed the burning of Atlanta; as an adult, he played a key role in creating its enduring icons. Haverty Furniture Company, Atlanta's High Museum, the Cathedral of Christ the King, and the giant carving the side of Stone Mountain (to name just a few) can all be traced back to his vision and efforts. Villa Clare tells the story of Haverty's life, with emphasis on his love for art, his vision for Atlanta as an art center, and the seeds he planted that brought his vision to life. William Rawson Smith brings this story to life with an objective, but warm-hearted look at how Haverty rose from a child left homeless by war to one of Atlanta's great historical figures. Anyone with an interest in the history of Haverty Furniture Company, the Haverty family or Atlanta's art community should add this book to their "must read" list.

This is not an old boring history book. It's a good, interesting book. You will love it.