Furniture Books

An excellent guide. This is a very well organized book containing style guides, some recommendations as to recognizing woods, finishes, and lots more. The bulk of the book contains a straight-forward guide to furniture organized according to type, origin, and age. There are plenty of very good illustrations, including a middle section in colour. Definately a book that is handy to bring along when you are antique hunting. The only slight criticism is that it seems to be very English/US based, i.e. would have liked to have seen more material on e.g. Italian and French items (although this is broadly covered in the 'European' section).

Very good book for those in the field. Illustrations and explanations make it easier to understand the decorative arts.

This book has lots of pictures, black and white as well as color. All pictures are crisp and clear, and there are some drawings sprinkled in to get certain specific details. It covers European, English and New World styles and it definitely has a lot in it. It has dates as well as information of how the style would have looked in say the 1750s, then how it may have been changed slightly in the 1800s, and then how it was changed again in say the 1850s. They tried to do a price guide (which I ignore) in the back but thankfully they only put in a few pages of that (prices are out dated before the books get to print). Overall, a neat refernce that has some good history (e.g. wash basins were first introduced in the 1740s when hygene became more of a priority) The only thing I wish the book had was more discussion of reproductions since we see more and more of that all the time.

If you only have one reference book in your library on French Furniture, this is the one. For the beginning collector, the book provides clarification on terms and furniture types. For an appraiser, it's a great resource to help with identification of those forms which you do not see very often. There are only sketches, but they are clear, and provide very good detail. For those who simply want a better understanding of French furniture, this book is put together very well, and is easy to follow.

I am new to the techniques and methodologies of identifying French furniture. This book provides a good glossary of French terms which describe the characteristics of pieces and it provides a modest description for the common pieces made in the various styles. Line drawings and sketches provide examples of the characteristics described in the text. There are no photos, but the sketches are quite good. I'm rating the book a four because I think there should be more sketches. Not all the items described are exemplified with a drawing. Otherwise, this is a great book for getting started. The content is clear and does not bog down in minutia.

I'm an interior designer who collects important period 18th century French furniture. This book IS THE MOST EFFICIENT general reference to the particular periods covered and a minute step beyond the basics and generalities. For serious collectors & those who have already done their major homework - it is doubtful that you would attain additional knowledge from this book.

This book covers a variety of projects and although some may not be exactly what you are looking for they provide a great starting point for customization. Each plan includes a schematic that shows all parts in relation to one another as well as scaled layouts for hard to layout parts. The instructions are well organized and detail helpful hints for each poject. Moderate knowledge of woodworking terms (i.e. dado, rabbit, etc...) will be helpful in uderstanding the instructions, which are very straight forward. I have purchased several project plans from wood working supply houses (which individually sell for more than the price of this book) and they can't compare to the clarity of instruction provided in this book.

41 projects with diagrams, photos and woodworking tips. TABLES: Coffee table, nesting tables, end table, butler's table, kitchen, drop-leaf, nightstand, early American coffee table, drawing table, outdoor folding trays, picnic and patio table. SEATING & BEDS: Kitchen chairs, patio settee (rustic - my favorite project), adirondack chair, entry bench, garden bench, porch swing, cradle, futon couch and mission bed. WORK CENTERS: Secretary, desk, computer workstation, kid's desk, hobby center, workbench, workshop center, garage work center. STORAGE: corner wall cabinet (curved face), library cabinet, pierced-tin wall cabinet, wall display, bookcase, media center, country cabinet(cover), maple dresser, hope chest, curio cabinet, barrister's bookcase, armoire.

Pros:
Book offers a wide range of projects that will keep a carpenter busy for a couple of years (if you endeavor to try each of the projects).

Each project is a very beautifully designed classic piece that a wood worker can easily add to his collection of accomplishments (every project is a practical piece of furniture that you can use every day).

This book offers very detailed drawings.

Projects motivate you to save your money for the tool store (recommends great tools to use for the projects).

I like the book because it's not for beginners and assumes that you have experience with all different types of fine joinery. The "vague" explanations make way for over 31 projects that literally fill your home and can be enjoyed by generations of family members (chest of drawers, cradles, chairs, BBQ tables, etc.). If you are tired of these "glued together" weekend projects, I would higher recommend this book. I just would recommend that you a good amount of free time, and are dedicated intermediate craftsman with money to invest for tools.



Cons:
Some of the projects require special equipment (like lathes, and power planers) that are impractical and expensive.

This book is not for beginners.

This book does not allow for personal additions to projects.

Instructions are vague and require additional referencing.

This is a well written and engaging book about the history of furniture from the Egyptian civilization to the present. It is full of examples and great photographs and emphasizes the meaning of furniture within the context of the society and the psychology of the individual.

Edward Lucie-Smith wrote so many books that I would be surprised he remembers this one. Every body needs to start a passion with a guide. This might be your choice. You will choose the directions you want to explore and will buy more recent and more specialised books afterwards.

Lucie-Smith addresses more than just stylistic developments in this book. He makes it easy to understand furniture history as it relates to social and political developments over time. For example, the advent of the printing press had a strong impact on furniture design in the 16th century. Of course! This all makes perfect sense now. Lucie-Smith's book is a great primer for those interested in furniture history.

If you are searching for a guide in reference to Golden Oak Furniture, this book supplies it all. It is filled with wonderful color pictures and a large assortment of furniture types. This book has been a time saver for me.

This book is a rare find. I have never seen a book with so many color photographs depicting numerous examples of American oak furniture. It covers every type of furniture you can imagine. The accompanying text is expertly organized as a narrative as well as a reference text providing descriptions of the furniture supplemented with a glossary of terminology. This is a highly distinguished publication.

This book has helped me immensely in identifying different styles of furniture especially nowadays when there is such a highbred of types. I feel more comfortable rummaging antique shops. However Golden Oak does not necessarily imply American? So I was disappointed in not finding any "Harris Lebus" (England) brand furniture in the book. This book is a keeper and needs to be reviewed periodically to keep the different styles in ones mind. If you have not guessed this is a picture book.

This book is one of the best I've seen on the subject of kachina dolls and their carvers. A great reference as well as a strong introduction to the art. Describes the differences between Hopi and Navajo styles, with high quality photos. Along with my Barton Wright, this book is invaluable as a collecting reference book. The appendix includes a big list of Hopi carvers' names and a page of translated symbols.

This book is one of the best I've seen on the subject of kachina dolls and their carvers. A great reference as well as a strong introduction to the art. Describes the differences between Hopi and Navajo styles, with high quality photos. Along with my Barton Wright, this book is invaluable as a collecting reference book. The appendix includes a big list of Hopi carvers' names and a page of translated symbols.

Author Erik Bromberg provides the reader with a good, basic introduction to the art of kachina doll carving. The photography of Michael Mouchette is simple in style and foremat ... place the doll in front of a gray or brown background and shoot. Price is what makes this book most appealing. It's publication date of 1986, however, leaves the reader without a TRUE picture of the advances made in this art form over the past decade. Pick up a copy of this book; it's worth the initial investment. Then take an additional step ... compare it to a book from the mid 90's ... you'll SEE the difference!

This book is an excellent source of information and inspiration for anyone interested in design - not only industrial design, though the book covers the topic very well, but design in general, as a form of art. Filled with short biographies of famous designers and quick historical overviews of firms that made impact on design, this books gives an excellent overview of the development of functional design in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Aside from this, it has two very interesting sections - "Themes and Materials" and "Case Studies." "Themes and Materials" focuses just on that - the main directions and trends of design in the past two centuries, as well as revolutionary materials that changed the way people worked, played and consumed. "Case Studies" presents several case studies of ordinary (in our view) products, such as the iron, the typewriter, the telephone, etc., and the way the design of these products has changed to reflect their times. The book also includes a design timeline with most important industrial design milestones.

The only negative things I can say about this book is that it focuses mainly on US, European (German, Italian and Scandinavian, more specifically) and Japanese firms and inventors, and very little, if anything at all, is said about designers and firms from Canada, South America, Eastern Europe, the countries of the former Soviet Union and Asia.

Overall, it is an excellent reference and guide for anyone interested in design and creative thinking. Like all Taschen books, this book is well written, concise yet articulate; beautifully illustrated and printed.

This book is a great general reference for the world of industrial design. It not only covers top firms and designers, but includes a section on materials and their influence on design. It is not a judgement of good or bad design, but rather a chance to look at all approaches to consumer product development. The images are beautiful, and the book itself is very well-designed. As an industrial design student, the struggle to find interesting text is constant--this one does the trick.

If you take even the slightest interest in the design of your toothbrush, the history behind your washing machine, or the evolution of the telephone, you'll take an even greater interest in this new book. This comprehensive volume traces more than three hundred designers and design-led companies, with more than seven hundred illustrations of their most important designs.

Individual designers and design firms can be referenced directly via the A-Z of Industrial Design section, which covers more than 550 pages; here you'll find the likes of Enzo Ferrari, Philippe Starck, Zanussi and Apple Computer, among many others. The Case Studies section tracks the history of everyday household appliances from their very beginnings to the present day, illustrating how, for example, your washing machine made the fascinating journey from a wooden tub with gears and cranks to the sleek white cube that it is today. For those interested in the more technical side of industrial design, there's the Themes and Materials section, referencing technological developments and processes such as plywood, steam power and plastics and introducing topics ranging from packaging and branding to CAD (computer assisted design).

Exploding with color, aesthetics, and style, Industrial Design is informative and fun. You'll have a hard time putting it down and it will change the way you look at everything around you.

This book contains very good detailed descriptions of pieces, plus place and time of manufacture. It includes a number of small pieces, as well as the more common tansu.

Restoration of antiques is currently questioned, but methods shown here are not appropriate. Sanding, especially with a belt or other powered sander, destroys original hand-planed surfaces. Sandpaper also adds its own scratches to metal parts; steel wool is preferable for removing loose rust. The Heinekens' book "Tansu" describes a better metal coloring than spray paint. A few nicks and scratches are part of the piece's history, and small splits in the back do not affect its usefulness. Unlike the frame-and-panel European and American furniture, many tansu were not designed to accommodate effects of humidity changes on wood dimensions, and a repaired back panel will continue to move seasonally. When pulling nails, a piece of sheet metal under the wirecutters would prevent denting metal or wood parts. Since the Clarkes were in Japan, they could have bought much more appropriate tools than the ones shown, and some of the ones shown should never be used for this work. Japanese woodworking tools were just becoming available in the US in the early 1980s, but restorers should look for them now.

I learned a lot about Japanese furniture from this book - different styles, history and how to tell a quality piece. I am going to try to restore a small piece I have using the instructions in this book. For all of the expensive books available, I learned the most from this book!

I learned a lot from this book about the types of Japanese furniture as well as fine details to help me evaluate pieces. This book is an excellent resource, particularly for the price! I plan on trying the directions for restoring a piece in the near future.

Great book . very informative.. Good section on repair and identifiying.

Along with a brief history of American lanterns, Mr. Hobson offers information on the anatomy of lanterns including how they work, identification of parts, materials, finishes and markings. Seventeen different US manufactures and their lanterns are identified and illustrated with detailed specifications. Excellent advice for collectors in locating, identifying and pricing, as well as, repair, restoration and care of lanterns. From a well respected member of lamp and lantern researchers.

This was the first book I bought on this subject, and I found it invaluable as an introduction to early lantern manufacturers and lighting technology. The author clearly explains the different fuels available at different historical periods, and the technologies that utilized them. Contains many very clear reproductions from early catalogs organized by manufacturers in an easy to read reference format. Using the entries here, it is easy to locate the manufacturer, model, relative date of manufacture, and background on most commonly-encountered lanterns. The rarity guide is somewhat lacking in timeliness and should be updated, however. Despite that, I also recommend this author's Book Two as a useful addition and supplement to this book. Advanced collectors would likely be disappointed, but novices and experienced collectors will find this book interesting and informative.

Very good Book. Clear and easy instructions. I'm excited to start on my new projects now.

My family's farm has a lot of otherwise useless Willows growing along a creek, I thought I'd get this book and see if I could make some use of them.

It's a nice little book with an intro section featuring color photos of the projects and some history of willow furniture making. This is followed by chapters on gathering and preparing your materials and the tools you'll be needing.

The bulk of the book consists of detailed instructions, parts lists, diagrams and other bits about each project. It does appear that there's plenty of information to get you going. From my reading it doesn't look too hard to make a chair but it is a little more involved than I expected.

I'll try it someday but first I think I'll also get "Making Gypsy Willow Furniture" and "A Bend in the Willows: The Art of making Rustic Furniture", both available here at Amazon. That way I'll have even more information on the subject.

Making Bent Willow Furniture has terrific projects and is very easy to follow. The illustrations and step-by-step instructions made it easy to build the chair on the front cover during a weekend family camping trip. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes to complete building projects in the same decade they started them!