Interior Design Books

In short, this book has exceptional photos and displays wonderful furniture and design of natural materials. It's amazing to see how these materials can be formed into such beautiful and practical pieces of furniture. It's functional art!

Wonderful book on contemporary tropical design. Just looking at the pictures transports me to another place! I've even incorporated some of the simple design ideas into my own home. From the simple & serene to the eclectic, you won't be disappointed.

I have long thought that the interior decorating books on the market were very overwhelming. Not only are there so many as to confuse the regular consumer, but the contents of most can be intimidating and complex. Not so with this book! It is ideal for the novice or weekend decorator. What it basically does is separate the styles by their periods: Edwardian, English Country, Art Deco, etc. Then, it breaks down each one by giving a history of it and examples of classic pieces, even the "essential colors" of each period. Better yet, it includes useful tips on how to bring this style into your home. While it does not go into the "how-to" details (nothing about how to re-do your walls or floors, etc.), it is extremely helpful in helping the reader understand what elements are important in making the home look a certain way. It truly is an Ultimate Home Style Guide!

I'm glad I've purchased this book! While I read it, it was like a time-travelling experience. The first part of the book is about how the different historical styles have developed and it talkes about such interesting things as how the way of life affected this whole procedure. I've learnt here a lots of interesting things! But the main purpose of the book of course is to help achive a certain style whether it is Historical or Global. Whithin each Historical period (Medieval, Tudor, Baroque, etc.) and each Global style (English country, French chic, Mediterranean and so on..) you will find advice on creating the look; Walls, Floors, Lights, Colours, Soft furnishings, Accessoires, Fabrics, Furniture and at the end Summing up the style. I didn't buy this book because I wanted to redecorate but because the author has such a way of telling these information that it fascinated me...I wanted to know the story behind other cultures styles and other hisotrical styles. But when I redecorate next, I will definitely use this book. Very well written and well organized book, easy to understand and aims to help the non-professional, which in my opinion, does a great job!

This is a beautiful book with lots of decorating ideas and recipes. It will inspire you to get ready for Christmas.

Well, it finally was released. I was so excited to see that this book was on the way and I certainly haven't been disappointed. I just love all the decorating ideas in this book - my husband grabbed it and off he went to the store to buy the stuff it recommends. Sure was beautiful when he was done. This book makes decorating elegantly so very beautiful for the holidays, and it just gives you so many nice ideas. But, the RECIPES! Yikes! Better buy those elastic waisted pants because you'll need them after these awesome dishes. You know it's bad when you want to start with the first recipe and just make everything else afterwards. That's how it is with this book. It's really that good! You won't be disappointed with this book. I just love it!

"Under the Sun" has become my southwest decorating bible. I bought the book when I was looking for decorating and architectural ideas for a desert home I was building. The book explores and exposes all the of varied and amazing orgins and styles of desert and southwestern design. The photos are stunning and intriguing and the text is rich with information and sources. I have since used the book for paint and decorating tips in several homes. This is one book in my library that has become a favorite loner, and has ultimately become my best gift book -- mostly to assure it will return to my shelf.

I was searching for a book on desert homes and architecture styles. This book is broken into several chapters on homes around the world living under desert regions. Thoughout the books there are dazzling and breath taking photos along with informative background on every country and building construction for the desert home. I was pacticularly interested in the great USA (Arizona, New Mexico & California) because I am planning to build a home in a desert region. I needed a reference to help me understand and view a desert style of living and this book has helped. You'll find some interior decorating, color schemes, landscaping and several ideas of bringing the dry outdoors into your unique home.
I love looking at this impressive book, it sits on my coffee table for all to enjoy.

We've been working on rehabilitating a Transitional Victorian circa 1909 and have had this book for a year or so. Much of this ornamentation is grander than what is appropriate for our house, but this is a teriffic reference book for us and for me as a professional remodeler/restorer. True, there is no text, but I find the illustrations full of information when pored over carefully. One particularly helpful detail is that each profile within an illustration is provided with a cross-section to help gauge its massing and proportions. Oh, if only we had the lumber available to feasibly replicate all these great details! If you're considering this book, trust me, it'll be the best ten bucks you'll ever spend for your reference library.

The photo on the cover is a good sample of what is in this 1873 catalog reprint - many drawings of stairways, cornices, fireplaces, windows. It even has storefronts, 2 barns, and gazebos. It has a few house layouts and exterior elevations, and plaster cornices and ceiling designs. We are building a Victorian house, and the ceiling designs are ones I think I can replicate with Millwork and paint. Lots of neat ideas to ponder and show our carpenter. There is no text - just the index and the plates themselves.

This survey of Victorian beauties of California's San Francisco Bay Area provides a blend of regional history and architectural insights, surveying the changing Victorian house styles of the region and featuring a wealth of fine color examples. From architectural roots to hybrid styles, Book Of The Courtesans is packed with detail.

I attended college in the Bay Area in the early `60s and have been nostalgically in love with San Francisco and Marin ever since. I spent many, many hours hiking around the city with a couple of friends, climbing the hills, exploring narrow passages between buildings, and generally gawking at the 19th century architecture. I also knew a girl whose grandmother (or aunt, or something) lived in one of the "Painted Ladies" on Alamo Square, the strip now known as "Postcard Row," so I actually got to see the inside of one of the gorgeous homes detailed and depicted in this book. If you're not from there, you likely lump together all of San Francisco's historic domestic architecture as "Victorian" -- but you would be wrong. There's Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Stick Style, Shingle Style, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival, plus various hybrids among and later additions to all of those. Duchscherer is a longtime resident of the city and a highly regarded architectural historian and he leads the reader through the art and business behind these homes, while Keister's lush photography of busy (and occasionally overdone) Victorian interiors will have you drooling on the page. One of my personal favorites is the Westerfeld House in the Western Addition, built in 1889, which includes a fifth floor (!) tower room with an amazing view. Another is Falkirk (originally the Robert Dollar Mansion), built in San Rafael in 1888, a much more rambling Tudor extravaganza filled with a king's ransom in paneling and wainscotting; it was saved from demolition and entirely renovated (thank God) after I left the area, and I shall have to go and visit it the next time I get out there. What a book!

This book is a must have for any lover of the Victorian era. The photographs are gorgeous, wonderful quality. I have it on my coffee table for all to see. Please don't hesitate if you want this book because you will regret it. I have always loved this era, especially Victorian homes. If I had the money, I would live one. My dream!

Nancy S.

A must for everyone who owns or dreams of owning a victorian period home. Covering grand to smaller scale homes, this book takes you through every nook and cranny of homes...from porches to living rooms to victorian style bathrooms. This book offers the reader so many ideas but is not a true reference book...no how-to's in this one but rather a visual treasure chest of examples for those looking to renovate or decorate in true victorian style. A source directory is included. Enjoy!

This is a beautiful book for anyone who loves the sea. In looking at it I was immediately transported to ocean locations - very relaxing and pleasurable. There is a lot of variety in the book and I enjoyed the ideas for sea based furnishings which can be used as much in the city as by the ocean. The only additional thing I would suggest for future editions would be to incorporate images from a wider choice of countries.

This beautiful book will transport you to the sea of your dreams. The photographs are evocative and dreamlike. Whatever your sea dreams are, you will find them in this book.

Once you see the "cloud door" and two-tone butterfly stenciled wall, you will know why this book is cutesy. It contains fun projects that are going to brighten up your home without too much work. I've been wondering how to hang some curtains above a doorway and on page 18, they have a wonderful solution.

I've never even thought of stenciling tiles before. This project could have all sorts of possibilities if you like to match designs to wallpaper or curtains.

If you are new to sewing, there are so many step-by-step instructions! The painting section is also helpful. They show you the items so you can find them when you head off to the local paint store. The stencil designs are included in the template and stencil section. Love the butterflies!

You will find projects for:

Halls - stone blocks, shade with ties, wood grained door, door curtain, umbrella stand, console table cover, stained floorboards.
Living Rooms - Envelope pillows, marbled fireplace, cube footstool, throw, decoupage screen, roman shade, crackle frames, pleated drapes.
Dining Rooms - table napkins and placemats, stamped walls, reversible tablecloth, faux lacquer cabinet, colorwash walls, lamp, gathered valance.
Kitchens - bench cushions, dragged cabinet doors, checked walls, café curtain, stenciled tiles.
Garden Rooms - Verdigris chair, stenciled floor rug, bolster, distressed door, topiary mural, director's chair.
Bedrooms - appliquéd bed linen, stenciled walls, lined baskets, bed canopy, headboard cover, simple quilt, cloud door.
Bathrooms - organizers, shower curtain, mosaic backspash, window shade, glass panels.

The painting projects are definitely the highlight, you won't believe the stone
block wall you can create.

Enjoy!

Out of all the many decorating books I own, this is my favorite! It has projects for every room in your home; kitchens, bedrooms and bath, living and dining rooms and much more. Every project listed gives you the tools and materials you will need and a time guide to follow. The projects vary from painting and stenciling tiles in the kitchen to colorwashing or stamping your walls. The book has step-by-step instructions for each decorating idea that are easy to follow. At the end of the book, there are helpful tips from different sewing techniques (how to cord a shade) to painting techniques (how to mark Trompe L'oeil panels). Also included are templates for some of the projects demonstrated in this book. I highly recommended this book to anyone who loves to create whether it be sewing your own placemats or stenciling a floor rug!

An excellent book on the History of the White House and the people that have lived and worked there. Great pictures, past and present, and an easy to read narrative. The White House furnishings themselves could be a museum and they key ones are detailed. In addition it gives an overview of many of the well and lesser known events that have taken place. Also interesting to read about family life of the President's during the past 200+ years.

this book took you back through the times the each president lived there