Residential Books

I am a landscape designer in central Florida, and I am always looking for inspiration for specialty projects. The photos in this book are outstanding! The text is well-written and interesting!

If you are building a Spanish home and we are, then this book will provide you with a wealth of ideas about what to do beyond the 'box of the casa.' Filled with brilliant photographs of terraces, swimming pools, fountains, outdoor rooms, columns, entrances, furnishings, use of paint, etc. you will refer to this book over and over again as you design and continue to decorate your dream home.

The photography is excellent and the ideas abound. It is a book that's fun to thumb through and colorful. I enjoyed it! It's sister publication is just as good.

Every time I re-do a room or make a home decor purchase these days, I'm looking for things to make my house look more Mexican. This book, and its companion volume "Traditional Mexican Style Interiors" are wonderful reference books for anyone looking to copy that style.

If you're just a fan of Mexican style, or have been to Mexico and want to have a way to go back without leaving your easy chair, this book is fun to read and magnificent to look at. Although it emphasizes exteriors (facades, architecture, etc.) there are photos of gardens, courtyards, and plenty of other spaces that you could create on your own property, even on a very modest budget, and without knocking the house down and starting over.

I have bought more than a Dozen Mexican Design Books already. And none can compare to the Traditional Mexican Style Exteriors and its Companion Book Mexican Style Interiors by Donna McMenamin.

It is a wonderful book! You will not need any other book if you are planning on redecorationg your house. But, even if you will not decorate your house, this Book(s) are a worthy read. The Pictures are wonderful. Giving detail to what is really Mexican.

I put this book on last year's wish list and kept it there hoping someone would take the hint and buy it for me. My mother got it for me for Christmas this year, and I can tell it will be much used and appreciated. I chanced across this book, but at my time in life when my children are almost raised and I am almost finished with my schooling and embarking on my science education /bioethics career I am finding I want to make my home more orgaqnized and more homey for me to come home to. I am not a natural homemaker with an eye to placement and beautiful things. My mother is, as is Emilie Barnes. Some of us need a little help because our talents lie elsewhere. This book can be viewed for the way the Barnes have decorated their homes, and the writing is geared toward giving ideas for how to run a house more lovingly and cleanly. When I have time to do these things, I want to do them right. This book is loaded with ideas, plans, and future thoughts for making an individual house a home.

My only problem with this book is the one I have with Martha Stewart also...some of us just do not have the time or money to put that much effort into these things. Some of it is jealousy I suspect, on my part at the relative ease with which these people are able to use such unbelieveably unfair talents. Some of it is the emphasis that some of us choose to put on other parts of our lives. I want a beautiful home, but I want to be realistic too. Sometimes it seems as if realism does not enter into the thoughts of the author of this book. It is an outstanding book from an outstanding homemaker. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

As always Emilie Barnes has once again written a wonderful book! Welcome Home reminds us that as women it is our responsibility and privelege to create a refuge for our family and loved ones. Welcome Home encourages one to create your home into a place of beauty, where our loved ones can be nourished, encouraged and find peace and acceptance.The artwork is beautiful and suggestions for entertaining are excellent! This book would be a wonderful gift for a new bride, house warming gift or a special gift just for you! Thank you Emilie for all the wonderful books you have blessed us with. God Bless!

EXCELLENT! This book was exactly what I needed! I'm not gifted with a homemaking instinct. Emilie packed in this book hundreds of practical ideas that I could use to transform my house into a home and to make it a refuge for my entire family. She gives tips on decorating, organizing, hospitality, nurturing your family through your home, celebrating, creating a respite from the stresses of the world, and more. Easy to read, and easy to pick up and put down, the book is divided into very small, easily digestible sections.

Her decorating style isn't mine, but her tips are so universal that it doesn't matter. She gives concrete examples of how to incorporate her advice regardless of whether you live in your custom designed dream home, a small apartment, or anything in between. She invites you into her home through her stories and pictures, and through that I can just imagine what it must be like to be a guest in her home. Definitely something I would like to model!

This book would be a perfect gift to a first-time home owner. I really recommend it if you, like me, are seeking to add beauty, love and hospitality to your home. Thank you so much, Emilie, for addressing exactly what I have been seeking advice on for quite some time!

I found this book at a bookstore on sale and I love country decorating so bought it. That was about seven years ago and have worn the book out almost , so buying a new one today. Since that booksale I have bought more than thirteen books of Emilie's and have enjoyed every one of them ,some more than others but never the less I am still a big fan of Emilie's. Have learned so much from her books in decorating, cooking, and worshiping our Lord. As others have said she is a classy lady and so much of her goes into her books----Try it---you will not be disappointed-----

Well I checked this book out from the library. I kept renewing it so many times. I told my husband I want to buy it. That way I can highlight certain areas for me to back and look at again and again. I'm trying to get my husband to read it also. Because I'm trying to get him to understand the "open door" policy I want for my house. And Emilie describes it so well.

I have heard American decorating described as "Cheerful Comfort" which doesn't mean much in the overall scheme of things.
If the concepts learned from Axel Vervordt were incorporated into American decor we would be the envy of the world. Mr. Vervordt's talent lies in combining the elements of form, time, and substance and lets them breath together to create a pallete of breathless beauty. He is humble in his choices and shares it all with the reader in an effortless way which is the mark of great talent. The photo layouts are exquisite and the text is like a novel. So worthy of a great talent.

This is classic beauty. Quiet, vast interiors filled, not with too much gilt and chintz, but a few pieces of wonderful antiques. The best thing about this book is that the rooms never looked decorated. Everything looks as though it grew in place.

Personally, I fell in love with the ocean view and eternity pool on page 79. Amazingly, even the eternity pool doesn't seem too brash and new.

Wonderful designs.

Simply fabulous. You can hear a pin drop in these hushed interiors. Beautifully presented and photographed. Rush to buy now, dahling!
Stylemaven

If you are a fan of Mr Verfoordt's restrained timeless chic, this book is for you. Full of beautiful photographs of the timeless interiors the book was named after, this is a lovely edition that will provide endless inspiration.

Vervoordt's peaceful environments invade space with mood. The resulting grandeur of such tranquil beauty and gentle sophistication is most admirable and thoroughly revealed in this beautifully accessorized volume. Leafing through this book will calm your design sensitivities, as period inpressions drift from page to page. The dramatic and dimly lit photos featured here capture the essence of time. The historical significance of such a talented artist can not be denied, as Vervoordt's careful selection and discerning eye for arranging will be learned from for years to come. There is an art to assemblage, and this designer definitely defines it!

As a professional in the interior decorating field, I chose this book along with another,Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint, by Curtis Heuser, and was pleasantly surprised by each. As I work mainly with customers who wish to develop time worn feeling and comfortable living spaces, both of these books proved wonderful additions for helping with that thought process. "YOUR HOME..." follows the creative rebirth of the author's/decorative artist's historic 1890's home, with hundreds of beautiful full color before/after and during renovation illustrations, accompanied with full spread finished room concepts. I would love to see the two of these talents in collaboration - as both artist have a keen sense of using color, texture and light to bring a space to life. Though these books are so different in energy level (Heuser uses dramatic color and unique murals and specialty paint finishes to stage the scene), both offer immense inspiration for helping one to envision and recreate "timeless interiors"!

Not only are the pictures exquisite, but the text is extremely engaging. This book really speaks to me. Of all my design books (and I have a lot of them), this is my favorite. I re-visit it again & again. The introduction by Donna Karan says it better than I can. This is an inspiring and amazing book if you are passionate about color, art, fabric, antiquities, and most importantly objects with a genuine patina. You won't be disappointed!

This is my favorite decorating book of all time. It inspired me to experiment and create different looks, and I highly recommend it.

French 18th century chandeliers swathed in organza, colorful Japanese candies in charming boxes, luxuriant fresh garden roses scattered across a ballgown skirt-if these images appeal to you, Carolyn Quartermaine Revealed is a must see. The book is a hybrid of fashion and interior design, and showcases fabric designer and collage artist Quartermaine's London flat.

Her home is also her studio, where she is constantly experimenting. She favors the romance and elegance of antique French pieces tempered by clean, airy surroundings. Passionate about color, Quartermaine appreciates beauty in both grand and mundane objects-from the peeling paint of a fine old gilded chair to a pretty ice cream wrapper. The exquisite photographs show yards of luscious silk in robin's egg blue, vivid pinks, and tangerine against a backdrop of crisp white. Calligraphy-both Asian and Western-is another passion of the artist. Her contemporary twists on the classics are smart, fresh, and entertaining.

Essentially Quartermaine seems to live in a splendid world of her own creation, and the book gives readers glimpse in to it.

I adore Carolyn Quartermaine! Several years ago I was captivated by a House Beautiful cover that featured gorgeous, lusciously colored printed silks. I saved the magazine, and later bought this book, only to open it and find the same photo. I was thrilled to finally find the artist who I'd been carrying in my head all those years. Carolyn is absolutely amazing, an incredible textile artist, as well as a beautifully creative individual. This wonderful book includes not only pictures of her work, but also a section on arranging food, and everyday objects that will make you feel like you've slipped into some heavenly version of Wonderland. An excellent book by an inspiring artist!

I found the book first class, but need more help from Carolyn's followers. I am studying at Staffordshire University for a BA (HONs) in Surface Pattern and my research is covering Carolyn Quartermaine. Information about her is limited. Can anyone help me anywhere please by sending me information at sylviroyal@aol.com Thank you so much.

An excellent book for anyone interested in using solar power. It's especially useful for anyone planning to build a new house. But anyone wanting the basics of solar (passive) heating and solar electricity will benefit.

Paul gives an honest step-by-step account of his own building experiences, including the mistakes and what it took to correct them. I found the entire story very worthwhile and useful.

If you want a solid overview of how to prep any house for alternative electrical power, you should read this book. If you're looking for practical info in the best use of passive solar heating, you can't beat this book.

Jim, Montana
[...]

This fun book taught me how to think in terms of independent living. One of the best on my shelf.

As a Biologist, I have been looking for a book that would give a clear and concise introduction to solar energy and photovoltaics. Paul Fowler's book does just that. It is written for the person who has an interest in solar power, but who does not have the technical background to immediately delve into more detailed texts. It's story format is engaging, yet also very informative. I highly recommend this book.

Found this book very interesting and easy to read. The book shows the 'human' side of this technology and the enduring spirit of a man who wanted to live independant of the utilities. A man who dared to live the simplier life and enjoyed the hard work to get there.

If only there were 240+ million more like him.

In my quest to utilize this techology, I was delighted to encounter a volume that felt like it emerged from personal experience and not simply a rote tech survey. While I am not a particularly technical person, I found the information and presentation clear and direct. There is an undercurrent of personal charm I found engaging and added to my a sence of confidence in being able to do this. My wife and I are delighted with the results of what we learned and applied based on Mr Fowlers' book. Our second home in the woods was enhanced for it.

This book was given to me as a birthday gift from my mother-in-law. I absolutely love this book. There are many beautiful photos. There are places and subjects that I never knew had so much beauty. Because I am already a huge fan of art and architecture, it was fun to learn about the many influences to Filipino style. I liked it so much that I had to buy a copy for my father (Born in Las Pinas - Metro Manila, Philippines)

This book is a great book for young Filipino Americans who need some inspiration. As a Filipino American growing up in USA, I never really felt any connection with the Philippines. I was brought up by knowing only the stereotypes that sometimes make a Filipino American want to shy with embarrassment. Stereotypes are everywhere within any culture. By reading this book and flipping through the pages, I saw that Philippines is a beautiful place. Everyone needs take a look at this book. It's a great eye opener for Filipino Americans who have problems accepting their own skin.

I'm an Architectural Designer that lives/works in Jamaica and Bermuda and I'm also a fan of modern/contemporary architecture. I own a number of books on the subject, but few tend to address basic climatic issues that we in the Tropics face (and rightly so, since they are about projects north of the tropics). I've just received the book from my freight forwarder and had a chance to browse thru it. It really looks interesting and certainly provides inspiration for projects that can be successfully executed in our hot, humid climate.
The inclusion of architectural drawings (Plans, Sections, Elevations) is also welcome - too many books on Architecture neglect this very important point. I think this may be the telling factor for deciding whether this is to be another one of my coffee-table books, or a serious informative reference for ideas and inspiration. For now, I'm leaning to the latter.

I bought this book for myself. It's a true treasure trove of visual treats. Have you wanted to know how the homes of the rich and/or famous in the Philippines look? The variety of materials available for buidling and furnishing homes in the Philippines is astounding--rich woods, a wide spectrum of fabric, ethnic carvings and woven work. Linger over the detailed photographs in this book! Now I know what to get for my sisters and in-laws for Christmas!

Finally, a book on Traditional and Contemporary Philippine Interior Design by a reputable author/photographer. It will give the reader a good sense of Native Interiors to Traditional influences of Spanish-Colonial Interior Design and Architecture. Very superb photographs. Beautiful renderrings in the Furniture Dictionary.

This book contains big color photographs of interiors; reference guide at the end of the book detailing resources of Arts and Crafts literature and furnishings

This is a user friendly book to have close at hand. If you're like me I am always looking at ways to incorporate colors, designs and arts and crafts style into our 1922 Chalet Arts and Craft's home. I especially appreciate all the colorful pictures and the textiles shown. Paint, stenciling and wallcoverings being modest in cost and are realistic changes that are indeed affordable. Lots of ideas and examples to pull a room together. I refer to the book frequently and I am pleased I bought it.

For newly into the arts and crafts movement and restoring our bungalow, this book concentrates exactly where we needed it to -- the interior. From shots of wonderful restored homes to our favorite section (before and after), this book will become our favorite resource. Excellently focused!

Great source for anyone who is considering doing and architectural project, either interior or exterior, with an Arts and Crafts feeling.

As soon to be purchasers of an 'arts & crafts' home in the Hudson Valley (NY), my husband and I never heard of 'arts & crafts' style homes. This book has been such a wonderful inspiration for us. The book is filled with color photos, wonderful ideas, themes and history! We will borrow from what we've learned and put those concepts, colors etc to great use in our new home. What was especially dramatic was the before and after pix of rooms/homes. You won't be disappointed in this purchase.

Several years ago I bought a reprint of Dr. Morse book and it has become not only a treasured Clasic but a Bible of information. Although there are no pictures, none are needed with Dr. Morse drawings and detail descriptions.
E L Smith

"Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings" is a great book. If you've any interest in traditional Japanese architecture, get this book. Edward Morse was an American who went to Japan in 1877 to study brachiopods. He ended up recording a vanishing way of life instead. He tells you how Japanese homes were built and why they were built that way. Not much escapes his eye. In serviceable prose and clear drawings, he tells us about carpenters and their tools, houses, furnishings, privies, fences and gateways, water supplies and gardens. Most of it he compares favorably to American and European counterparts.

Best of all, it's a Dover book and cheap.

I bought this book about 3 years ago from Amazon. So you'd think that it would be old hat by now. Yet I find myself picking it up at least once every few months to either refer to it for a construction detail or just to look for something new. What a wonderful resource for traditional Japanese design this book is.

Trained as a Zoologist, Morse put his scientific powers of observation and systematic description to work during the 1880's in producing the sketches and text that describes a world of everyday Japanese design right before it was swamped with Western influence and largely disappeared. There are plenty of books that can show you pictures of ancient Japanese temples and teahouses, but what about the method of constructing the roof of an ordinary 19th century Tokyo home? This was stuff that few people thought was worth recording for posterity. Which is why Morse's book is so unique and valuable to us.

Anyone with more than a passing interest in the way that things are built or designed would do well to put this book on their shelf. Interior decorators, architects, DIY types (such as myself), finish carpenters, contractors and furniture makers should all have a tattered, dog-eared copy of 'Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings' within easy reach. It is a constant source of inspiration.

I picked up the Dover paperback edition at a library book sale and was charmed by the author's detailed drawings as much as the description of domestic life in 19th century Japan. Morse originally published this in 1885, barely 30 years after Perry's expedition, and traveled around Japan documenting as many houses and styles as possible (including those of the Aino culture). There are no photographs, but the intricate line drawings and intimate descriptions of functional households -- kitchens and cooking utensils, washing areas, sleeping quarters -- are minutely detailed and thoroughly described in the text. Not just a book for those interested in architecture but history as well.

I purchased this book simply to get a quick overview of Japanese domestic architecture. The price is always right with Dover books so I just ordered it without any research. What a pleasant surprise to find myself reading a definitive work on the subject a few days later. The text is thoughtfully written and the illustrations skillfully done. As with any well written and illustrated book, color pictures are not overly missed. As a result of this book I find myself much more interested in Japanese architecture than I ever intended to be and heartily recommend it to anyone with an interest in home or interior design.

Graet book-wonderful photos and much deatail about the use and lifestyles in use with paantries.

This is a book to treasure always,for people like me who love history especially to do with food, kitchens,and domestic life this book is HEAVEN !!

I can't add anything that hasn't been written below, but I wanted to leave a positive review for the author's sake. I love all things domestic and the more vintage the better. I love the picture on the back cover of this book-ah...my dream kitchen. If I could have a hoosier cabinet like this one someday, I would die happy, lol.

A great book, but needs more pixs of bungalow pantries where small windows and refrigerators were contained...there are plenty of these right where I live in North Carolina

"The Pantry: Its History And Modern Uses" by author, architectural historian, and former house museum manager Catherine Seiberling Pond is a beautifully illustrated history of how the nature of the 19th century pantry began to change and evolve in the 20th and 21st centuries as American homemakers began to cook more, bake more, buy more, and stockpile more just as architects were designing and building homes that did not have pantries. The result was that 'big-box' items that once would have been stored in a pantry were now regulated to the garage. "The Pantry" offers cogent and persuasive arguments why the pantry should be restored to the contemporary American home as both a functional and an esthetic design element in keeping with the socio-economic and design changes that have affected and shaped the American home which ranges in style from Victorian to 20th Century, and from the great estate to the modern dwelling. While the use of the pantry has evolved, it continues to be an interesting, utilitarian space the combines nostalgia with cutting edge modern ideas for the family kitchen. "The Pantry" also covers what to put in one, food storage solutions, the selections of materials, design and layout, display, decor tips, and more. Of special note is the chapter dedicated to 'Pantries Open to the Public'. Informed and informative reading, "The Pantry" is particularly recommended to the attention of architects, home remodelers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the developmental history of the American home.

Well when i got the book i was amazed on the amount of diffrent Roof Framing situations that are in it . Stuff in this book not to many people know how to do. Even if i just use the book once to refer to the 20 i spent on it was worth it ... If you are Into cutting rafters and find the Common Gables and Hips fun to do then you would love this ....

This is the best book currently available on roof cutting. It is enhanced through the authors extensive experience and inspirational passion for his craft. It is written for those who already have an understanding of framing and would like to grow in their knowledge. The layout makes it an easy to use quick reference guide for the particular aspects one might wish to inform themselves about on any given day.
I was impressed and encouraged by Will Holladay after purchasing his book. He showed me the joy, the satisfaction, and the excellence that can be achieved by doing what one was created to do.

I have been in construction for about 5 years, and almost all of the roofs I have worked on are truss roofs. I am interested in getting into roof cutting/stacking, so I have been buying a few books. But this is the only book you need. Everything is explained very well, with a lot of pictures. And he gives a lot of techniques that can be used. The author himself used to be a production roof cutter, one of the best in the business. Out of all the roof framing books, the only other one I have bought that I plan on keeping is the roof framer's bible. It is a very handy little book to have.

Very detailed with corresponding illustrations. My favorite construction book out of 10. Covers all variations of complex rafter roofs. Also check out Roof Framer's bible for tables and corresponding math if u hate those construction calculators.

This book really helped me work through some issues I was having with cutting
a complex roof. I don't know if I could have done it otherwise. Beginning framers would also benefit from the book as it offers some advice in that area as well. Be sure you get the Journal of Light Construction edition NOT the edition published by Craftsman Book Company. I don't think there is a better book for advanced roof cutters.