Residential Books

As someone who has built and manage an ALF and plan on expanding, this book is invaluable. It breaks down the art of architecture as it relates to senior housing and makes suggestions for certain elements that a non architect can easily achieve. A great "how to" book for someone who wants to build a facility. Also, after reading, I'm sure my knowledge base on the subject is better than the vast majority of architects.

"Essence of Home" is clear and simple, like the designs in the many excellent photos. Provides an excellent framework to help you think through the design of your home.

I am very happy with this book. The illustrations and text are clear and easy to understand. As an advanced and agressive DIY homeowner, this book has become my "bible" on framing up projects.

Highly recommended.

Excellent home plan book for anyone looking for luxurious mini-estate home plans. This book covers a wide variety of styles but mainly concentrates on homes in the 4,000 - 6,000 square foot range, although there are several plans featured that reach close to 10,000 square feet. The forward section contains color photographs of a few homes featured in the book. This is a great resource for anyone looking for ideas to help in the creation of their dream home or for someone with a general love of architecture.

This rare book is about some of most beautiful houses of posh areas of LA: each villa has a very well documented text (Charles Lockwood is an expert in architecture and a great writer) with amazing pictures showing estates which have never been published before or after this book. Unfortunately, some of them have been destroyed to be replaced by huge monstruously arrogant less elegant homes, but you would find there only the top of the architecture of these fabulous glam areas. The book itself is printed in a top high quality and its unusual dimensions give the opportunity to have very large pictures as well as a real pleasure to have it in your hand! A priceless must have!

What could be more delightfully English than the country house? The many-roomed manors surrounded by lush gardens and populated with liveried footmen. From Pemberly to Chatsworth, from Manderly to Blenheim, the English country house has captivated American audiences as we wander from room to room in the ones now owned by the National Trust imagining what it must have been like to live in one of these palaces.

Many books have been written on the English country house, but most are fawning photographic journeys into the picturesque, or architectural studies. This is by far the best comprehensive social history of the country house: warts and all. This book chronicles the rise of the estate, when the Empire was at its peak, London at its dirtiest and the cost of wiring and heating all those rooms was not an issue, to the years when these elegant status symbols became ridiculous white elephants that literally couldn't be given away... to their reemergance as cultural and historical artifacts and status symbols all at once.

This book is well-researched and well-written, and offers a comprehensive view of all types of country houses: from the huge palaces to the little cottages that sprouted up in the Victorian period for the middle classes to enjoy. It even delves into the building rush of the 1980's, when the country home again became popular as the rich grew richer.

If you are at all interested in English history, the history of the wealthy, or the history or architecture then this book is for you. It offers a nice history of the National Trust and other organizations that own and open these houses to the public. If you are a tourist who enjoys traveling to country houses this is also definately worth a read.

In the late '50s I had the unusual chance to personally ask FLW what school might be best to learn City Planning. Not knowing then that his inimitable, signature response would be "you can't learn that in a School, you have to learn by doing."

Later, I also had the pleasure of knowing Paul Bonfilio, and can attest that his own product here is a labor of love that reflects an intuitive, heartfelt resonance.

BTW, if you have the opportunity to personally visit Fallingwater, try to exactly time it to that week in May when the surrounding wooded Moutain Laurel canopy is in their full and profuse bloom for an added breathtakingly magical experience.

30 nicely photographed designs with easy-to-follow instructions. The book showcases many different project mediums using a variety of decorative techniques and finishes. Also has an informative guide on the use of tools and materials. Wonderful book!

I bought this book to have an idea of the Farnsworth house, but it is much more detailled that i ever imagined. An essencial Mies.

Now you can see how the designers really live in their own homes. This book is a great inspiration for people who wants to live the designer-way.