5 comments about The Japanese House: Architecture and Interiors.

1. Don't expect much content in textual form. The book is a photo book, and there are many excellent pictures of japanese houses and interiors in terms of themes and photographical skill.
   
   What is totaly contradictory to this, is the poor low-budget color printing chosen by Tuttle publishers. The pictures are devaluated by a easily seen coarse printing sreen.



2. Take the text with a huge grain of salt. It says nothing original about the Japanese aesthetic (terms like "elegant", "minimal" and "harmony with nature" abound); it contradicts itself on a few key points (is the half-height tea-house door for guests, or the host?); and in one caption it identifies a Go board as a "game of mah-jong". Oops.



3. I bought the book for inspiration in designing my retirement home. It is that. Lovely pictures and ideas for anyone interested in Japanese design.



4. The photography is beautiful. This book shows the best of ancient and modern Japanese design concepts.



5. Compre este libro para conocer mas de la cultura japonesa en el recinto mas sagrado para una persona, su hogar. La cultura japonesa es sumamente rica tanto en belleza como en practicidad y este libro me ha servido para idear refugios dentro de mi casa y asi evitar la rutina diaria y todo lo "fast" que la vida occidental tiene. Recomiendo mucho este libro para aquellas personas que quieran hacer de su casa un lugar equilibrado, que esten planeando alguna reconstruccion o hacer una casa nueva.

3 comments about 6 Steps to Design on a Dime.

1. This was a used copy, but look new. Worth the money.



2. The book was very interesting and fun to read. Great information for the new business I am starting up.



3. I love the show - its my favorite decorating show. I also own the first "Design on A Dime" book. This one showcases some of the episodes. It provides creative, practical decorating advice and ideas. The book breaks down design into six steps and shows how to address these steps with examples from the show. If you enjoy the show, you'll enjoy the book!

5 comments about Small Adobe House, The.

1. I grabbed this book with enthusiasm since I'm in the middle of trying to design a small (1000 square feet) house and wanted to incorporate some adobe design elements. However, this book is just about the most shallow introduction one could find to adobe home design. It is basically a collection of photos of posh homes (some of which aren't even adobe -- while the preface confesses, the captions don't reveal) with a text that strings together architectural blandishments -- I laughed especially at the quote that "white plastered adobe walls serve as blank canvases for...exotic artwork". Anyone who has lived with adobe knows that hanging something on a wall made of dirt is a bear.
   
   Even just within the state of New Mexico there are far more, and better, examples of adobe houses, which are truly small, aren't "architect designed" or stuffed full of modern art and antique furniture. A less rarefied take, with more attention to the design elements that arise honestly from the material, would be welcome.



2. Nice little book, fair price, but the same photos as in similar books I've purchased...



3. This is a great additional to our book collection and is a must have for anyone who is designing their house with the "Santa Fe" look. The pictures are just wonderful!



4. This is a beautiful book. It is an excellent addition to my library of Adobe house books. I will be building an adobe house in the next couple of years and this book is a great reference.



5. Great book showing some fantastic homes. Lots of great ideas for when I move west and get an adobe. If you have an interest in this type and style home this is a good book to have in your library.

5 comments about Prefab Modern.

1. as a new-to-prefab lay researcher, i loved this book. a friend passed it on to me after we were all chatting about building our "dream houses."
   it gives a basic survey of different types of prefab, from modest to elaborate, and creative diversions in between. i found it an inspirational starting point to daydreaming about fun prefab modern living. the source lists are helpful as well. enjoy!



2. Beautiful book with impressive photos and info on contemporary and cutting edge designs in prefab home. Great sampling of the most modern designs and some info about them. Could have been more detail on the homes.



3. For anyone new to this subject matter this book is a basic starting point. However the more you learn about the topic from other sources the more you realize this book is just lightweight fluff. This was simply opportunistic publishing of a coffee table book while the topic was hot. The author has little expertise in the subject matter (is she a contract writer? - her previous book was about tiles) and the book reads like breathless brochureware. If you want to research the topic for free check out the great web site fabprefab.com which predates this book and is frequently updated. Also there are other great books on prefab such as Colin Davies The Prefabricated Home.



4. This book is incredibly well-written (even poetically written in places), meticulously researched, and beautifully illustrated. It's written by a pro, not someone who just decided to write a book. The book "Prefab" by Alison Arieff was in fact literally written off of (i.e. plagerized) websites and from articles (check the text against the architect's website and you'll see paragraphs and paragraphs were literally lifted directly from the site, likewise articles on those architects.)
   This book is the real thing.



5. I was disappointed with this book. It includes profiles of 15 architectural firms. Seven of those profiles were of firms that have done one-off architect-designed homes made largely of pre-existing materials (usually shipping containers). That is not my definition of a prefab house. To me, a prefab house is one that I can order to be built on my lot. Of the eight firms that offer prefab houses, for three of them only computer-generated images were presented (not photos of real houses). That leaves only five firms offering prefab houses ready for market. Of those, one builds 10 houses per year in Finland. Another is in Australia. Two offer only really small homes (generally intended as second homes).
   
   The book does include (small) design plans and many photos for most of the houses. However, the fact that very few of those homes are available for me to purchase makes the book almost useless.
   [...]

5 comments about Oscar Niemeyer: Houses.

1. simple the best book of houses....for the modern architect as I am!
   Thanks amazon.. sorry now I must to go work!
   See you soon
   cordiali saluti
   Federico



2. This has to be one of the worst books I have ever bought. I was expecting inspirational works - what I got was some trashy looking houses.
   Maybe they are better when seeing them live, but this book does not inspire me to go seek them out. Out of the numerous houses/flat in the book I could say that only 2 or so were inspirational - the rest trash.



3. Detailed images to show Niemeyer's thoughts on living. Choronological spectrum of his works and constant re interpretation of his own architecture.



4. I saw some of his work in real, but the pictures of those that I didn't see are awesome! Houses designed by a communist, for the capitalists... But we don't care



5. This is a marvelous edition of a particular unknown facet of Oscar Niemeyer (Houses). He is a Brazilian architect that built an international reputation because of public spaces solutions. This book offers a detailed timeline view of private houses projected by him.

1 comments about The English House: English Country Houses and Interiors.

1. I found this book to be extremely resourceful when building my Georgian-style home; it gave me great decorating ideas. This book is full of knowledge and beautiful colorful pictures. It is a great source for English decorating.

5 comments about A House on the Water: Inspiration for Living at the Water's Edge.

1. If you are about to build a home...or just enjoy seeing the details that make other structures a "home" then you will love this book...
   
   Very informative...beautifully executed...homerun all the way...



2. I was excited to get this book in the mail, as I thought it would have some real good ideas on how to build a larger home on the water that had some character. I found most of the homes rather odd, homes for people that would name their children Jupiter or Flower. I am back today ordering more books. Also most homes either are RIGHT on the water or set back in rock. Didn't find much in the way of regular 100ft setback from the water, woods, maybe a walkout basement type of MN lakes home. There was one from WI but again, it was right on the water, which you normally can not build now days.



3. This book is wonderful at capturing the rare beauty of various architectural wonders through vivid photographs and welcoming text. You never get bored flipping through this book and it is incredibly inspiring. It combines several differently designed homes that will appeal to a variety of readers. Reading this book is like daydremaing on paper. Highly recommended.



4. I found this book both educational and handsome in content and in photography. As an architect practicing in different regions of the country, I'm always thankful for having opportunities to do design work in Maine. Maine, as a place to live, is simply wonderful and unique, but the sense of peace in these "Houses on the Water" is elevated creating a noble inspiration for the reader.



5. As a landscape designer, I was consistenly impressed with how these wonderful houses fit into their site, lifting out the critical views and respecting the nature of the place. Having enjoyed the houses that Robert Knight designs, I was pleased to learn why his houses and those selected for his book are so satisfying to see and experience. O'Rourke's photographs are spectacular and with the plans, really help to visualize the structure and the setting and how they fit together. Design professionals and homeowners alike with whom I've shared this book rave about it. A perfect gift for friends and family!

1 comments about Wood: Contemporary Houses in Wood.

1. This was my favorite of the modernist wood architecture books that I have bought so far. There is nothing revlutionary but the projects are, for the most part, excellent and the photography beautiful. A good source of ideas for using wood in contemporary projects.

2 comments about The Owner-Built Log House: Living in Harmony With Your Environment.

1. A classic from the a master log builder. Lots and lots of color pictures and great easy to read diagrams. For those who really want to build there own log cabin themselves. Deals mostly with hand scribed round log construction. A+



2. A great book! From the guy that started the whole log building
   industry 30 years ago and continues to teach it worldwide. The main point here that Mr. Mackie
   illustrates is that you can do it yourself and that what you get is so much more than just a house.It's a lifestyle!Just the kind of message people need these days when everything is so high tech. Wood is good for the soul!! Keep up the good work Allan!

No comments about Historic Landmarks of Philadelphia (Barra Foundation Books).