No comments about Remodeling Basements, Attics & Garages: Step-by-Step Projects for Adding Space Without Adding On.

2 comments about Homes Filled With Natural Light: 223 Sunny Home Plans for All Regions.

1. I found this book while trying to find a unique but practical houseplan for a custom home to be built along a riverfront on a bluff. The sunlight is ample at this site. So I was rather optimistic to purchase this book. However, my enthusiasm turned to disappointment in browsing through this rather mundane set of plans. Some of the examples appeared to come from the 1970s prototypes found along Southern California. There were no magical window placements or use of extraordinary skylights and the such. There were a few distinguished types, but none to this reviewer's liking. I did find the adobe prototype of plans seen in the southwest as somewhat interesting in this book. Otherwise, don't let the title fool you.



2. I was looking for a book to get some ideas for the new house I am building and possibly some floor plan ideas. The homes in this book are gaudy east coast cookie cutter types best suited for fairways of some snobby country club golf course. I didnt find one house with a decent kitchen! Why is the kitchen always some tiny room stuck in the corner isolating the cook from the rest of the house. I wanted somthing inspirational and unique. It is also all balck and white with just arcitectural sketches of the houses. If you want ideas, go to the market and pick up a sunset, log homes or westen living magazine for $5 instead, they are full of great ideas and beautiful photos of kitchens, baths and exteriors that dont include hardy plank siding or somthing my 97 year old grandmother would find appealing.

3 comments about Cool Cottages: 235 Delightful Retreats, 825 to 3,500 Square Feet.

1. The description is very misleading. It is a book of 235 cottage floor plans - all black and white (with the exception of the first few). I expected the book to include floor plans, but I also expected it to be a good read and have real pictures. If you are just looking for floor plans, it's a great book.



2. When one thinks cottage they imagine a mountain cabin, oceanside bungalow or lakefront getaway. Home Planners Cool Cottages was filled with mostly black and white 'Home Plans', many over 1800 square feet with manicurred lawns. Through the entire book, I only found 3-4 cottages in 800-1200 square foot range showing a unique creative design. The floor plans were even worse. Do people actually build and live in these? What about traffic patterns? Formal dining rooms? Hello! That's what I do when I think getaway college, entertaining. Cool Cottage would have made a good $3.95 magazine in the Home and Garden section of a local newstand. A disappointment at any price.



3. I was entained by the way the book presented itself..altho the cottages are truely small they are perfect for that affordable gettaway.
   They have good layouts and easy to understand plans.

No comments about Garden Structures (Ideas & How-to).

2 comments about Yin Yu Tang: The Architecture and Daily Life of a Chinese House.

1. The Yin Yu Tang House has become a public example of an ancient Chinese home as it resides as a permanent exhibit at the Salem, MA Essex Museum. Yin Yu Tang tells of the story behind the house and its creation, examining both Chinese history and architectural traditions in the process of exploring how Chinese family life evolved around this traditional home. Berliner is curator of Chinese art at the Essex Museum and is in the perfect position to consider the lives and traditions revolving around this classic structure.



2. I liked the book immensely, the only fault I could find was I wished there were more photographs of the courtyard and lattice work. Also the detail drawings of the joinery were too tiny, they would have been better larger.

5 comments about Hillside Homes: 208 Sloping-Lot & Multi-Level Designs : 1000 to over 5,500 Square Feet.

1. I was disappointed in the book because it did not include some designs of "Drive-Under" garage on the rear of the house. There were plenty of "garages-On-The-End" designs. I want a split level plan with ground-level entrance from the front to the top (ground)level and a driveway leading to the rear with a drive-under or garage with storage, etc and stairs leading to the top level. I would appreciate some suggestions if you know of a book that includes such. My email address is jbjact@juno.com. Home to be built on a 15 to 25 degree slope-to-the-rear terrain in Alabama.



2. I was very disappointed by the floor plans in this book. The designs were very traditional and the lots shown were gradually sloping rather than hillsides. None of the innovative designs of the last decade were even imitated. If you are looking for conventional designs, you may find this book of some value.



3. This book did not have any plans that were truely on a hillside. There were not enough options available. I will be doing my research on line in the future.



4. Not really hillside homes. Just run of the mill home plans. Save your money!



5. This book caters for homeplans/floorplans for sloping blocks and multi-level homes.There are over 200 designs to choose from.It does show what can be built.This book is ideal.

No comments about Fine Living: 130 Home Designs With Luxury Amenities.

5 comments about Country Living The Scandinavian Look (Country Living).

1. As a folk artist, I am interested in European interior design. My interest in Swedish design lies in the magnificient use of color. This book provided what I needed.



2. This is an excellent pictoral review of a lovely home recently built in the Wisconsin countryside. The book is full of great ideas for both interior and especially exterior architectural details. As an interior and architectural designer, I have stolen ideas extensively for a Scandinavian style home I am working on which is currently under construction. The house featured in the book is beautifully done, but not for those seeking a subtle take on the Swedish/Scandinavian home. Disneyesque could aptly describe the overall look and feel of the home. This is not to say it does not have a great charm, but it slams its design concepts home with no punches pulled. It is an American interpretation and distillation of Scandinavia.
   There are a lot of great ideas for color and design for the built interiors, but I found the interior furnishings and accessories to be ameteurish and do not live up to the professional standard of the architecture that contains it. The furnishings are rather middle of the road contemporary country style and do not suit the carefully orchestrated design concepts of the architectural designer. For instance the sofas are large and clunky, and are upholstered in a bland fabric - none of which would ever been found in a house of this type of traditional Swedish home.
   With that caveat I highly recommend the book to those who admire the Scandinavian style and especially to anyone planning to design and build a home in this style.



3. As a lover of the traditional Scandinavian home style, and the owner of four such homes, I found this book truly helpful in decorating all of them. The authors, including Ms. Sears have such an passionate eye for this unique and gorgeous style.



4. I give Mr. Nordgren the owner high credit for the obvious mega $$$ he spent to have his Carl Larsson dream home come to life. However I concur with a prior reviewer that the interior decorating is sub-par with oversized furniture & decorator pieces that evoke a Non-Scandinavian feel that appears to conflict with its authetic Scandinavian backdrop of the houses interior details. If it was my money $$$ I would have sought out correct period Scandinavian antiques or had authentic pieces recreated from scratch with a 100% effort to create the Nordic "look". Would recommend the book as a strong buy with great design ideas throughout.



5. What a visual treat this book was. For anyone that has seen a painting of Carl Larsson's home and fallen in love with the clean lines and colors of Scandinavian interiors, this book carries that love to the next level. Wisconsin native Loran Nordgren created a home using the traditional elements like built-in beds, carving, colors, but added some contemporary conveniences. The books chronicles the planning and construction of the house, but the wealth of photos and design ideas have wide appeal.

5 comments about Authentic Small Houses of the Twenties: Illustrations and Floor Plans of 254 Characteristic Homes (Dover Books on Architecture).

1. I enjoy looking at architecture from the late 1800's to the early 1900's in America. It is possible to see how families of the past lived by viewing the floor plans in this book. Many of them would be very livable for today (updated with modern mechanics and appliances, of course!) for young families and retirees. My personal goal is to select one (the hardest part of all!) to build for my wife and myself to retire to (in about 15-20 years).



2. As all of history is cyclical, so is home architecture in America. Authentic Small Houses of the Twenties shows wonderful possibilities for houses that capture the "Not so Big House" ideal, a movement gaining momentum in this day of the McMansion. The product of a joint venture by the U. S. Dept. of Commerce and the American Institute of Architects after WWI, these house plans show marvelous use of interior space, detailing and economy. Although the house plans with sketches or photos of each shown are not available, as far as I know, in blueprint form for purchase, they furnish tremendous grist for the creative future home owner. A treasure!



3. Whenever I'm out driving through my neighborhood, inevitably another charming older home catches my eye and I race home to grab my copy of this great book. It's turned out to be a wonderful resource for my husband and me as we search for our first home. We already have an idea of the floor plan before we walk through the door. Also gives a lot of information about original fixtures/features that tend to change as homes are renovated through the years.



4. If you like houses of this period, this book contains a good range of architectural styles and layouts.
   The houses are small even by the standards of the time, generally with 6 rooms. Most have comfortably cozy dimensions, and some are downright dinky. How did they arrange furniture in a bedroom only 8 feet square (and that isn't the smallest)?
   While the photos are good illustrations, I really like the drawings best. These also cover a range of styles. Art students, whether concentrating in freehand or technical drawing, would probably find these useful exercises to help them develop a technique that is comfortable for them.



5. This is a Dover reprint of SMALL HOMES OF ARCHITECTURAL DISTINCTION: A BOOK OF SUGGESTED PLANS DESIGNED BY THE ARCHITECTS' SMALL HOUSE SERVICE BUREAU, INC., originally published by Harper & Brothers Publishers, New York and London, in 1929. Yes, it was a long title, but Dover is doing a disservice to old book collectors by changing the titles. That said, it is a good collection of examples that could be easily adapted for today's living, especially for those who want a not-so-big house. The cover says that there are 254 houses and each are shown with floor plans, including the second floor where applicable, and a view of the exterior, either a rendering or a black & white photo. In some examples, details are also presented with sketches or photos. This is highly recommended for all interested in traditional residential architecture.

No comments about Small Houses (Evergreen).