20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great photos, ideas, Mar 2 2005
By Jonathan A Feist "zootjs" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Colonial Style (Hardcover)
This is another gorgeous edition from Taunton, whose books seem to have just the right balance of photos, text, ideas, thoroughness, and entertainment value. (I also like Shaker Legacy by Christian Becksvoort.)
This volume has really great photos and discussions of many aspects of colonial architecture and furnishings. Some helpful contemporary treatments of traditional spaces, such as modern kitchens in antique houses, reproduction lighting, and so on, as well as more "period" photos, showing how things might have looked when these houses were new.
This is my newest coffee-table/reference book, which I was turned onto by an architect friend (Frank Shirley of Cambridge, MA) one of whose projects was featured in it (the cover photo, the gorgeous newell post , etc.). Though my own old house isn't of this style, there are some elements of the Colonial style that have found their way in, here, and many of the concepts are relevant to anyone, really, who is interested in living in old houses, planning renovations/restorations, and so on.
Highly recommended.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good for some ideas., May 18 2005
By David Swanson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Colonial Style (Hardcover)
I'm a traditionalist in the sense that I want to preserve the integrity of my old house 1765, and I'm looking at options with regards to bringing some of the old feel within a newer addition.
I actually thought this book had more actual period interiors, but they're a combination of some old with more new construction approximating the look of old with varying degrees of success.
What I feel is successful is retaining period color and contruction to mimic the period. I'm all for modernization where appropriate but not at the expense of destroying the fabric of history for modern convenience. To haphazardly mimic a style becomes mere embelishment which is fine in new construction but unconscionable distruction to an actual historic property.
18th century or 17th century structures didn't use bright colors and lighting. Part of the charm in an actual period home is viewing the environment as it was ment to be viewed. Much like the distain people have for colorized films, so goes bright overhead lights in a 18th century colonial keeping room.
The warm glow of candlelight or there aproximating that allows the room to feel as it was. (why and where blue, red, green etc. were or were not used and why).
On the otherhand, juxtaposing contemporary modern convieniences within an attached modern structure (relatively speaking) or renovation a disintigrating section, while intergating and leaving the old as art and accent from old can be a wonderful contrast in texture and environment.
This book is more along the lines of renovation, maybe restoration is a stretch but you might get some helpful photos. It's definitly not in the preservation category.
Overall I've gotten some descent ideas for my renovation project.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, taken as a whole, Feb 18 2007
By Ryan McNabb - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Colonial Style (Hardcover)
This is a book which explores (mostly) middle class home interiors of the 18th and early 19th century. Yes, there are some odd digressions, but by and large it's a fine work brimming with great photos and ideas, mostly taken from original homes. This book is a solid effort, showing what appropriate 18th century interiors should look like when cleaned up in a modern restored house, or a recreated one. Those who like authentic interiors will like this book. Those who do not want an authentic interior, but want to mix and match taking a bit of this and a bit of that, but still want to call it colonial, will possibly find these interiors "dark and provincial". Well - news flash: 18th century middle class and lower class interiors in North America were, by their very nature, both dark (candle light, small windows, soot, dark paint) and provincial (being the colonies, after all). The word colonial has its own cachet, and many people insist on applying it to their house, no matter what kind of eclectic mish mash it is.