Mini House

Thomas O'Brien

American Modern

Designer and merchant, collector and tastemaker, Thomas O'Brien has made a career of translating cool notions of modernism into an easy and generous array of modern styles that anyone can attain. Now he introduces readers to a range of those styles--from casual to formal, vintage to urban--alongside stunning photography and charming design stories. O'Brien carefully describes the design process of his chosen projects, including a downtown New York City loft, a traditional Connecticut estate, and a converted schoolhouse in eastern Long Island. Each home explores a view on the modern design spectrum he has created, as well as the individual choices that make the design unique and its mix essentially American. He explains not only what was at work to create a given style, but how readers can import those practices to their own homes and personal design sensibilities. Important design principles such as architectural authenticity, color relationships, correctness of scale, and informed collecting are threaded through a practical narrative that reads like a master class in interior design. American Modern is an inspiring design volume that will redefine the way readers think about ...

Heather Smith MacIsaac

Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design

Clean, elegant lines, delicate color schemes, well-proportioned, light-filled spaces, and natural materi-als--the hallmarks of Scandinavian design are unmistak-able. As the trend in residential design continues to move toward pared-down, comfortably elegant, environmentally friendly homes, the Scandinavian aesthetic has become a global influence in interior design. Lars Bolander, one of Sweden's foremost interior designers, has been creating the Scandinavian look in homes all over the world for decades. In this impressively illustrated volume, he and author Heather Smith MacIsaac, a former editor of "House & Garden "magazine, share their expert knowledge of the very best in Scandinavian design, past and present, offer-ing guidance on how to achieve the Scandinavian look, incorporate the trademark elements into any decor, and mix and match traditional and modern, humble and grand. Praise for Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design: "A private, exclusive tour of the best of Scandinavian design. . . . This book is a new treasure for my design library, one I will refer to over and over." Bunny Williams "A sophisticated volume . . . an in-depth, intelligent, and informative look at the ...

Herbert Ypma

Mexican Contemporary

Here are some of the most outstanding recent projects by Mexican architects and designers such as Jose de Yturbe, Manuel Mestre, Luis Barragán, and Ricardo Legorreta. The diverse traditions of Mexico's architectural and design history are reflected and re-created in their work: the mysterious monolithic architecture of the pre-Columbian era; the baroque, tile-clad cathedrals of the Catholic conquistadors; and the rugged character and massive proportions of the colonial hacienda. To the three defining elements of Mexican architecture-- the wall, the courtyard, and the ubiquitous use of color--this new generation has brought exciting innovations of scale and texture, creating spaces of massive volume and surfaces of exposed adobe, rusted steel, and weathered timber and stone.