5 stars (An Excellent and very useful book - don't believe the negative reviews) - After reading the negative reviews, I got the book from the library instead of buying it. The negative reviews are really unfounded. It is worth buying. I was able to easily see all of the pictures, even the smallest ones, so the reviewer who complained about the small pictures needs glasses. I get more information from five small pictures on a page than one picture filling the entire page, so I appreciate the denser content. While many of the houses are luxury houses, the design principles can definitely be adapted to more modest houses. One of the houses used granite bathroom tile on the counter - clearly they had budgetary constraints. Many of the unique design features could be added to a modest house with considerable impact. The design principles are simplified into 27 types and illustrated better than any architecture book I have ever seen. In many cases, a second photo is modifed to remove the one isolated design feature being illustrated and it is easy to see the effect that the feature creates when it is missing. Regarding the lack of scale in the floor plans: I am glad there *are* floor plans - most books don't have them at all. It is very easy to create a scale knowing that a kitchen or bathroom counter is 2 feet wide, or that a entry door is 3 feet wide and go from there. A trained designer does this automatically in their head. Many projects are profusely illustrated from multiple angles and each one demonstrates several design principles. This is a very useful resource and an excellent primer on basic design principles. Although the principles explained are very basic, the examples shown are very sophisticated. This book is useful to the novice, and even more so to a trained designer who will see much more than what the text explains. The best design cannot be contained by mere words. All of the projects illustrated are top-notch designs. If you want this kind o... Taunton :: House & Home & General :: United States :: Residential Interior Design :: Residential Buildings Architecture :: House & Home :: Home Improvement & Construction :: :: Home by Design- Transforming Your House Into Home
5 stars (Absolutely gorgeous) - I have been a Santa Barbara resident for most of my life and I love seeing our local architecture featured in this book. My wife is an interior designer and frequently references the book. Not only is it suited for design and architecture professionals but also for the layman with and appreciation for design. Sven Klein - Santa Barbara, CA 5 stars (fantastic book for both professionals or coffee table) - Beautiful pictures depict romantic spaces with clear details, they helps me as an architect to re-create the Spanish living environment with many examples from different projects. The 20 houses in this book are gorgeous and inspiring -whether you are looking for ideas or merely relax reading. This is not a book showing only pieces of details for decorator use, it's an awesome architectural book as well as a perfect collection for my coffee table. 5 stars (A MUST!) - One of those books that is just full of great images of the Spanish Revival/Moorish style architecture of So. California. While not heavy on text, this book is a very important visual reference for designers, etc. who want to see how it used to be done. Many photos are of the interiors, but most are of the gardens. If interested in the glazed Malibu tiles seen throughout the book, check out "Ceramic Art of the Malibu Potteries: 1926-1932" by Ronald L. Rindge. ... Rizzoli :: Architecture & Interior Design :: Architecture & Domestic :: Vernacular Architecture :: U S Architecture - South :: Residential Buildings Architecture :: Regio :: Casa California - Spanish-Style Houses from Santa Barbara to San Clemente