Sun Valley Architecture And Interiors - Hardcover

Edison, Alan; Rabjohn, Jo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1586855174 ISBN 13: 9781586855178

Publisher: Gibbs Smith, 2006

Synopsis

Sun Valley "style" has emerged out of the melding of the extraordinarily beautiful scenery of the area, a love of outdoor living and recreation, and the unavoidable influence of the chic movie stars and millionaires who call it home. Sun Valley Architecture and Interiors exemplifies a blend of simple elegance and a refreshingly unpretentious spirit that permeates this Idaho paradise--and that spirit has profound effect on the lives and homes of its people.

About this title

From the Back Cover

This is one of the most stunning places on the planet. While most of us have traveled to various parts of the world, we keep coming back to our "home."
--Mariel Hemingway

From the Inside Flap

Sun Valley Architecture and Interiors
Sun Valley has always been a place where folks could relax and recharge. Early explorers camping out in what is now the town of Ketchum noted that ". . . the place was promising, the weather fine and the grass good, so that our worn out horses both fed and rested."
Over the last century, the beautiful Idaho landscape became infused with movie stars and millionaires, ushering in a whole new level of "roughing it in comfort." Sun Valley residents take great pride in ensuring their personal space is as unique and beautiful as the surroundings; faddish ways do not exist here. No matter where a Sun Valley resident spends time-big screen, office building, or at the nearest fishing stream-their homes exude a blend of elegance, contentment, and unique Western charm. From timeless rustic designs to ultra-modern interiors, Sun Valley Architecture and Interiors explores some of the homes that exemplify the Sun Valley lifestyle-living in luxurious comfort.
Alan Edison is an art and antique dealer who owns the American West Gallery located in Ketchum, Idaho. He worked in advertising for more than a decade before opening a gallery in Chicago, becoming the youngest gallery owner in that area. After falling in love with the Sun Valley area and establishing the American West Gallery there, he has helped furnish many homes across the West. The gallery has appeared in many prestigious publications such as the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.
Jo Rabjohn is a native Californian who calls the Wood River Valley home. She is an artist and illustrator and once taught at Parsons School of Design in New York City. While working as a toy designer, her designs won numerous awards. Rabjohn has written and illustrated several children's books and is currently a freelance writer for Sun Valley Magazine.

Reviews

Edison and Rabjohn show off the extravagant vacation homes of the Idaho resort town's wealthy residents. From its beginnings as a mining boomtown turned sheepherding village, Sun Valley was transformed in the 1930s into an Austrian-style ski resort, and the short history of the town that begins the book is replete with delightful vintage posters. The concept of "roughing it in luxury" is on full display in the architect-designed or renovated houses chosen by art dealer Edison and interior designer Rabjohn to represent the Sun Valley "lifestyle." Most of these showcase homes feel more like luxury hotels or B&Bs than private residences: their architects and decorators favor massive metal and glass structures softened by local stone and modern art, or huge log houses with interiors crowded with a clutter of embroidered pillows, international tchotchkes and Western memorabilia, although some of the attached guest houses are refreshingly modest exceptions, like a minimally renovated stable with horse-stall bedrooms. In contrast to this aesthetic, Austin G. Gray's "territorial homestead" fits comfortably into the remote, rugged terrain, and SPG Architects' stunningly elegant minimalist retreat stands out as a livable work of art offset by the equally thrilling landscape. 300 color photos. (May)
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Introduction
Anatomy may be destiny but location can have divine decree, and the Wood River Valley was predetermined to enchant. Count Felix Schaffgotsch, when scouting for the perfect setting for his European-style destination ski resort, said it had "More delightful features of any place I've seen." At its conception, elegance became a permanent facet of the area, and Sun Valley continues attracting clientele of East Coast notables and Hollywood stars. All bring a wealth of style and creativity to the community, and express themselves in their homes and lifestyles. Sun Valley is a geographic ideal, a gem in a perfect setting. Since it became popular in the 1930s, the unique blend of wild places and civilization ensured that Sun Valley would continue to flourish. Its neighbor Ketchum has been equally prosperous.
Because many of the wealthy clientele enjoyed Sun Valley and Ketchum so much, it seemed logical for them to build vacation homes there because of the frequency of their visits. The style of Sun Valley became one based upon recreation-it is a pendulum swinging between opulence and simplicity. The vacation spirit is here regardless of season, and pursuits such as fishing, hiking, skiing, biking or relaxation take precedence. The natural surroundings give life a gaiety, and weather, no matter what type, is taken with excitement and anticipation of what it will bring. Residents and visitors find delight in skiing newly powdered slopes, enjoying crisp fall evenings, riding a bicycle over fallen leaves, or casting for trout on an early summer morning. This vacation joy is expressed in a relaxed comfortable style unique to Sun Valley. As famous New York designer Billy Baldwin said, "Some people confuse luxury with grandeur. To me comfort is perhaps the ultimate luxury."
This book is devoted to the variety of architecture and design, art and artistry that make up Sun Valley style. From modern homes constructed of iron and glass to long-lasting rustic fishing cottages, each place celebrates the style because they are infused with the personalities of their owners. For some, grandeur and luxury are their signature style, while for others, whimsy and eclecticism abound. Common loves and choices seem to have melded all.

Edition details

• Publisher: Gibbs Smith
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1586855174
• ISBN 13: 9781586855178
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 216