The Farmhouse

Looks at the interior designs of farmhouses in New England, the South, and the West

This lavishly illustrated, oversize volumeone of two (see review below) inaugural titles in Bantam's American Design seriesexamines "the roots of our vernacular architecture," demonstrating how preservation can foster reclamation of farmland, vineyards and orchards, as well as restoration of antiquated farmhouses and efficiency buildings (stables, silos, wineries, etc.). Art & Antiques columnist Irvine traces varying geographical manifestations of "folk" dwellingsNortheast stone and frame houses reflecting Puritan and Quaker mores; log cabins built to survive the rigors of subsistence farming and pioneeringand their grander "styled" counterpartsGreek and Gothic Revival, Italianatein the South and West. Descriptions of innovations like plumbing and wiring concealed in hollowed-out ceiling beams or a swimming pool designed to emulate a spring-fed pond add to the practicality of the text. But, a frustrating tendency for detailed captions to refer to objects either barely discernible or beyond the camera lens somewhat diminishes the functional value of the photographs. Krukowski is a New York-based freelance photographer.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.