The Farmhouse: New Inspiration for the Classic American Home

From Publishers Weekly
These days most Americans earn their living in front of a computer or on a telephone or over a service counter, not driving a tractor through a field or sheering wool off sheep. But the ideal of the American farmhouse endures, in part, according to Larson, because "these homes satisfy a longing for a wholesome, satisfying life grounded in a sense of the land and its traditions." Indeed, her carefully illustrated survey could make anyone want to live among the trees and fields, if only on the weekends. Larson, cofounder of the architectural firm Rehkamp Larson in Minneapolis, begins by explaining the "hallmarks of the farmhouse style." The houses are situated carefully to take advantage of the land’s natural resources (i.e., houses in the dry Southwest may be placed near wells or streams). They use regional building materials, employ simple design forms and monochromatic paint schemes. They grow over time with the addition of wings and porches, and they are frequently "nestled" among a community of outbuildings, such as barns or corncribs. Larson then presents 21 examples of restored, fresh-built and renovated farmhouses, showing how each interprets and displays these hallmarks. The examples range from a pre-Revolutionary Martha’s Vineyard farm that is still used to raise chicken and sheep to a spare, modernist home that looks like a red block with the top cut into a triangle. Larson’s clear text, with its copious use of floor plans, site plans and sidebars, is friendly and instructive, making this book a good choice for architects and homeowners alike.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Book Description
America's quintessential house style is reinvented for the 21st century family in this book. Farmhouses evoke nostalgic memories, real or imagined, of a simpler life, and deep, nourishing connections to the seasons and the land. This remarkable collection details and celebrates today's interpretation of the American farmhouse by focusing on traditional elements as adapted for modern needs, such as porches, roofs, windows, mudrooms, doorways, vestibules, fireplaces, and nooks. The 20 homes in this book represent today's best interpretations of this classic style in new and renovated homes designed for modern living. In suburban and rural communities from Maine to California, The Farmhouse celebrates an enduring American icon. This engaging tour, including over 300 color photographs and drawings that vividly showcase the farmhouse of today in a variety of settings and seasons, will delight, instruct, and inspire homeowners, architects, designers, and builders alike. Site and floor plans plus sidebars with historical detail are also included.


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Larson, an architect, has written the descriptive text that accompanies the copious color photos of the exteriors, sitting, rooms, and details of these 20 new or remodeled farmhouses. The houses are located in all areas of the US. Contact information is provided for the architectural firms responsible for each project. Floor plans are included. Not indexed. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


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