The sequel to Traditional Buildings of Britain traces the origins and development of traditional buildings by going inside the houses and revealing from their plans how they evolved from basic accommodation to homes giving comfort and privacy. The book shows how local traditional materials--earth, timber, stone, brick--were used in the construction of the buildings.

This richly illustrated and valuable resource reaches back five centuries to document the evolution and ingenuity of house design in the British Isles. The architecture of Britain's houses displays a dizzying variety of styles and details. Brimming with 600 full-colour photographs, House annotates hundreds of examples from every conceivable angle: from gables and pediments to chimneys and roofs; from bow windows and casements to fanlights and door furniture. Armed with a career's worth of experience and research, Philippa Lewis takes readers up and down the country to feature examples of typically British building, including cottages, manor houses, castles, bungalows, and flats. She also looks at houses built from a wide variety of materials, including stone, glass, wood, brick, and even corrugated iron, in different settings such as rural, suburban, seaside, and urban. Lively texts help identify specific details and place them in their historical context, as well as offering compelling examples of how innovative conversions of structures such as watermills, gatehouses, and churches reflect and sustain their environment. Readers interested in architectural history and design, and anyone looking to understand the nooks and crannies of their own home, will find this unique guide the most eye-opening and comprehensive of its kind. AUTHOR: Philippa Lewis is the author of Everything You Can Do in the Garden without Actually Gardening and co-author of A Dictionary of Ornament. She lives in Somerset, England. 650 colour images REDUCED FROM $70.00

Van Reesema takes us on a four of England's most pampering, exclusive hideaways. An invaluable guide to England's finest guestrooms, featuring thirty destinations across the romantic landscape.

This stunning book presents the intriguing stories and celebrated histories of some of the leading families of Great Britain and Ireland and the opulent residences that have defined their heritages. The history of England is inextricably linked with the stories of its leading aristocratic dynasties and the great seats they have occupied for centuries. As the current owners speak of the critical roles their ancestors have played in the nation, they bring history alive. All of these houses have survived great wars, economic upheavals, and, at times, scandal. Filled with stunning photography, this book is a remarkably intimate and lively look inside some of Britain’s stateliest houses, with the modern-day aristocrats who live in them and keep them going in high style. This book presents a tour of some of England’s finest residences, with many of the interiors shown here for the first time. It includes Blenheim Palace—seven acres under one roof, eclipsing the splendor of any of the British royal family’s residences—property of the Dukes of Marlborough; the exquisite Old Vicarage in Derbyshire, last residence of the late Dowager Duchess of Devonshire (née Deborah Mitford); Haddon Hall, a vast crenellated 900-year-old manor house belonging to the Dukes of Rutland that has been called the most romantic house in England; and the island paradises on Mustique and St. Lucia of the 3rd Baron Glenconner. This book is perfect for history buffs and lovers of traditional interior design and English country life.

'Remarkable... traces the whole story of domestic architecture in Britain.' AN Wilson, Sunday Telegraph An Englishmanâ??s home has always been his castle. Everymanâ??s Castle restores people to the panorama of domestic architecture. Philippa Lewis turns an affectionate eye to the characteristic British types of house â?? cottages, farmhouses, semi-detached, suburban, flats, terraces, bungalows, country houses â?? and charts their rise and fall. How were they perceived when they were built, and what happened to them subsequently? What sorts of messages did the design of a house send about the inhabitant, from stairs up to the front door (implying servants living below) in a Victorian terrace to bay windows (implying private ownership) in the twentieth century? The book is thoroughly and beguilingly illustrated with amusing and out-of-the-way material from a wide variety of sources. Using the same technique as her acclaimed Everything You Can Do in the Garden Without Actually Gardening, Philippa Lewis builds up the story using original specifications, plans and architectsâ?? writings on various types of houses, then layering in the experiences or expectations of those who lived in them, drawing on novels, diaries, letters, magazines and even sale advertisements.

Perfect English Cottage explores 18 inspirational homes that celebrate the best of cottage style in the English countryside. Perfect English Cottage explores 18 inspirational homes that celebrate the best of cottage style in the English countryside. The book explores the decorating and design solutions that make the cottages as attractive inside as out, as well as practical and comfortable to live in. Bestselling author Ros Byam Shaw takes a fresh look at this perennially appealing style, which she divides into five chapters: Character, Holiday, Romance, Simplicity, and Elegance. The featured homes are incredibly varied, from a tiny house with exposed beams to a pared-down Georgian gem, to a picture-perfect cottage with roses over the door—and plenty more adorning the interior. Each section ends with a Get The Look page devoted to ideas for recreating the style in your own home.