Ashley Rooney

Condo renovations by twenty-one architects and interior designers showcase the best of vertical living. For those interested in creating a one-of-a-kind home in a condo or apartment building, this book offers a voyeuristic peek at the way people design, construct, and accessorize these often challenging spaces. Thirty beautifully photographed projects illustrate how their designers overcame the constraints of high-rise living to enhance the owners' comfort. Learn how one architect brought elusive light into the center of a condo in Washington, DC's Dupont Circle neighborhood, visit the "stair bridge" in a Vermont ski condo, and observe the visual tricks used to open a Florida penthouse to ocean views. See how designers are raising the bar on an increasingly popular housing type, whether it is an urban pied-a-terre or an airy condo on a California beach.

From sculpture to collage, 79 artists describe and showcase their encaustic art work in different mediums—a visual showcase of the finest contemporary examples of a 2,000-year-old art. From beehive to hotplate to the artist's hand, encaustic art, also known as hot wax painting, has evolved as a versatile medium applied to almost every artistic style. A long-overdue look at a newly popular art form, this book explores the encaustic art of 79 North American artists, and how they use it to express their inner worlds and the world around them. Eight chapters organize the artists by geographical region and focus on how the heated beeswax and resin material is used to create seductive, skin-like surfaces and rich, layered membranes. More than 2,000 years old, this cross-disciplinary art medium ranges from painting to sculpture, assemblage, collage, and printmaking and encourages risk-taking in a way that other materials do not. Its inherent contradictions--it can be hot or cold, malleable or solid, opaque or translucent, layered or thin, permanent or fragile--make it all the more fascinating.

The South is known for its preserved mansions but many more beautiful twenty-first century houses preserve that same sense of ambiance. In over 400 full-color images, twenty Southern design professionals with varying architectural styles exhibit their award-winning work, ranging from classical Georgian symmetry to modernist traditions infused with fascinating flair. From Virginia to Arkansas, their work features expansive, open floor plans, walls of glass, and the use of indigenous materials. You can still see those Greek revival columns and the walls of hinged shutters, but you can also observe a remarkable range of homes that skillfully reflect their physical and cultural milieus within the contemporary era. Glass walls and open floor plans notwithstanding, these residences offer charm and authenticity. The architects' diverse backgrounds and design philosophies are shaping the South in the twenty-first century.

Many supernatural creatures are said to inhabit our world. Their magical, wonderland realm has been the subject of many books, movies, and our childhood dreams. In this richly illustrated book, 30 designers from around the world transform natural settings into enchanting displays that recreate that sense of wonder. Using artificial flowers, fabric, sticks, wire, crystals, berries, acorns, baskets, and polymer clay, these designers have been inspired to create their own “once upon a time” fairy home and garden for special events, storytelling, or just because they believe in fairies. In doing so, they tap into our inner child and help us to imagine a new world. This is a wonderful resource for designers and artists, as well as parents, teachers, or anyone looking to create their own magical place.

This expansive book takes a fresh look at 100 living artists from the Midwest, their personal stories and inspirations, along with several examples of their works. A wealth of urban settings, wide plains, flourishing cities, rushing rivers, and placid lakes are source material and inspiration for the artists. These works show how each artist interprets life. They explore the richness of the homegrown imagery of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin – their culture, society, and environment. They are delineating our stories for future generations in oil, pastels, sculpture, and other media. Their works are displayed in over 600 full color images. This book is essential for all who appreciate or practice art today.

Do you know the difference among a boundary, privacy, and security fence? Or what a Good Neighbor fence is? Or a dry stonewall? You might know about living hedges but what about snow fences? Adding a wall or fence to your property can be a major decision. It requires good design and good thinking to identify the best style , design, and material to meet your needs. Originally, fences and walls were constructed primarily for protection. Today, they are built for privacy, security, as well as protection from noise and headlights. This new book helps you select the wall or fence that suits your property and your fancy! A fence can be a decoration (think of those cute upright white pickets), hide an ugly view (such as trash cans or a/c units), block the sound of passing vehicles, enclose the swimming pool, or create a new outdoor room. Sometimes used as a backdrop for the garden, framing views, creating vistas, and providing perspective, you want a wall or fence to blend into the background; sometimes you want it to make a statement. Explore a wide range of styles and designs, in a variety of materials and quality grades. Hundreds of examples are shown in 316 full color photos, offering a comprehensive reference for homeowners, architects, landscapers, and builders.

Shingle Style homes began in New England in the late 1800s. They were the vacation “cottages” for the wealthy who summered in resorts along the Atlantic coastline. The style lasted only a short time during the late 1800s, but its impact on the future course of architectural history was significant. In the mid-20th century, interest in these comfortable homes was renewed and continues today as many people are recognizing their casual elegance. Their rough wooden shingles, irregular roof lines, and wide, shady porches encourage lazy afternoons in rocking chairs. Within the house, one room flows freely into another. Over 50 homes in the continental United States are presented in over 500 color photographs, including multi-million-dollar residences, smaller mansions, cottages, and renovated shingle houses. Their sites are as varied as their designs. Some are on the coastline, surveying the crashing waves; others peer through trees on city streets; still others occupy an island or rest in the middle of a vineyard. The Shingle Style homes of today are compared to some of the famous “shingles” from the past, including Naumkeag, the Folly , and Stonehurst all in Massachusetts. One chapter looks at Shingle Style renovations. The foreword, by John C. McConnell AIA, an architect and professor of American architectural history at Boston College, looks role the style played in American architecture—from the early 1870s to the late 1880s—and its influence on future architecture. A chapter by architect Turner Brooks, an Associate Professor at Yale University School of Architecture, investigates at Shingle Style descendants.

Nothing matches the serenity and beauty of waterfront living. This book offers an insider's tour of more than sixty waterfront homes. You'll hear from twenty notable architects and designers from around the country as they describe their homes, inside and out. Featured are multimillion dollar castles, rustic cottages, cliffhangers, and all those homes in between, showcased here in 400 magnificent color photographs. The oldest home is from the early 1700s; the newest is not yet completed. Their sites are as varied as their designs. This enchanting resource showcases waterfront living and many of the decorating styles that enhance the experience. This book is a must-have for anyone who dreams of living in one of these magnificent waterfront settings. May you find the inspiration to live your dream.