The Mediterranean House in America

Bought as a gift. I loved the quick delivery and my son loved the book.

Of course there are no Mediterranean houses in America simple because America does not border the Mediterranean Sea. However, there is a legacy of houses constructed in the various styles of those found in countries bordering that famous sea and it is those which form the corpus of this book. Ms. Bricker has selected a set of primary examples of these revival style and has intelligently presented them with excellent photographs and written descriptions. One will find most of the primary examples, most of which are probably familiar to the reader as they are found in many other sources on the topic. Where Ms. Bricker does significantly differ is in her effort to present the styles as having a continuous pedigree to the present day. This is quite contestable and her examples from the latter half of the twentieth century can hardly be termed "Mediterranean" except in the loosest sense (e,g, having stucco walls but otherwise International Style). Otherwise, this is a very pleasant coffee table book.

Nicely researched historical and design synopses, plus gorgeous photography, rescue this book from being as lightweight as it might have been. Whilst 'mediterranean' could mean just a decorative pastiche (as it did in many instances), some of the houses illustrated do demonstrate the adoption of design principles relevant to building in warm dry climates. Elements that might have been explored further, such as the loggia, verandah, courtyard are touched on mostly in the context of decoration and lifestyle. Many of the interiors are almost nauseating with their over-puffed, over-stuffed, over-designed furnituure, rugs and bibelots - only rarely allowing the fine qualities of the architecture to speak in its own right. Almost incidental, but most charming, are the many beautifully planted and maintained gardens around these houses.

Worth while investment for students and architects and designers.

I have no training whatever in architecture but I do have a strong interest in social history and material culture, and housing and architecture is an important part of that. Buildings tend to last longer than most man-made objects and the necessities of society and climate incorporated into the design of one's living space are a major source of historical interpretation. I also lived for several years in southern Europe and since then in semitropical areas of the U.S., especially San Antonio, where Mediterranean styles have long been popular, and where I developed a taste for them myself. Even when such a house is large and expensively appointed, it will somehow seem less formal and perhaps less forbidding than a Federal or Georgian-style place. Abrams specializes in gorgeously photographed oversized volumes and this one is no exception. A well-written introductory chapter summarizes the history behind Spanish, Italian, and southern French architecture and how it has been adapted since colonial times in south Texas, southern California, and Florida. (In some areas, like Coral Gables and Montecito, there has been a deliberate historical effort to maintain a specifically Mediterranean architectural unity in the community.) This is followed by pictorial studies of twenty-five particular homes (no commercial buildings are included) with interior and exterior photos and ground plans, and footnoted commentary on their designers and builders and the families inhabiting them. Each of these, of course, is one-of-a-kind and at least half of them are drool-worthy. Some exhibit great continuity between outside and inside views, but I was also struck by how many are "Mediterranean" only on the outside, with generic modern styling inside. But it's nice to see that some homes built just in the last decade are basically similar to what have become archetypes constructed in the 1920s and '30s. I'm especially partial to the designs of O'Neill Ford, well known in San Antonio, who seems to like vaulted brick ceilings. Books like this one are a great time-sink.

This book is outstanding. It covers many homes not seen in previous books. The photography is quite good, too. This is a good coffee table book.

i was very disapointed, it wasn't what i expected .it was just ok.they were old picture not realty what the houses look today

The book covers all styles of Med., not just Italian. Lots of Spanish too. Lots of writing, history of prominent architects doing that style. As many small pics as large ones. Lots of movie star and rich folks places.