Adobe Details [Hardcover]

Karen Witynski (Author), Joe P. Carr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2002

In their fourth book, authors/designers Karen Witynski and Joe Carr forage through the American Southwest and mountains of Mexico in search of the furnishings, accents and architectural elements that reveal its time-honored beauty and character. From rugged Arizona ranches and haciendas to contemporary Santa Fe homes, Adobe Details celebrates the natural materials--earth, wood and stone--that proudly bear evidence of the human hand. From adobe walls textured with agave fibers to hand-adzed vigas and gleaming Saltillo-tile floors, the adobe home is alive with rich surfaces that evoke a casual, timesless context. Adobe Details will show you how to achieve the look.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In vivid detail, Carr and Witynski reveal the elegant simplicity of the adobe design style: sculptural walls, nichos and bancos with contoured corners and softly flowing lines, breezy portales, stone-paved courtyards, and cross-cultural furnishings that exude warmth and grace.

From the Inside Flap

In their fourth book, authors/designers Karen Witynski and Joe P. Carr forage through the American Southwest and mountains of Mexico in celebration of the furnishings, accents, and architectural elements that reveal time-honored beauty and character. From rugged Arizona ranches and haciendas to contemporary Santa Fe homes, Adobe Details celebrates the natural materials--earth, wood and stone--that proudly bear evidence of the human hand. From adobe walls textured with agave fibers to hand-adzed vigas and gleaming Saltillo-tile floors, the adobe home is alive with rich surfaces that evoke a casual, timeless context. In vivid detail, Carr and Witynski reveal teh elegant simplicity of the adobe design style: sculptural walls, nichos and bancos with contoured corners and softly flowing lines, breezy portales, stone-paved courtyards, and cross-cultural furnishings that exude warmth and grace. Favored decorative accents include richly hued textiles, antique trunks with decorative iron lock plates, hardy Mexican tables, glazed pottery, and handcrafted tin and copper mirrors. Featuring brilliant close-up photographs, Adobe Details is alive with the decorative elements that add depth and visual interest to adobe interiors, softening edges and creating emotional connections to simpler times.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158685030X
• ISBN-13: 978-1586850302
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #375,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Home Design > House Plans

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Especially for architecture buffs, July 12, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe Details (Hardcover)

Adobe Details by award winning Mexican design specialists Karen Witynski and Joe P. Carr is an impressive survey at the culture, furnishings, and especially the architecture prevalent in the American Southwest and the mountains of Mexico. The majority of Adobe Details is devoted to breathtaking, full-color photography of grand living spaces; brief text captions and essays provide rich detail on the history, functionality, and symbolism of these inspirational edifices. Adobe Details is especially for architecture buffs and a welcome addition to academic and community library interior design reference collections.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adobe Details, May 25, 2003

By 

Sara Ramsey (Texas/New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe Details (Hardcover)

Adobe Details is a small but powerful book. It is well written and beautifully photographed by Karen Witynski and Joe Carr. This book satisfies the reader's appetite for Mexican and New Mexican decor while challenging him or her to venture out to one of the several locations featured. Ideas abound for the novice decorator. If landscape design is more your style, this book will also energize your outdoor spirits!! The vivid color and simple elegance make the book a "must have" for any library, especially those chocked full of information on the southwest.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, January 7, 2009

By 

Laura M. McBride (FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adobe Details (Hardcover)

I gave this as a gift to my brother who is thinking of building an adobe home. I was on the phone with him when he opened and went through it. He said it was exactly what he was looking for and that he had tried to find a book similar to it in New Mexico but could not find what he wanted. This book answered many questions he had on specific adobe style and integrating some contemporary ideas. Beautifully photographed as well.