Customer Reviews

Late Victorian Houses and Cottages: Floor Plans and Illustrations for 40 House Designs

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I actually purchased this book for use in a computer game. The Sims and Sims 2 games permit the building of houses and for me, this book filled the bill perfectly.

To actually work from authentic floor plans used in the 19th Century and watch it come to life is an interesting hobby.

Each home consists of a very good drawing of the house itself plus an excellent rendering of the floor plan. In those days, you browsed thru this book much the same as a Sears Catalog and picked out the home you wanted built. You then bought the floor plans which varied in price. Some floor plans cost as little as $25.00, others cost $150.00.

There is a very good description of the house which consists of general dimensions, exterior materials, interior materials and accommodations such as heating by furnace or fireplace. In many cases, the house could be built for $3,000 or less.

For the history buff it would be interesting time spent with this book. I recommend it for the detail in the floor plans alone. The drawings are superb.

If you were an upper-middle-class gentleman living a hundred years ago, and were thinking of building a house, but weren't sure just what style suited you, then you would want to get your hands on this book. The 40 plans here go beyond Victorian, and represent a good range of houses being built in the day. There are no modest cottages to be found here, these are mostly in the 2000-4000 sq ft range. For each house, you get a perspective and plans for the first two floors. You also get a nice description including the dimensions, along with the height of each story, materials, finishes, interior details, and the cost.

Any of these houses could be built today, with some rearranging of the rooms to fit modern expectations. Put one of these on a block full of modern houses, and nobody would ever see any of the others. These plans come from an age when houses were designed to make an impression, make a statement about the owner and his station. They would certainly cost more than a comparably sized modern house, because every corner, every nook and cranny, is filled with beautiful details. The contractors who built these houses would never, ever, build a house with brick in front and vinyl siding in the back. They would sooner show up for their own weddings with the front of a tux on, and their bare backside hanging out! I'm hopeful that someday soon we'll have a housing renaissance, where these kinds of houses enjoy a resurgence of popularity. Highly recommended.

A good refurence on period homes. Each structure has a profile drawing, plans for two floors and is well described. Unfortunately it provides no images for attick which Victorians often used for bedrooms or funrooms as well as storage or basement which often contained house coal furnace and storage as well as other facilities.

A good find for anyone interested in homes of this most interesting period. I just wish it were complete.