Customer Reviews

The New Southwest Home: Innovative Ideas for Every Room

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love other people's homes because I get decorating tips, art suggestions, perhaps color ideas and room layout pointers for furniture. I also like other people's homes because I'm curious and I want to see where they live.

Shortly after our departure from Minnesota for the long, cold winter and our arrival in Arizona for the balmy sunshine, The New Southwest Home by Suzanne Picket Martinson arrived for review. It couldn't have been a more fortuitous arrival since, after five years in our current home, we are considering a move.

The New Southwest Home is a simply scrumptious book packed with room-by-room tours of stunning and uniquely innovative contemporary and traditional homes that marry style with environment. Whether you're looking for larger windows, unencumbered by coverings, to view the mountains, monastery front doors that signify strength and durability, or a traditional beehive fireplace for cozy warmth, there is something for everyone.

And since the Southwest conjures up visions of warm, neutral earth and desert colors there are many ideas, using that color palette, for the reader to experiment with. From the entryway where guests are invited in, to the heart of the home, the kitchen, and all rooms in between, there is beauty, ideas galore and a sense that Southwest living is a collaboration of beauty and function. The photographs are exceptional and add to the flavor and enjoyment of paging through the book, just for fun or for ideas for your own home.

Armchair Interviews says: The southwest style can be transported anywhere. It's not just for the southwest. Isn't that a fun thought?

Arizona native Suzanne Pickett Martinson brings imagination and flair, a unique verve to The New Southwest Home. A master Gardener, she has a reverence for tradition and an eye for innovation. While many may think they know southwestern style, this generously illustrated volume holds many surprises.

Of course, contemporary architects and designers in the southwest tend to use traditional resources but augmented by international ideas. Stone, wood, terra cotta, adobe are not seen as they once were. Stainless steel plays beautifully against flagstone, and leather complements adobe walls.

Beginning with entryways, all important first impressions, Pickett leads readers into family & living rooms, kitchens, the heart of the home, sleeping rooms, very private, personal areas, and bathrooms. She also includes chapters covering special occasions - wining and dining, areas for rejuvenation and places for both work and play.

Home, just the words connotes may impressions - security, safety, pleasure, refuge, passion. Pickett understands these emotions well and incorporates them into her decor. She uses warm color and varied textures to create feelings of comfort and peace.

In the Southwest sun is a major factor in architecture and design, thus the colors often tend to be bold, invigorating, while deep porches and window overhangs offer protection from the strong sun. At the same time, large windows and sliding glass doors invite warm light into the homes.

Readers will find many creative ideas in the book's 200 pages that they can incorporate into their own decorating schemes, whether it be a subtle use of textiles or the use of lights in family and living rooms. The New Southwest Home is a volume to be enjoyed over and over again whether one is building, remodeling or simply hoping. Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

The photo's are wonderful especially if you're looking for ideas to decorate your house in southwestern style. That's what I am doing and I actually got some great inspiration from many of the photo's. I'll be honest, I bought it for the great photos and decorating ideas and I haven't actually read any of the text!

Moving from Florida to New Mexico is a learning experience. Styles of homes and furnishings are very different as one might expect in leaving the tropics for the desert.
This book gave me beautiful pictures to help in the transition and build a home with style. I highly recommend it for beautiful concepts in decorating and design and those who desire pictures to get creative juices flowing!

This book is outstanding with it's beautiful full color pages and great ideas. You will not be disappointed with this purchase. Love it!
Scottsdale, AZ

Beautifully illustrated with full color photographs on every page, The New Southwest Home is a showcase of innovative and stylish southwest home interiors. Spanning a range of styles, from incorporating Native American elements to neo- classical decor to stark simplicity verging on modern art, these dwellings are breathtaking to behold and evoke a variety sentiments connected to different aspects of daily life in the Southwest. A superb inspirational resource, absorbing to simply page through, and just as enticing for the casual browser as it is for the professional interior decorator.

I have enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to others who are interested in the SW style.

This beautiful collection of photographs would be entertaining enough. But the inspiring themes and tips and interviews hooked me for an entire afternoon. What a lovely read.

Great book, really enyoy reading it and all the photographs are truely awesome, it inspires me to decorate every room in my home. I recomend it to anyone who appreciates Southwest style....

There are a lot of photos and ideas that are easy to duplicate. Enjoyed the book.