Customer Reviews

Restoring a House in the City: A Guide to Renovating Townhouses, Brownstones, and Row Houses wth Great Style

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This is an outstanding book, beautifully written and well-researched, with exquisite, visually exciting photographs.The author tells a facinating story about each of the houses and its present owners and seamlessly embeds essential facts about the house's history and its transformation. She also offers extremely useful restoration information for brownstone owners or anyone aspiring to purchase a house in the city. I shared this book with friends and they all fell in love with it, as I did.

I purchased this book on the advice of a friend who has been restoring a beautiful home in Philadelphia for the past five years, who told me it was hands down the best publication on brownstones and row houses he'd ever seen. And boy was he right! Traversing continents, the book finds some of the most beautiful examples of this architecture and its furnished interiors anywhere, and each is photographed thoroughly, crisply and brightly. But this is no museum piece -- every chapter is overstuffed with helpful background information and valuable tips towards performing your own restorations. I cannot recommend it highly enough. A beautiful volume.

Being about to engage on a renovation project, I thought Ingrid Abramovich's book would be useful.
It was. The tips sections, by category, the index of resources are good tools. The photography is splendid and the taste in houses as well. This is an excellent book. I wish the costs of the projetcs had been part of the information provided, and that the properties had included a few more buildings renovated by owners for whom money was not really a concern.
Still, I recommend the book to anyone interested in the topic.

This book is a delight throughout - generous with information and beautifully informative photographs. It is definitely the best of its kind on this subject. The author and her team should be congratulated on a superb effort.

Ms. Abramovitch's book is extremely well crafted with text and photography that go hand in hand. It is not a book composed of previously photogrpahed homes that is pieced together
so the focus of it is clear yet diverse. As a furniture designer i found the interiors additionally of particular interest and an example of what America design should be.

This is not only the definitive book on townhouses, it's also a chronicle of the new wave of urban living. Restoring a House in the City is inspiring to look at and full of practical advice for anyone undertaking a renovation. It's also wonderfully written and tells the stories of people who are bringing vitality back to urban living. If you love old homes and want to live with style you need this book.

To give this book to yourself or others is an indulgence of enormous value. The grateful receiver will gasp, guaranteed. And this "perfect gift" arises as much from the content as the inspiration. It's a gift of recognition and respect. Imagine getting a Julia Child before being a foodie was fashionable. Eureka! Take a leisurely but serious tour of rooms you want to visit, badly, filling out one's imagination with photos and stories sometimes bright and sometimes snug. I love these rooms, these houses. Whether tourist or renovator or buyer, you'll be motivated by every page.

I have been giving Restoring a House in the City as a gift for many occasions....moving into a new home, invitations to dinner,cheering someone who is bedridden,etc and every recipient has responded enthusiastically. The book works on every level: each house has an intriguing story, the photos are like eye candy, and there is so much to be learned practically. This year will be a cinch at Hannukah and Christmas....I know Ingrid Abramovitch's book will be appreciated!

"Restoring A House In The City" is a love letter to townhouses throughout North America. Whether you're renovating or just admiring, Ingrid Abramovitch's insight will provide ideas big and small that you will want to act on in your own home. This beautifully written and photographed book is our favourite host/ess gift this season; it magically seems to lead to multiple new dinner invitations from other guests looking to receive a copy.

City homes present new rules for restoration and remodeling due to limitations of width and size ... it's always fascinating to see what other people have done. Great book for dreaming and ideas.