Restoring a Home in Italy [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Helman Minchilli (Author), Simon McBride (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

This breathtakingly photographed volume offers an inside, and outside, look at twenty-two lovingly restored homes, labors of love by people whose passion for Italy just couldn't be ignored. Owners and designers share anecdotes about their experiences with local artisans, vendors, and bureaucracy, while offering real-world advice on the tactics of restoring a house in a foreign country.

Whether the plan is to embark on a complete redesign, begin a restoration, or just move in and let the house evolve on its own, home owners and dreamers alike will value the information and thrill to the dream of Restoring a Home in Italy. This is a book at once lush and beautiful, and invaluably practical.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Three November titles from Artisan explore the pleasures of home and table at the most exalted levels. Elizabeth Minchilli provides both practical information (e.g., many local boards have imposed bans on new swimming pools) and reason to dream in the beautifully photographed Restoring a Home in Italy. The 22 featured residences include a compound of conical houses, called trulli, in Puglia, and a former candle factory in Rome, as well as plenty of traditional villas.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Outstanding in terms of both production and subject matter, this is a coffee-table book for the ages. Dividing the text into five geographical sections, Minchilli, who has restored an Italian home herself and written several books on Italian art and culture, considers the various challenges encountered while restoring an old house. She presents problems of site, structure, and design along with the chosen solutions. The lucid text is illustrated by 180 large and magnificent photographs by McBride, whose work has appeared in such publications as Architectural Digest, House & Garden, and Country Living. A seaside home in Liguria, a rooftop apartment in Rome, a farmhouse with loggia near Siena, a convent in Lombardy, and a watchtower in Tuscany are just some of the restoration projects described. Not a bad consolation prize for those of us who will never restore an old house in Italy, this volume is strongly recommended for travel, art, home improvement, architecture, and preservation collections. It is also recommended for anyone with a passion for all things Italian. Alex Hartmann, INFOPHILE, Skokie, IL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Artisan (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579651720
• ISBN-13: 978-1579651725
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #433,033 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth Helman Minchilli is the author of six books on the joys of Italian life. Her latest book is Italian Rustic, to be released by Artisan in November 2009. She is the author of Restoring a Home in Italy, now in it's third printing. Minchilli's passion for Italy led her from her native United States, where she studied architectural history, to Italy in 1987. She writes on architecture, design, food and travel for a variety of publications.
Assisting her on her latest book, Italian Rustic, is her husband, Domenico Minchilli, an architect who restores and builds homes in Italy and around the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a book!, February 16, 2002

By 

Jim Watts (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Restoring a Home in Italy (Hardcover)

While this book may look more like a coffee table piece - and it could very well be - I read it cover to cover. The stories were very informative, telling of the beauty and the challenges of restoring one of these fine homes. After each of the functional sections there was a great write up on the details of the topic, such as; roofing, swimming pools, heating, etc. Naturally, you can tell I loved it and would recommend it to anyone interested in fine Italian home. I hope the author reads this and realized what a great job she did. ....

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS!, January 22, 2007

By 

Marie Antoinette - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Restoring a Home in Italy (Hardcover)

What a great book! The author Elizabeth Minchilli has done has superb job in creating this wonderful book. Although she's not Italian, she now lives in Italy after marrying an Italian architect. Her love and passion for Italy is obvious and the wealth of information that she has gathered is priceless to anyone thinking or planning to buy and/or restore a home in Italy. Her informative writing is beautifully coupled with fantastic photos from the well known photographer Simon McBride. The setting of some of these homes is spectacular! There are many books out there on Italy, but this is truly a must for any fan of Italy or old rural architecture. I highly recommend this book even if you don't have any intention in restoring a home in Italy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Ideas for decorating, April 10, 2007

By 

Diane Cameron - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Restoring a Home in Italy (Hardcover)

Since we live in the southwest, but don't particularly want to decorate SWestern ..I like this book because it uses the same materials found here but in a different way... Wood, stone, tile..flagstone for the patios..
They use simple uncluttered lines in their decor inside and out..
There is a type of tranquility built in. Something we look for in this complicated world.