The Farmhouse: New Inspiration for the Classic American Home [Paperback]

Jean Rehkamp Larson (Author), Ken Gutmaker (Photographer)

Book Description

Release date: September 5, 2006

Farmhouses evoke nostalgic memories--real or imagined--of a simpler life and a deep, nourishing connection to the seasons and the land. While most of us don't live that way anymore, we all share a longing for the values that this classic American house form represents.
So what makes a true American farmhouse? A farmhouse is intimately connected to the land and all its seasons, dominates a community of buildings, and is built to last using natural, indigenous materials. These are the core qualities of the farmhouse style, whether old or new.
From a working farm on Martha's Vineyard to a horse ranch in Washington State, this remarkable collection of 20 new and remodeled farmhouses celebrates the best American farmhouses built in the past five years. Over 300 photographs beautifully illustrate these homes, and the accompanying site and floor plans, historical sidebars, and up-close details add depth to this rich collection.
With this ground breaking book, America's quintessential house style is reinvented for the 21st-century family.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

These days most Americans earn their living in front of a computer or on a telephone or over a service counter, not driving a tractor through a field or sheering wool off sheep. But the ideal of the American farmhouse endures, in part, according to Larson, because "these homes satisfy a longing for a wholesome, satisfying life grounded in a sense of the land and its traditions." Indeed, her carefully illustrated survey could make anyone want to live among the trees and fields, if only on the weekends. Larson, cofounder of the architectural firm Rehkamp Larson in Minneapolis, begins by explaining the "hallmarks of the farmhouse style." The houses are situated carefully to take advantage of the land’s natural resources (i.e., houses in the dry Southwest may be placed near wells or streams). They use regional building materials, employ simple design forms and monochromatic paint schemes. They grow over time with the addition of wings and porches, and they are frequently "nestled" among a community of outbuildings, such as barns or corncribs. Larson then presents 21 examples of restored, fresh-built and renovated farmhouses, showing how each interprets and displays these hallmarks. The examples range from a pre-Revolutionary Martha’s Vineyard farm that is still used to raise chicken and sheep to a spare, modernist home that looks like a red block with the top cut into a triangle. Larson’s clear text, with its copious use of floor plans, site plans and sidebars, is friendly and instructive, making this book a good choice for architects and homeowners alike.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

" Enhanced by 300 color photographs, site and floor plans, plus historical sidebars, the book provides not only insight into how and why the farmhouse has worked so efficiently for centuries; it also inspires prospective homeowners to incorporate these time-tested principles for centuries to come."
--The Boston Globe

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 217 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press; First Edition edition (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561588741
• ISBN-13: 978-1561588749
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > Arts & Photography > Architectural Art & Design > History

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 66 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for those looking for a "classic" farmhouse style September 13, 2004

By Penny E.

Format:Hardcover

This book, although well detailed and presented left something to be desired as far as I was concerned. Appreciating the "classic farmhouse" style, which covers a wide variety of architectural detail, I did not like many of the homes highlighted in this book. They were much too contemporized for my "Yankee" preferences. Oddly, the house most resembling a traditional farmhouse style inside & out was a California Greek Revival.The unusual angling of portions of 1 house, the strange selection of plastic siding for another, the glass & steel addition to an otherwise beautiful famhouse, left me wanting more. I'm sure some people like this style, but they were "cold" buildings. If you are looking for a book on beautifully detailed, classic farmhouses, look no further than "American Farmhouses" by Leah Rosch. I believe a modern day farmhouse can be built with an eye to the past and livability for today without sacrificing the warmth and traditional look.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing - Full of Great Ideas October 13, 2006

By Judy Berkley

Format:Hardcover

This book is a valuable resource as my husband and I plan our "farmhouse" that we intend to build next year beginning in February. It gives examples of restorations, new construction built to look like the old classical farmhouses across the midwest, and amazing interiors. I love the shaded boxes of information, emphasizing the importance of features such as shape, the color white, porches, etc. It is a lesson book for those wanting a basic education on how to talk farmhouses. We bought three books, and this one is far superior to the others.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Inspirational Book! November 28, 2004

By High Quality Reading

Format:Hardcover

This book is a great quality hardcover full of spectacular color photos of the traditional farm style. I found it's content and pictures insipiring and it would make a great gift for any 'farm-style' enthusiast... or it's great for any coffee table! Really an excellent book, un-beatable in terms of conveying a classic style and delivering inspiring ideas!