Tuscan Elements (Decor Best-Sellers) [Hardcover]

Alexandra Black (Author), Simon McBride (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: Decor Best-Sellers | Publication Date: November 1, 2002

The Tuscan house, whether a simple homestead or expansive villa, has become one of the most sought-after living environments. Its design is virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages, when landowners in the golden hills of Tuscany built country retreats with gardens, porticoes, and loggias. The landowners often drew upon the natural resources of the region—and it is these materials that give the Tuscan house its unique character.

Tuscan Elements brings to life the colors, textures, and aesthetics of the Tuscan house—the magnificent stone and marble work; the hardwoods like chestnut, oak, and elm; earthy terra-cotta and brick; and the all-important water feature, used in ponds, fountains, and pools. This unique, visual sourcebook deconstructs the typical Tuscan home and examines its basic components in dazzling detail, from the tiled roof and floor, thick stone exterior walls, and vine-covered loggia to the exposed wooden beams, luminous frescoes, and the sunny courtyard garden with an ancient well or exquisite swimming pool.

Filled with extraordinary photos by world-famous interiors photographer Simon McBride, Tuscan Elements emphasizes living life well with a home that nurtures and comforts, accentuates the importance of family and friends, and entertains with good food and drink. For anyone interested in infusing their present home and garden with a little bit of Tuscany, here is a delightful source of never-ending inspiration.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

There is something enchanting about Tuscany that has seduced the famous and just-ordinary folks for centuries, from Pliny the Younger to D. H. Lawrence and other personalities of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Black, with great assistance from photographer Simon McBride, captures the essence of northern Italy's magic by her exposition on four elements: stone, wood, earth, and water. What that involves is a historical and natural overview of the material, an examination of its uses in recent centuries, and then page after page of glorious color photographs. Yet it's not just pretty pictures. We learn about the differences between white Carrara marble and other quarried stones. The wood chapter details the trees throughout the region, with close-ups of applications, like the ubiquitous cassone, or storage chest. And water contrasts the still ponds and fountains of villas with the hot spas of Montecatini and other natural resorts. Dream on, architects, designers, and travelers. Glossary appended. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Alexandra Black has written about interior design, architecture, and fashion for such publications as House & Garden, Elle, and Vogue Living. The author of Ski Style, The Japanese House, and Living in Cuba, she lives in London, England. Simon McBride has been photographing gardens and interiors for over two decades. His work is often featured in Architectural Digest, Country Living, and House & Garden, and he has completed commissions for more than 30 books. He lives in London, England.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill; First edition. edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823054802
• ISBN-13: 978-0823054800
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #67 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Interior Design > Style

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dreaming, April 6, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tuscan Elements (Decor Best-Sellers) (Hardcover)

I have not been able to put this book down since I received it. I have always dreamed of visiting Italy, but until that time comes, I have been redecorating my home to reflect that dream. I now have a "Tuscan kitchen" that makes me very happy to be in. I bought this book for new ideas,and also to confirm that the elements in my home already are the correct ones. I was thrilled to find these "Tuscan elements" such as pottery, stones, tiles discussed throughout. And the photographs inspire me to pay attention to details. It's all about the textures of the walls, the colors, how you display your ceramics....the pictures are beautiful. I may not get to Italy any time soon, but this book helped bring my dream a little closer to home.

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tuscan Style, December 24, 2004

By 

Zecon - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tuscan Elements (Decor Best-Sellers) (Hardcover)

I normally don't buy tabletop table books because I don't feel that they represent a value or add much to my understanding of a subject. Tabletop books full of incredible pictures just do not fully capture my imagination or attention. Consequently, most tabletop books get a cursory flipping through before I put them down.

However, `Tuscan Elements' is more than a book of pretty pictures and it is worth more than just a cursory flipping through. The author, Alexandra Black, has organized her effort to capture the elements of Tuscany. The four elements are stone, wood, earth, and water. These four elements are expressed in the homes, furniture, terracotta, and ponds, respectively, of Tuscany. To stand alongside the pictures of these four elements, Ms. Black takes the time to build a supporting story from a historical and literary point of view. Quoting D.H. Lawrence and Pliny the Younger, the story of how these elements have been woven into the ebb and flow of Tuscan life since before the Roman Empire emerges with an impressive clarity and vividness.

As a lover of Tuscany I am drawn to images of Tuscany and its way of life. The seductive beauty of the Tuscan landscape and the romance of the Tuscan lifestyle as expressed in the prose and images of this tabletop book is the stuff of dreams. This tabletop book provided me the fodder for those dreams and never once disappointed me.

58 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At least I can dream, December 20, 2003

By 

Peggy Vincent "author and reader" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tuscan Elements (Decor Best-Sellers) (Hardcover)

Well, I'll never own a villa or even an old farmhouse in Tuscany, but this book gives me plenty of fodder for dreaming. Since Frances Mayes put Tuscany on the map with her Under the Tuscan book's phenomenal success, everybody wants to visit the region - and most covet some ole building, yearning to do what Mayse did: buy, renovate, live, and enjoy.
This book brings to life the colors, textures, and aesthetics of Tuscan houses - the magnificent stone work, the hardwoods used interiorly, the earthy terracotta and brick work, and water. Everywhere, water: ponds, fountains, pools... We can, on these pages, explore the tiled roofs, the thick stone exterior walls and the vine-covered loggia, the exposed wooden beams, luminous frescoes, courtyard gardens, ancient kitchens. It's all here in this seductive book that captures the essence of what is so special about the Tuscan style: stone, wood, earth, and water. Sit down with a cup of espresso and relax with Tuscan Elements, ripe for reading, browsing...and dreaming.