AMERICAN HOUSE STYLES: A Concise Guide 2nd Edition
We are pleased to announce that American House Styles is available at House of Books in Kent, Ct, Norton Publishers and Amazon.com. Please see John's Presentation at the Kent Library here.

"Colonial", "Victorian", "Neoclassical", "Modern" - what distinguishes one architectural style from another? How and where did these different styles develop?

Click to hear John's interview on WPKN with Duo Dickinson.

America has an abundance of fascinating and varied house styles, as fascinating and diverse as its people. When we explore our neighborhoods and travel around the country, how do we recognize the kind of architecture we see? Even people interested in houses can rarely identify the style of their own homes with any precision.

This unique book will allow readers to recognize the architectural features and style of virtually any house they encounter. To create this guide, architect John Milnes Baker designed a simple, two-story house with four bedrooms. From it he developed the basic plan for each historical style - from the steeply pitched roofs of Early New England Colonial houses to the turrets and grand porches of the Queen Anne style, the austere geometry of the International style, and today's Postmodern multiple eclecticisms. By starting each drawing with the same plan and adding the essential characteristics of each style, Baker ensures that the reader does not become confused by additions and later embellishments to the buildings. Each section of American House Styles begins with a historical overview of the period, followed by a concise commentary on each style.

The author then highlights the specific design details that distinguish one style from another. He shows how different styles developed and what influenced their development. His beautifully wrought elevation drawings, each with a floor plan, illustrate the details of style clearly and with precision. Through an understanding of earlier styles, we develop insights into the architecture of our own era. Not only is it fun, but the study of architecture also nurtures a critical sense and allows us to make informed judgments about what is being built today.

DETAILS | 2018 Published by W W Norton & Co Inc
Hardcover

REVIEWS OF THIS BOOK:

• “History is all around us—so much so that it can be hard to see it. John Milnes Baker’s classic work, now beautifully updated, helps us to locate it in our very houses. Through brick and stucco, pediments and porticos, he literally brings history home to us.” — Russell Shorto, author of Revolution Song
• “John Milnes Baker is a congenial companion, encyclopedic without being dull, discriminating but not dismissive. His affectionate survey of four centuries of American houses and American aspirations is an accessible guide to the world we’ve built and a good set of principles for understanding whatever we’ll think up next.” — Kent Barwick, former chair of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
• “John Mines Baker’s latest edition is a cause for celebration. This concise and erudite guide is essential for any novice – or seasoned admirer - of architecture. The combination of text and illustrations make this book a perfect inspiration to travel the country and explore our nation’s rich architectural heritage. Adam Van Doren, author of The Stones of Yale and The House Tells the Story: Homes of the American Presidents

HOW TO PURCHASE: GO TO AMAZON

or eMail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | The House of Books in Kent, Connecticut 06757 or call: 860.927.4104 (Be sure to order the hardcover!)

AMERICAN HOUSE STYLES: A Concise Guide
"An engaging historical account and an attractive practical resource"(Booklist) for anyone with curiosity about the myriad styles of American houses that we see in every town."

"Colonial", "Victorian", "Neoclassical", "Modern" - what distinguishes one architectural style from another? How and where did these different styles develop?

America has an abundance of fascinating and varied house styles, as fascinating and diverse as its people. When we explore our neighborhoods and travel around the country, how do we recognize the kind of architecture we see? Even people interested in houses can rarely identify the style of their own homes with any precision.

This unique book will allow readers to recognize the architectural features and style of virtually any house they encounter. To create this guide, architect John Milnes Baker designed a simple, two-story house with four bedrooms. From it he developed the basic plan for each historical style - from the steeply pitched roofs of Early New England Colonial houses to the turrets and grand porches of the Queen Anne style, the austere geometry of the International style, and today's Postmodern multiple eclecticisms. By starting each drawing with the same plan and adding the essential characteristics of each style, Baker ensures that the reader does not become confused by additions and later embellishments to the buildings. Each section of American House Styles begins with a historical overview of the period, followed by a concise commentary on each style.

The author then highlights the specific design details that distinguish one style from another. He shows how different styles developed and what influenced their development. His beautifully wrought elevation drawings, each with a floor plan, illustrate the details of style clearly and with precision. Through an understanding of earlier styles, we develop insights into the architecture of our own era. Not only is it fun, but the study of architecture also nurtures a critical sense and allows us to make informed judgments about what is being built today.

DETAILS | 1994 Published by W W Norton & Co Inc
Hardcover

REVIEWS OF THIS BOOK:

• "Filled with useful and interesting information presented in a splendily accessible format. The charming renderings scattered throughout the book allow one to see in a moment just what is meant by 'Federal,' 'Italianate,' 'Spanish Mission,' and all other styles that make up the history of American domestic architecture." --David Garrad Lowe, author of Stanford White's New York
• "Do you know the style of your house, or why Americans designed dwellings that looked like Swiss cuckoo clocks, Greek temples or Italian villas? [This] new book can help. [It] provides answers and sketches of several dozen styles ranging from early Colonial to deconstructionist." --Elaine Louie, New York Times
• "Invaluable...impressive...both in the enormous amount of work involved and in the lovely quality of the drawings. It is also a superb reference work." --Eugene Raskin, A.I.A., Adjunct professor (retired), Columbia University

HOW TO PURCHASE: GO TO AMAZON

or

eMail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | The House of Books in Kent, Connecticut 06757 or call: 860.927.4104 (Be sure to order the hardcover!)

HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE WITH AN ARCHITECT
Gives guidelines for selecting an architect, shows why working with an architect brings the best results, and explains what to expect at each phase of the home-building project.

"Some years ago, I stopped counting after passing along the 100th dog-eared copy of your How To Build a House With an Architect.  Although we have never met, it may please you to know that your writing has informed clients and young architects over two decades of my professional practice. With my thanks for your contribution to my understanding of the essential importance of cultivating and sustaining an effective working relationship with one's clients."-- Gerald Lee Morosco Architects, P.C.

DETAILS | October 1988 Published by Harper & Row
Hardcover, 224 pages

REVIEWS OF THIS BOOK:

• “Directed to the client, this book outlines the advantages of building a house with an architect … Baker explains clearly such things as contracts, specifications, bidding, site and floor plans, the design process, [and] the role of the contractor. More than 150 line and half-tone photographs illustrate the text, which is enlivened by incidents and case histories from the author’s own vast experience.” - A.I.A. Journal
• “A feast for thought … Architect John Milnes Baker covers what is involved in designing homes so well, in fact, that the book may be worth the price even if you’re not planning a new house or a major remodeling.” - Newsday
• “The only book I know of that presents in clear, non-technical terms the many complex interrelationships that arise between architect and client during the creative and exciting process of building a house. No prospective house owner should be without it.” - Eugene Raskin, A.I.A., Columbia University (retired)

HOW TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK: GO TO AMAZON