[.ca] Adirondack Style (ISBN 0609603612)

From Amazon.com:
The Adirondack "Great Camp" style bears witness to the long and interesting history of New York State's northeastern corner, from the splint basketry and bark sheathing used by the native people, the furs and skins so prized by the earliest white traders, the thick walls built by the French soldiers eager to protect their North American strongholds, and the unpeeled log structures of early lumberjacks. As well-heeled sportsmen of the late 19th century flocked to the area's lakes and mountains, they brought the touches--electric lights, Persian carpets, Craftsman-style fixtures--that made luxurious resorts of these large cabins. The word camp certainly doesn't imply makeshift; as Alfred Donaldson wrote in 1921, "It can only be said that 'camp' in Adirondack parlance has become a loose term applied indiscriminately to anything from a tent to a palace created in the woods, in more or less isolation, primarily for pleasure and summer recreation." Ann Stillman O'Leary has developed what amounts to a primer on camp style, concentrating mainly on contemporary interpretations. As this style has come back into favor, it has incorporated more Scandinavian and Japanese elements that complement its rugged simplicity, and the interiors reflect the 20th-century insistence on better light and warmth. In short, the modern Adirondack camp style is at once cozy and elegant, and the faithful and appealing examples shown here will lead many readers in search of ways to create their own little "camps" at home.

Handsome but limited:
In looking for ideas for the second home getaway we are planning, I came across this book and added it to my collection. It is handsome but, as the title would suggest, limited to one style. If that is your thing, fine. In this genre, the book that keeps rising to the top of the little stack on my coffee table is called SECOND HOME/Finding Your place in the Sun (or Fun or something like that). Second Home shows rustic styles and romantic cottage ones, too, taking me on a little tour of the United States as I turn the pages. The author obviously did his homework, too, because Second Home is filled with information on how to shop for real estate, evalute an area, decide what you want (and where you want it), etc.

Forget what's "in" and do what you love instead.:
When you look at this gorgeous book you'll wonder what the editors at the Wall Street Journal were thinking recently when they declared the rustic style DEAD. This book proves the opposite is true. So much for news reports!

Dream, dream, dream!:
Between this book and another, also from amazon, called Cottage Style, I have more than enough to fuel my vacation house daydreams. A great start for 2000 and for my own dreams of early retirement.

A nice look at one style:
As I just wrote in a review of Cabin Fever, this book, too, is a delight to look at. But it is limited (as its title says, of course) to one style that is a bit more rustic than what we have in mind. Still, this is a lovely book to peruse. As we gather information on vacation homes, our favorite book is a new one called Second Home, which includes visits to everything from oceanside homes and lake cottages to mountain cabins. Second Home also includes information on how to shop for a second home, how to decide what location is right, and tips on building, decorating and so on. I've never met a vacation house book I didn't like, and I like them all. But Second Home is our favorite because it has such variety of home styles and helpful tips in it.

A dream book:
In planning the vacation home we hope to have soon, we bought this book and a new one called SECOND HOME. Adirondack Style is more of a dream book and includes historical information about the style. It's also limited to one style, of course. The book called Second Home works on a couple levels as a dream book but it also includes information on shopping, building, decorating, and so on, and it shows a wide range of second home styles around the country. We like both, but if we had to pick only one, it would be Second Home. (A book called Cabin Fever is fun, too, but limited to very rustic styles.)