Christmas At Designers Homes Across America 2nd Edition

A newly updated second edition of this popular anthology showcases how prominent interior designers decorate their own spaces for Christmas, providing plenty of festive inspiration.

Almost 400 color images treat readers to dazzling holiday visions that leading designers have realized in their own homes--scenes usually reserved for family and friends. Be inspired by their decorating strategies and hands-on ingenuity while gleaning insider tips for preserving trees--both fresh and artificial--and caring for ornaments. Get the scoop on unusual color schemes and centerpieces. See how one designer used crushed red and silver ball ornaments as a light-catching base for glass vials of flowers, and a laundry-room tree whimsically decorated with miniature clothing-item ornaments. This treasure trove showcases one-of-a-kind holiday ideas from some of the nation's most talented interior designers, who share not only their aesthetic tastes but also family holiday rituals and favorite Christmas traditions.

Deck the halls with tons of ideas and projects that help make the season bright Whether you incorporate handmade items as part of your decor, celebrations, or gift giving, adding a personal touch to Christmas makes the holiday season even more special. Christmas Ideas is packed with easy and inspirational ways to help beautify and personalize your holiday season. You'll get ideas for festive decorating schemes, stunning themed trees, quick-to-make ornaments and cards, appealing gifts, and easy crafts. So before you adorn your home or begin penning your Christmas cards, turn to this gorgeous book for Projects that bring a handmade touch to holiday d¿cor, gifts, and celebrations Step-by-step instructions for craft projects Ideas for holiday entertaining including kitchen-tested recipes Gorgeous color photos that offer inspiration and guidance Christmas Ideas is a treasure-trove of holiday merriment—a perfect source for creating unforgettable Christmas celebrations and traditions you'll be proud to share with family and friends.

History is brought to life in many historic houses, especially at Christmas time, when special decorations help to welcome the social season and visiting guests. In this revised second edition, learn history and local customs through engaging text and over 420 color photos. Costumed guides interpret Christmas traditions in some of the thirty specially decorated houses that are featured from across America. Both magnificent estates and simple residences offer a variety of styles, tastes, and ideas to inspire your own celebrations. See preserved buildings with illuminated gardens, inviting dining halls, and stunning interiors. Enjoy the many efforts on display here that help to make the Christmas season a magical time of sharing, caring, and gratitude.

Two new projects and new photography update this book that wraps Christmas decorating, history, architecture, and interior design into one sparkling package

"What would Christmas be without lights, color, greenery, and glitter? Join leading professional designers on a tour of well-appointed private residences dressed in their festive best. The one-of-a-kind decorating schemes are a study in the art of using scale, shape, and color to play up the house's best features and create a look that's pulled together. Here are fresh design ideas for indoor and outdoor scenes, whether it's a glamorous staircase, pristine tree, perfectly wrapped piles of presents, or a simple, well-placed evergreen wreath. Representing a range of geographic locations and decorating philosophies, the designers share their tips, tricks, and traditions for celebrating the season in style, and in every room of the house."--Publisher's website.

This work follows the evolution of the pattern book houses and how they represented the notion of home and community in American historical memory. The book also includes illustrations of such communities.

It's time for America to move beyond zoning, argues city planner M. Nolan Gray in Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It. With lively explanations, Gray shows why zoning abolition is a necessary--if not sufficient--condition for building more affordable, vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities. Gray lays the groundwork for this ambitious cause by clearing up common misconceptions about how American cities regulate growth and examining four contemporary critiques of zoning (its role in increasing housing costs, restricting growth in our most productive cities, institutionalizing racial and economic segregation, and mandating sprawl). He sets out some of the efforts currently underway to reform zoning and charts how land-use regulation might work in the post-zoning American city. Arbitrary Lines is an invitation to rethink the rules that will continue to shape American life--where we may live or work, who we may encounter, how we may travel. If the task seems daunting, the good news is that we have nowhere to go but up