European Dream Homes: 200 French, English and Mediterranean Designs

Rating:
Summary: You can't judge this book by its cover -- or iits title.
Review: Based on the title, I was expecting a book full of some "Dream" ideas of features that modern European architects were incorporating into their designs. What I received was a plan book (ALL plans for sale) of "Luxury European" homes designed by mostly American architects with little insight into any European design criteria. The book is basically a catalog of perspective renderings of homes to be built with accompanying floor plans. Written criteria includes a one page introduction to the plan book. Additional written criteria includes a few brief paragraphs written by each architect espousing the unique European features of the "American" architect's design. There are a total of 18 interior home pictures (all captioned) on 9 of the 29 pages of the first chapter titled "Gallery of European Style". The chapter contains mostly pictures of built homes -- all with plans for sale. As a book of plans, I found the designs mostly interesting and the architects' work above average. The book is well worth having if one is looking for a catalog book of expensive "European Style" home designs plans. Nevertheless, the insights I was expecting from the title are going to be much more of a chore to find by reviewing each and every plan -- and, are they really going to be "European"?

Rating:
Summary: You can't judge this book by its cover -- or iits title.
Review: Based on the title, I was expecting a book full of some "Dream" ideas of features that modern European architects were incorporating into their designs. What I received was a plan book (ALL plans for sale) of "Luxury European" homes designed by mostly American architects with little insight into any European design criteria. The book is basically a catalog of perspective renderings of homes to be built with accompanying floor plans. Written criteria includes a one page introduction to the plan book. Additional written criteria includes a few brief paragraphs written by each architect espousing the unique European features of the "American" architect's design. There are a total of 18 interior home pictures (all captioned) on 9 of the 29 pages of the first chapter titled "Gallery of European Style". The chapter contains mostly pictures of built homes -- all with plans for sale. As a book of plans, I found the designs mostly interesting and the architects' work above average. The book is well worth having if one is looking for a catalog book of expensive "European Style" home designs plans. Nevertheless, the insights I was expecting from the title are going to be much more of a chore to find by reviewing each and every plan -- and, are they really going to be "European"?