The first book to celebrate Wine Country lifestyle and interiors, California Wine Country offers an intimate tour of the ease and elegance that prospers amidst the vineyards and lush hillsides of the California wine-growing regions. Best-selling style writer Diane Dorrans Saeks walks the personal, memorable, and inspiring homes and hideaways of more than twenty-five Wine Country homeowners -- including an apple orchardist, a painter, a chef, an architect, and a gardener -- as they enjoy the seasonal splendor of outdoor dining, vine-covered vistas, sun-dappled interiors, and the spectacular surroundings of a region where lifestyle marries landscape. One of the most popular travel destinations on the West Coast, the Sonoma-Napa countryside is esteemed for its natural beauty and casually luxurious way of life. Throughout the region, and from the Anderson Valley to the vineyards of Santa Barbara, uniquely decorated homes are treasured for their architecture, seclusion, and unparalleled setting. Saeks visits nearly thirty such houses, including a renovated farmhouse and barn; a rustic family home amidst a walnut orchard; and a dreamy lakeside "tent" home in Sonoma. With more than two hundred beautiful color photographs, California Wine Country brilliantly captures the spirit and flavor of the Wine Country way of life.
One of the best things about this book is that it covers a range of different types of houses, from modern to Tuscan to rural country, all within the same general color palette and sharing some elements of the wine country style. The Tuscan homes featured, my personal favorites, are truly spectacular and the photography is detailed enough that there are plenty of elements to be used for inspiration if not down-right copied! Visually gorgeous from start to finish even in the styles that may not be your favorites, combines to make a great picture of wine-country style. Warm, relaxing, elegant.
Beautiful
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
I collect decorating books (I'm obsessed with them!) and this is my absolute favorite! It's sitting on my coffee table and I look at it again and again; I wish I could find more like it. We have recently purchased/remodled another house and this book was the inspiration for many of the things I incorporated into this house.
An architect's opinion of this book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
This book is a beautiful presentation of Interior (and outdoor) Design, but little true architecture. Most of the profiled homes appear as sets in a film and seem unrealistic as full time residences. As an architect, I will admit that most are wonderful, humanly scaled spaces. I'm not sure why the wine country is profiled-- other than the budgets are fat there. Overall, the book is worth the price.
IMAGINE LIVING IN THE WINE COUNTRY
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
Hi, I am the author. The Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez...they are hot now. Everyone dreams of living in the Wine Country. The pages of this book will set you dreaming more...and imagining a trip to relax, go wine tasting, perhaps look at real estate...and certainly to dine at The French Laundry. (See Chef Thomas Keller's kitchen in this book.)
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