Country Houses of Holland

This is not just a book about windmills. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the wide range of Holland's interiors, from rustic to refined, classic to avant-garde. A recurring theme is thick oak furnishings in simple uncrowded spaces, with delicate touches such as flowerpots and lace curtains, all bathed in the dramatic, chiaroscuro light immortalized by Rembrandt and Vermeer. But there's also another side to Holland, where each house has its own distinct, unpredictable personality. The Dutch didn't invent split doors for nothing: opening the top part permits light and breeze to enter, as well as the gazes of passersby. Their open, inviting culture means curtains are rarely drawn and shutters often left open. The Dutch are proud of their homes, and rightly so. The old and the new are elegantly brought together in these castles, windmills, historic houses, and reed-thatched cottages. Among the destinations you'll find the Tsaar Peterhuis, the cottage inhabited in 1697 by Peter the Great while on an incognito mission to steal shipbuilding secrets from the Dutch, and painter Cornelis Le Mair's farmhouse decorated with antiques from the Far East, as well as authors Barbara and René Stoelties' own castle in Gelderland. Including over 200 illustrations, with selected paintings by the great Dutch masters interspersed, this is a delightful romp through Holland's most charming houses.