Ski Style: Alpine Interiors, Architecture, and Living Style

I felt there was an unhappy overtone in 'skifanatic's review elsewhere. I guess I can remember feeling a bit like that when young and all I could do was covet. However, don't be put off. The photos in this book -- particularly the Alpine homes -- are a tribute to design, warmth, style, and beauty of traditional materials. And yes, they are also a tribute to money.But take out the envy and you have examples of a most fabulous marriage between modern crafts and mediaeval styles, using wood, iron, glass, ceramics, cottons, furs, etc etc. Breathtaking homes -- though somewhat less so in the case of the modern-style, overly self-conscious designs. I lived in a mountain village in the Swiss Alps for a couple of years in the 1960s, and still adore the warmth, solidity, simplicity of the homes there as well as the intracies of the wood structures, paneling and finishes. That was true even for (maybe especially for) the peasant chalets, such as those where I spent that time (skiing fanatically, I might add).The homes in this book are a tribute to what great imagination, and great taste, based on traditional styles materials, and values can achieve. I was transported by the book and would love to own one of them -- if someone else would take on the upkeep and maintainance!!Mr.'skifanatic' will get over his hurt one day I hope and may even get to enjoy such places -- while ignoring the fact that others possess them. We don't all have to live in the kind of crowd-accomodating ski barns that dot today's ski centers to be democratic. It is good that human achievement can reach the levels shown in this book. It keeps the crafts people up in the mountains where they surely have a place.