Book review of Decoration USA by Jose Wilson and Arthur Leaman, a mid century modern book about interior design, decorating, and furniture.

Mid Century Modern Architecture Book Reviews by Amy Solovay

This is a review of a fabulous retro book called The Illustrated Guide To The Houses Of America, A Region By Region Survey of Contemporary And Traditional Residential Houses. The book is dated 1971. It is hardcover with dust jacket, and is 260 pages long including the index. The book was edited by Richard M. Ballinger & Herman York, with contributions by Henry D. Norris, John Anderson, Richard R. Leitch, John D. Bloodgood, and Rudard A. Jones. The book is illustrated with lots of photographs, and there are several plans, line drawings & diagrams as well. This is not at all what you might expect from a design book from the 70's- it is beautifully done (perhaps in large part because the photos are in black and white- although the homes may have featured obnoxious color schemes, you won't be burdened with them when you browse through this book.) The featured architecture is outstanding!

Some of the architects with homes photographed for this book are Richard Neutra, Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Perkins & Will, Robert Jones, Bernard Maybeck, Calvin Straub, William Cody, Gordon Drake, Killingsworth Brady & Smith, Buckminster Fuller, Ed Dart, Claude Miquelle, and others.

Every type and style of house that you could think of is represented in this book- Modern, Contemporary, Traditional, Georgian, Cottage, Saltbox House, Log Cabin, Mission Style, Colonial, Cape Cod, Greek Revival, Early American, Cubistic, Prefab, etc, etc, etc.

Like the title of the book suggests, the homes are presented region by region- so if you are a Southern Belle looking to build a new home, you can flip right to the "Houses of the South"; if you are building in California you may be more interested in the "Houses of the Southwest". There are also sections dedicated to the Northeast, Northwest, and Midwest. This book is a real treat for anyone who wants to learn more about regional architecture, home design, and vintage stylistic differences.

Please click on any of the photos below for a close-up view.