Restoring a House in the City

Description

In "A House in the City", design expert Ingrid Abramovitch explores how twenty-one classic and historic town houses, brownstones, and row houses were transformed from pieces of the past into magical places to live today. The book features a diverse group of home owners and designers who share tales of creativity and innovation in adapting these homes for modern urban living. Whether hunting for rare chandeliers and a custom carpet, salvaging floor boards for new tabletops. Or removing walls to let more light in, all the nuts and bolts of restoration are here. In Boston, a young family's renovation takes three years and includes every modern amenity imaginable (a media room, home gym, and elevator), but saves most of the original interiors (windows shutters and seats, and marble fireplaces). A Baltimore couple-both stars of the graphic design world must reconcile their cutting edge tastes with their traditional surroundings. Many of their choices are by the book (restoring old pine floors), while others are radical (a glass-and-steel carport that doubles as extra party space). From furniture and colour to rooftops and terraces, the real-life renovations in "A House in the City" offers a treasury of inspiration and ideas.

Ingrid Abramovitch is a journalist who has written widely on design, architecture, and lifestyle for The New York Times, Elle Decor, Cookie, and Departures. She has also been an editor at Martha Stewart Living and House & Garden. Ingrid lives in an Italianate brownstone in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two daughters.

"An enticing portfolio of urban houses." --Women's Wear Daily "More than just a coffee-table book, the 21 houses... serve up all the juicy details...including how long each renovation took, the year the house was purchased and the neighborhood in which it is located." "Lavish...The book shows off restored gems from 10 cities, including...town houses belonging to Julianne Moore, Robert Duffy, and Chilean ?designer Maria Cornejo." "The 21 houses in the book...show what is possible, what is realistic and how much can be done, even on a budget." "From squeaky floors to coal-burning fireplaces, Ingrid Abramovitch's primer shows how to reconcile old urban dwellings' quirks with contemporary tastes through architects and designers' tips and nearly 400 color photos."? "This book is worth it for all of the ideas, resources, and wisdom-not to mention great decorating ideas."