Reviews for Brick in the Landscape: A Practical Guide to Specification and Design

The average rating for Brick in the Landscape: A Practical Guide to Specification and Design based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-07-29 00:00:00 Sean Galelli This book is a much-expanded version of James A. Abbott's exhibition catalog, A Frenchman in Camelot: The Decoration of the Kennedy White House by Stéphane Boudin. It is terrific. Jacqueline Kennedy's extensive redecoration of the White House from 1961 to 1963 has been much-written about in the popular press. Little of this work has actually been of value, however, because this writing has been bland and overstated. There is woeful confusion about who assisted Mrs. Kennedy with the restoration, and what, exactly was done. This book rectifies the problem. It opens by providing an overview of the state of the White House's furnishings, beginning with the gutting of the structure from November 1948 to March 1952 and the materials which were used to decorate it after its reconstruction was complete. Abbott provides an extensive account of Mrs. Kennedy's reaction to the White House and her decision to engage in a major refurbishment of it, but glosses over the work Dorothy "Sister" Parish did in the family quarters. Abbott provides an excellent review of the work done by American antiques autodidact Henry Francis du Pont and the White House Fine Arts Committee she asked him to lead. This committee was almost immediately superceded by Kennedy's decision to hire French interior designer Stéphane Boudin and his company, Maison Jansen, and utilized Boudin's expertise in refurbishing the White House. Boudin and du Pont often were in conflict, as du Pont favored a more American approach and Boudin favored a more historicist French Empire style. du Pont's influence was highly limited, Abbott points out. He largely came to rubber-stamp Boudin's decisions, making few suggestions and confining his comments to improvements rather than changes or opposition. du Pont ended up designing only a single room, and the National Society of Interior Decorators had as much influence as du Pont did. Most of the book follows a room-by-room description of Boudin's choices for the Kennedy restoration. The book provides a wealth of detail regarding fabrics, materials, manufacturers, costs, colors, and history. Almost every item in every room is documented. A dedicated fan or historian of the White House might quibble with some of the omissions Abbott makes, which to me (a fan with only limited knowledge) sometimes seemed glaring. Abbott seems to focus more on decor than "items in the room", and generally his omissions can be explained away that way. The book doesn't get into the refurbishment of the service areas of the White House. Although these areas -- which included the kitchens, pool, press room, West Wing, and the underground offices and service space beneath the North Portico and Lafayette Park -- were refurbished, Abbott is not concerned with this. His focus is on interior design and fashion. This book is not a raison d'etre, and not an academic work (despite its tone). Documentary evidence and endnotes are sparse, although sometimes Abbott does provide some good insider stuff in the endnotes. If one wanted to replicate Abbott's work or check his sources, one would be hard-pressed to discover just where he got most of his information. Overall, however, this is a superb work. It's the standard by which all other White House refurbishment books (such as the work of Patrick Phillips-Shrock and Robert Klara) should be judged. It's outstanding, even if it is not perfect.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-03-17 00:00:00 Martha Solomon I love the little details and the photos of the move to restore, not refurnish the White House. Especially after reading Upstairs at the White House. This book has many lovely photographs.