architectural

I got this book so I could see more examples of the contemporary solutions in Southwest design. It has some good ideas, but most are more folk-art-based. Some of the photograhy is centered around the object more than the space, so it's not very effective if you are looking at it from an architectural point of view. It is a good start for ideas if you are looking to add some flavor to a design. Also realize that the book is not just gardens but interiors, too.

Most of this work is very elegant; some is kind of gaudy.

Lovely looking book features plenty of gorgeous photos of Santa Fe & Taos gardens BUT I was hard-pressed to find a prototypical southwest garden in the lot.

Therefore, I suppose this would be most useful to the person who wants ideas for something atypical in the region. (Or just the thing for the person who's seen the usual sunflower, skull, and terra cotta styling and is dying to see some new twists on the Santa Fe look). There's some extreme modernity in here, bold color choices, and very individualist gardens. So although it was not what I wanted, it is indeed a collection of hidden, off-the-beaten-track Santa Fe gardens.

Unfortunately, the sample pages are in black and white. Never fear, they're actually IN COLOR in the actual book!

Got this for my Mom, she loved it!