As the Pacific Northwest becomes ever more popular, a book like Anne Wall Frank's Northwest Style seems perfectly timed to highlight the eclectic interior and exterior styles that exemplify the region. Along with stunning photographs by Michael Mathers, the prose conveys the casual "style without a style" nature of the many beautiful homes featured.

Northwest Style takes a look at better than three dozen homes that range from a city apartment in downtown Seattle to a houseboat on the Willamette River in Oregon, as well as a couple of patrician homes that command some of the most amazing views of the waters and mountains of the Northwest. It's evident that one of the trademarks of this style is the influence of many cultures, as is the natural look of exposed wooden beams, high windows to let in the seldom-seen sunlight, and a profusion of artifacts from the region's fishing and logging heritage. There is a conscious effort in many of the homes pictured to define a portion of the West, be it Asian influences, the frontier sensibilities of bow saws and mounted bucks gazing down from above the fireplace, or the persistent architectural use of wood, as in the thoroughly appointed log cabin overlooking Hood Canal. At times, some of these techniques result in a home that is more museum than living space, but all are striking and do a good deal to show just how much independent spirit is still alive in the Northwest.

Northwest Style is less about any one definitive Northwest image than it is a sampling of the spectacular cultural and environmental influences of the Pacific Northwest. This, along with the extensive list of galleries, antique shops, and decorating stores in the book's appendix, provides a elegant look at the many possibilities open to those who call the Northwest home. --Kris Law


Book Description
The rugged beauty of the Pacific Coast has spawned a style that is informal yet modern, organic yet refined. Northwest Style, now in paperback, brings to light the spirit and diversity of this region's architecture and decor, as demonstrated in dozens of distinctive homes in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Northwest style is notable for its extraordinary blend of influences, including modernism and Japanese architecture. While the styles vary, a sensitivity to the environment and a desire to accentuate the natural beauty of the region lie at the heart of almost every design. Color photographs celebrate each structure's unique features, highlight architectural and decorative details, and show the surrounding landscape. Full of inspiring ideas, "Northwest Style belongs in the must-have category" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer).


About the Author
Anne Wall Frank lives in Portland and has written about architecture, homes, and style for a variety of publications, including the Portland Oregonian. Michael Mathers is a photographer based in Astoria, Oregon, who specializes in architecture and the lifestyle of the Northwest.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The rugged beauty of the Pacific Coast has spawned a style that is informal yet modern, organic yet refined. Northwest Style, now in paperback, brings to light the spirit and diversity of this region's architecture and decor, as demonstrated in dozens of distinctive homes in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Northwest style is notable for its extraordinary blend of influences, including modernism and Japanese architecture. While the styles vary, a sensitivity to the environment and a desire to accentuate the natural beauty of the region lie at the heart of almost every design. Color photographs celebrate each structure's unique features, highlight architectural and decorative details, and show the surrounding landscape. Full of inspiring ideas, "Northwest Style belongs in the must-have category" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer).

Author Biography: Anne Wall Frank lives in Portland and has written about architecture, homes, and style for a variety of publications, including the Portland Oregonian. Michael Mathers is a photographer based in Astoria, Oregon, who specializes in architecture and the lifestyle of the Northwest.

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