Schiffer Books

Full of interesting information about this amazing company and the extravagant creations.

Electrical lighting fixtures from the 1920s through 1940s reflect the popular taste for Art Deco styling in public, commercial, and home interiors. Beautiful color photography of lights with glass shades fill this stunning book, including radio and accent lamps, boudoir lamps, wall sconces, ceiling fixtures, bridge lamps, torchieres, and smoking stands. The book is a constant reference for architects, designers, lighting collectors, dealers, and theater historians.

Explore the broad range of beautiful, high-quality porcelain figurines manufactured by the Bing & Grondahl Porcelain Manufactory, of Copenhagen, Denmark, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. More than 700 animal and human figurines are shown, along with date marks, shop signs, plates, dishes, bowls, and vases. Approximately 1,000 Bing & Grondahl figurines have been identified and described. They appeal especially to specialized collector-owners of dogs, cats, fauns, fish, etc.

This volume studies, in chronological order, three types of large clocks-wall, cabinet and free-standing, with particular attention to clocks from France, England, Holland, Scandinavia and the German-speaking countries.The emphasis is on French clocks due to recent great interest in the trade of these among collectors. The English clocks, still favored by a large group of collectors, are strongly represented here and there are several beautiful examples from Holland. The German speaking area, including Austria, Germany, and Switzerland are also well represented especially with clocks from south Germany-a delight for lovers and collectors of the Baroque and Rocco clocks.European Pendulum Clocks is essential for the collector of clocks, dealers, auction houses, museums, and anyone awed by the beauty and craftsmanship of these fascinating timepieces.

The most popular 1940s styles, from couture to everyday workclothes, ensembles, sportswear, lingerie, and evening dresses, plus toys, needlework, and gifts, are presented here in 550 color photographs of pattern envelopes from companies like Advance, Butterick, Hollywood, McCall, Simplicity, Vogue, and others. A wide array of pattern-related items is presented, including publications and advertising, display dolls, tools, and various forms of packaging. The pattern envelope illustrations are wonderful period drawings of 40s fashions. All who enjoy these great styles will find Blueprints of Fashion to be a refreshing approach and an important first book on this growing field of interest.

Travel coast to coast and witness many of the country's premier decorator events. Though decorator showhouses are open to the public for a few weeks, these masterpieces are now preserved for your endless perusal. Showhouses let decorators pull out all the stops to show off their talents and resources. The organizers, notable charity organizations, reap significant revenue because people simply flock in. Homeowners and decorators come in droves to see all the wonderful ideas, paying upwards of $20 per ticket. This book offers admission to over 30 different events and highlights the work of over 150 designers featured in glorious color. Enjoy your tour!

The dreamiest kitchens are presented in this collection of over 325 exquisite photographs. Hundreds of custom features are shown from award-winning kitchens by the nation's best manufacturers. This visual library of ideas includes examples of storage solutions, unusual surfaces and colors, and creative ways to utilize space efficiently and elegantly. Get ideas for transforming your existing kitchen into the perfect culinary retreat, or developing a brand-new kitchen with the ambience and functionality you've always wanted. Go ahead, let yourself be inspired!

Building a green home or redesigning an existing home to be green is more than energy efficiency and preservation of natural resources. It is about integrating cost-effective design and materials to better the well being of inhabitants. Explore the many ways architects have achieved sustainability, incorporating commonsense strategies of solar orientation, natural ventilation, recycling of household water, and making use of cutting-edge materials and building technologies such as earth sheltering, thermal mass, super insulation, geothermal heating and cooling, and photovoltaic electrical generation — all without compromising their aesthetic goals. Here are more than 50 green homes in North America, shown in 400 color photographs. Many have won major awards; others have been the subject of media attention and tours. This book will help the homeowner, builder, and architect design homes that are more energy efficient, reduce consumption and emissions, and incorporate sustainable materials. The residences presented here demonstrate the range of potential solutions and ideas for building a sustainable house.

The companion volume to Making Concrete Countertops with Buddy Rhodes, this book details the art and craft of creating vertical concrete applications as well as integral sink and drainboard elements and curved-edge counters, for advanced users of the medium. An invaluable manual for contractors, architects, and expert handypersons alike, the project photography within will guide you step-by-step in the creation of an outdoor kitchen project, from the careful process of measuring a template, to building a mold, to casting, curing, and installation. With more than 30 years of experience in concrete art and fabrication, artist Buddy Rhodes shares his skills and experience in this useful, practical book. Most importantly, he shares the process he pioneered for creating the natural, stone-like pressed surfaces that have become his hallmark. As the popularity of concrete in home decor soars, this book will be an indispensable guide for any craftsman who hopes to make his mark on this incredible, expanding market.

German Meissen porcelain figures made during the Kaendler Period are considered the best era in the Meissen factory's history. They are organized here by their subjects, depicting Street Traders, Court Life, Military and Hunting scenes, Italian Comedy, Children, Mythology, Artisans, and various nationalities. Many figures are matched to the original engravings that inspired them. By recognizing the colors used when the originals were made, one can date the figures; manufacturer marks alone are not reliable. This book guides and delights today's designers and collectors by presenting the figures in exquisite detail.

Outdoor living is heating up the marketplace today, and more and more people take their leisure time outdoors. Toward that end, they're bringing the kitchen with them, along with a blazing fire to warm and illuminate their yards into the later hours. This book offers the largest collection of images of landscapes, outdoor kitchens, and fireplaces available on the market today, and with those gorgeous photos come hundreds of ideas. Live vicariously as you leaf through these pages, and then make the dream come true in your own backyard with some of the many inspirations found here.

Porcelain production in the Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) region of western Bohemia is featured here. American importers of the New York firm Larzarus Straus & Sons financed the creation of the Marx & Gutherz factory in 1884. It later became known as the Oscar & Edgar Gutherz Royal Austria factory. Over 1000 color photographs and illustrations demonstrate the rich variety of porcelain items produced by the factory between 1898 and 1918. The Gutherz factory exported factory-decorated ware and large amounts of undecorated porcelain, known as “whiteware” to satisfy interest in amateur porcelain painting in America. The methods used to decorate and market Royal Austria porcelain are explained and American hand-decorated pieces are presented, making the book an invaluable reference for those who purchase, sell, or have inherited this fine tableware. The plate blanks are identified, categorized, and illustrated in over 100 patterns. Many shapes of dinnerware, cups and saucers, and hollowware handles are shown for the first time. A list of the numbered molds used to create hundreds of shapes is unique.

This is both a historical survey of wonderful images associated with tea over two centuries and a modern guide to collecting tea graphics. It is the first tea book to cover printed paper collectible art (rather than tins, teapots, and other objects), and has more than 160 images of rare materials conveniently organized as postcards, prints, posters, sheet music, book illustrations, periodical advertisements, and more. A lengthy illustrated survey of tea history—with special emphasis on its popularization, marketing, and advertising— discusses many categories of tea graphic arts. The illustrated value-guide gives current prices for items (both shown in the book and many additional pieces) and offers advice for collectors in each of the categories. The extensive bibliography lists fiction and nonfiction tea books as well as current websites.

Take a tour of high-end log homes in this inspiring compendium. Photographer Roger Wade focuses on the finer features of 25 very fine log homes found throughout the United States. More than 200 full-color photographs and detailed floor plans act as a guide in negotiating these exquisitely designed, expansive residences. Charming as only a wooden home can be, these images will inspire you to plan and design a future log house of your own.

Hundreds of beautiful color photos display the varied, impressive iron artwork from today's artist-blacksmiths. See a variety of styles, from Modern to Victorian, in original works for homes, offices, and public spaces. This metal art ranges in scope from massive public monuments to small, everyday objects and includes sculpture, gates, railings, furniture, lighting fixtures ranging from chandeliers to lamps and candleholders, doors, locks, and more. Concise text introduces each artist and their work. This book is the second in a series pioneered by the late Dona Meilach and provides readers familiar with her work with a new look at some of the artists they have come to know as well as an introduction to artists not previously known. This book will quickly become a prized possession, critical reference, and inspiration for homeowners, designers, artists, and blacksmiths alike.

Dormers bring light and air into an existing space and add character and dimension to a structure's external appearance. This invaluable book features more than 700 color pictures featuring homes and structures adorned with an awe-inspiring variety of dormer additions. The illustrations and imagery portray eve gable, double gable, hipped-roof, arched, round, oval, eyebrow, pediment, triangle, flat, turret, deck, and inset dormers, to name a few. If you are a homeowner, student, or professional involved in architecture, design, remodeling, or construction, you will find this reference an invaluable addition to your library.

Take a visually rich tour through a burgeoning community on Mexico's Baja Penninsula, and learn how the dream of visionaries is shaping the community of Loreto Bay as a model for the future. Indigenous materials and culture are helping to shape the physical makeup of this new resort community near Loreto, and the city's inhabitants are reaping the benefits of development dollars. What is being imported is an exciting vision of a sustainable future, a shared goal of community, and a love of place. That place is wonderfully illustrated here, from the colorful adobe architecture and Spanish mission furnishings, to the scenes presented by the white sands of the Sea of Cortez and the fertile desert beyond.

Hundreds of homes are shown to illustrate an inspiring variety of shutters and awnings found throughout the United States. This unique and rich collection of color imagery provides an opportunity to compare designs and installations. Exterior shutters include traditional Colonial forms, decorative and operational shutters, and hurricane shutters. To finish off the windows, a broad selection of awnings is displayed. This book will benefit architects, designers, builders, homeowners, and craftsmen seeking to create their own architectural embellishments.

Prepare to be wowed, amused, and inspired as you visit over 100 houseboats, inside and out. Architect Kathy Shaffer follows her bliss and explores the floating legacy of her Sausalito home. With an eye toward the artistic, Shaffer carefully documents the architectural evolution of this houseboat community. Learn the geography of the area, the developers who helped shape it, the history of the marinas, and the amazing evolution of houseboat design and construction. This book also reflects the lives of people who choose to constrain their home to a hundred square feet or so, and how they've engineered their surroundings to their spatial restrictions. This book is a celebration of the refreshing, inspiring forms created in the free-thinking spirit of houseboat architecture. It is a must-have for all who love architecture, handmade houses, and inspiring homes.

Enjoy rooms replete with details carefully drawn from stately homes in the mediterranean hill towns of Provence and Tuscany, the Moorish influences of Spanish Haciendas, the elegance and extravagances of Parisian apartments, and the time-honored traditions of panelled estates of Britain. This luscious collection of nearly 200 images takes designers and homeowners on an inspiring tour of over 100 kitchens that will inspire your journey to import the old world's long-lasting charms and elegance into your own home.

This book is for all lovers of stained glass windows and doors. For the collector and connoiseur it covers the wide ranging glass that is available in the antique market and suggests current values. For the artisan it gives a context to their work and provides them with ideas and techniques to expand their repertoire. With hundreds of windows and doors photographed in full color, this is an invaluable resource. Dimensions and information about the historical context and the artists who produced the glass are provided.

The most comprehensive assembly of geisha images ever compiled in a book, this rich assembly of nearly 600 exquisite postcard photographs — produced primarily between 1900 and 1940 — offers a window into the rarified world of Japan's now-extinct licensed pleasure districts. Historical background and imagery explore the lives and talents of Japan women in the early 20th century, and prove a captivating page turner.

Treasure is brought back to life in this fantastic volume of decorative ironwork and sculpture. Fantastic photography explores the work of artisans of the burgeoning Moderne Art movement in Paris. Selected from folio volumes published in the mid-1920s to inspire fellow artists on the cutting edge, the more than 500 exciting pieces shared in this compendium have proven themselves timeless in their classic lines and exquisite detailing. This is a must-have volume for artisans of the forge, sculpture studios, and all fans of Art Deco-era decorative arts.

Art Deco brings to mind a glamorous era of brilliant architecture, striking interior design, elegant furniture, and superb objets d'art. The term evokes an era of the 1920s and 1930s that prized elegant design elements combined with exotic materials, subtle colors, and the finest workmanship. This amply illustrated survey traces the origins of Deco interiors in Europe and follows its American transformation, with concepts of beauty in design expanded to include stream-lined and machine-made interpretations. Many of the most beloved buildings and their interior spaces in America's cities were Deco-inspired. But Art Deco is not just an historic term. As we see in this full color book, a number of today's designers are incorporating Deco elements into contemporary settings. Here, both interiors and furniture exemplify the sinuous lines and geometric shapes of Deco as part of today's interiors. A visual feast, this book will inspire and inform.