Leah Rosch

A country farmhouse surrounded by fields and trees is a quintessentially American secene, but it's one that has universal appeal. These simple homes speak to us of history and values, promising both comfort and protection.

The "country look" remains the single most popular American style. Despite social and economic changes and the whims of fashion, it continues to shape our design and decorating tastes. Now in these lavishly illustrated pages, American Farmhouses offers a rich and inspiring survey of country architecture and design, from painted furniture to porches, stenciling to saltbox houses.

Part of the appeal of country homes lies in their hand-hewn individualism and heritage of Old World charm. Many familiar design elements derived from distinct traditions brought by the early settlers, then adapted to local conditions and materials. Even in the early twentieth century, most country houses were still designed and constructed by local craftsmen, resulting in an immensely rich variety still visible in farms large and small across the country.

Today, the interior of a country home can be a meticulous restoration in a traditional style or a flea-market mix of furnishings and collectibles. The nearly twenty profiles of country homes in American Farmhouses, ranging from a rustic German-style house in Texas to a classic Greek Revival in upstate New York to a contemporary reinterpretation in Connecticut, are full of stimulating and original ideas.

To help readers bring the "country look" home, whether in a city apartment or a rural getaway, American Farmhouses also includes a detailed sourcebook of manufacturers, craftsmen, and architectural antiques dealers nationwide. Here is everything from cast-iron firebacks to milk paint to farmhouse tables, from suppliers who continue to keep the spirit of the farmhouse vital and alive today.