Wooden Houses places the wooden house into a historical, social and decorative context, explores the decorative potential of wood in our homes and provides inspiration for anyone who appreciates the beauty and soul of this wonderful natural material.

Houses in the book range from rustic log cabins and timbered country cottages to traditional alpine chalets and elegant clapboard houses with shaded verandas. Wood has always played an invaluable part in construction, architecture and interior decoration and has long been valued for its practical benefits. Indoors, wood surrounds us in so many different ways.

Structural elements such as beams and vaulted ceilings become features in their own right. Wood can be used as further embellishment in the form of beautiful panelling or carved and turned banisters and staircases, and in original furniture designs.

Whether it is left in its natural state to show the variety of grains and depths of colours, or used as a bare canvas for paint techniques, wood is a beautiful and timeless resource.