CARIBBEAN HOUSES

Description

Caribbean Houses is a luxuriously illustrated account of the development of historically significant houses in the West Indies. Author Michael Connors, a West Indies decorative arts scholar, examines venerable houses that remain as testimony to the rich history and vibrant lifestyle that was, and continues to be, an important part of Caribbean culture. The book is divided into five chapters, one for each European heritage: the Spanish Antilles, the Dutch leeward, the English Isles, the French Lesser Antilles, and the Danish Virgin Islands. An authoritative text sheds light on the area’s rich architectural and interior design history and gives the reader a unique view of houses that combine the tradition of European styles with the island’s vernacular forms and decorative motifs. The splendid new photograph captures the stunning exteriors and provides a rare look inside these historic homes, featuring exotic tropical hardwoods, indigenous stone, and a combination of local craftsmanship and craftsmanship with contemporary antiques and furniture. With the disappearance of much of the historic domestic architecture of the Caribbean, the colonial residences that still exist represent an important historical record of the material culture of the Caribbean.