Bedroom Mediterranean Secret Villa

""If the world is to make great gardens again, we must both discover and apply in the changed circumstances of modern life the principles that guided the garden-makers in the Renaissance, and must be ready to learn all that science can teach us concerning the laws of artistic presentment." -- Sir Robert Sitwell, "On the Making of Gardens, 1909, quoted by the author in his "Introduction" MORE THAN ORNAMENT Air conditioned villas in ancient Rome...windproofed, solar-heated stone seats for toasty-winter horizon-gazing in the Italian Renaissance...Peter the Cruel's self-heating outdoor walkway...cooling summertime chairs fashioned from earth, grass, and flowers, attended by butterflies and breezes, from classical gardens on Mediterranean islands. These are but a few of the wonderful historical finds Rome prize-winning landscape architect/artist Chip Sullivan uses to launch modern methods for modifying the climate in your own garden. For "Garden and Climate brings you not only a beautifully illustrated tour of many of the greatest gardens of the past--from Babylon to Majorca--but also expert instructions for bringing elements from these immortal landscapes to your own backyard--for microclimate creation, temperature and humidity control no matter what the season, energy savings, and beauty, and yes, to serve the time-honored function of soothing your spirit and restoring your soul. From the inside flap: Not only the gardens of the Renaissance, but the gardens of ancient Greece and Rome yield up their secrets in this stunning tribute to the practical--as well as aesthetic and spiritual--virtues of landscape. Divided into sections on "Earth," "Fire," "Air," and "Water"--the fourelements that traditionally explain the nature of reality--"Garden and Climate shows you how great architects and designers of the past turned these elements to the creation of microclimates.

TURN THE MOST INTIMATE ROOM IN YOUR HOME INTO A LUXURIOUS RETREAT WITH INTRIGUING, INSPIRING (AND INEXPENSIVE!) IDEAS FROM THE EXPERTS, BUDGET-SAVVY TIPS FROM THE PROS Your dream bedroom is more than just a place to sleep. It's a haven for reading, romancing, even working at a desk or laptop. Above all, it's a sanctuary -- room that should replenish and restore. Whether you want the serenity of white on white or a hint of European elegance, Metropolitan Home contributing editor Dylan Landis has gathered more than 100 trade secrets from top interior designers, compiling them in this user-friendly guide to help you create a personal oasis, whatever your budget. Discover: -- How to give inexpensive sheer curtains an elegant upgrade -- Tips for straying from the safety of white paint -- Designer-tested colors to make a cramped bedroom feel airy and open -- Bright new ideas for "catching" and maximizing sunlight -- Eye-opening tips for replacing the tried-and-true nightstand -- Sleeping under a canopy -- even if you don't have a four-poster bed -- Paint shades borrowed from Mother Nature (who never errs) PLUS...How to coax your bedroom into doubling as your home office...How to hang mosquito netting (plus a mail-order source)...A "recipe" for a tailored bedroom...