Shopping
Seattle 100: Top Books
Some of Seattle Homes & Lifestyles’ Seattle 100 have ventured beyond their particular bounds into the bound world of books. Take a look at these titles for some informative reads about or by some of Seattle's great design talents.

Richard Haag: Bloedel Reserve and Gas Works Park, edited by William S. Saunders (Princeton Architectural Press, $14.95)
Considered by his contemporaries and students alike to be the godfather of Seattle landscape architecture, Richard Haag began teaching at the University of Washington in 1958, establishing the department of landscape architecture in 1964. Recognized for his naturalistic interpretation of “The Sequence of Gardens” at Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island and his unconventional redesign of Seattle’s Gasworks Park in the mid-1970s, Haag is the only person to have been awarded the President’s Award for Design Excellence from the American Society of Landscape Architects. His influence is far-reaching, through involvement in some 500 public and private projects, the training of thousands of students and ongoing design work for projects like the redevelopment of Seattle’s Magnuson Park. --Debra Prinzing


A Thriving Modernism: The Houses of Wendell Lovett and Arne Bystrom, by Grant Hildebrand and T. William Booth (University of Washington Press, $40)
Architect and educator Wendell Lovett is credited with helping to shape the modernist tradition known as “Northwest Contemporary.” For more than 50 years he has produced a series of influential residential designs, garnered international and national awards and educated several generations of architecture students at the University of Washington. Notable projects include “Villa Simonyi,” the glass-enclosed home of high-tech guru and philanthropist Charles Simonyi and the Cutler-Girdler residence in Medina. When awarded the AIA Seattle Medal in 1993, colleagues noted that Lovett has “consistently and rigorously pursued an aesthetic of excellence and expression of form appropriate to means and place. His practice has demonstrated the value of thorough resolution of every detail.” --Debra Prinzing


 Moving Horizons –The Landscape Architecture of Kathryn Gustafson and Partners, by Jane Amidon (Birkhauser Press, 2005)
Firms on both sides of the Atlantic bear the name of landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson, translating her distinctive style into highly artistic landscapes. On the other side of “The Pond,” a premier example is the Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park, London. Locally, with partners Jennifer Guthrie and Shannon Nichol, Gustafson has shaped many of Seattle’s public spaces, including the three-block downtown Seattle Civic Center campus, Seattle Center’s Theater District and the Promenade at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Gustafson’s goal is to design a landscape that connects the body, soul and mind to the land and to itself. “Each project seeks to create serenity and the time and space to reflect, play and inquire outside our normally busy lives,” she says. -- Debra Prinzing
Kathryn Gustafson, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd., (206) 903-6802; ggnltd.com

The Color Answer Book: From the World's Leading Color Expert by Leatrice Eiseman (Capital Books, $30)
No one knows color quite like Leatrice Eiseman. And here in the Puget Sound region we are lucky to call this international powerhouse one of our own. Eiseman, a Bainbridge Island native, travels the globe to consult everyone from small business owners to Fortune 500s on issues such as correct color choices for products as well as general business decisions. As executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and the author of five books, Eiseman—named one of the eight top decision makers in the country by Fortune magazine and one of the top 50 style makers by HFN—has indubitably made her colorful mark beyond design industry bounds. --Allison Lind
Leatrice Eiseman, colorexpert.com

Other books by Leatrice Eiseman:
Colors For Your Every Mood, (Capital Books, $20); Pantone Guide to Communicating With Color, (North Light Books, Grafix Press, Ltd., $39.99); The Pantone Book of Color, (Harry N. Abrams, out of print); Alive with Color, (Acropolis Books, Inc., out of print)



 Books about Midcentury Modern Architecture
Contemporary: Architecture and Interiors of the 1950s, by Lesley Jackson (Phaidon Press, $35)

Modernism Reborn: Mid-Century American Houses, by Michael Webb (Universe Press, $55)

In Seattle neighborhoods like Ballard, Magnolia and Seward Park, mid-century homes built between 1940 and 1965 are gaining new status. These moderately sized, often brick residences are prized for sturdy, post-war construction and characterized by simple lines, minimal decoration and lots of glass. Seattle realtor and mid-century fanatic “Modern Tom” Holst (seattlemodern.com) specializes in listing these gems, which can often be found in great condition for prices still within reach. --Robyn Cannon