When Yoshihiro Takishita was only a student, he discovered that a 250-year-old farmhouse — known as a minka — was going to be destroyed because it was in the path of a reservoir that was being constructed. Takishita was so taken with the building that he arranged to have it moved to Kamakura. Just as Takashita's thoughtful passion preserved that home, his book, Japanese Country Style preserves the beauty, dignity, and thoughtful design of 16 homes he also rescued from demolition.

A friend of mine who's a carpenter and timberframer first introduced me to Japanese country homes several years ago, and I have been a huge fan of this building style ever since. Many of the concepts and details Takishita highlights in Japanese Country Style are the same things that made me fall so hard for this style, including common-sense approaches to household tasks, storage needs, and environment. In his book, Takishita also shows how he has renovated the homes, and how these renovations have been adapted to modern living. The huge number of photographs (over 200!), artful illustrations, and use of Japanese wooden furniture, antiques, and other elements make this book a joy to read and explore, and many of the ideas can be adapted to anyone's home — I know I've incorporated several in mine. For all of you architectural and design enthusiasts out there, you can buy this lovely book here.

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