Gibbs Smith has been publishing books for more than 30 years, beginning in 1969 in Santa Barbara, Calif. His goal from the first was to "combine a way to contribute to the world through a cultural endeavor with making a living."
The fact that he's still in the book-publishing business (now out of Salt Lake City) shows he's achieved the latter part of his goal. And the recent publication of four, high quality, coffee-table books for the holiday season — "Rustic Artistry for the Home," "Old Wood/New Home," "Rustic Country" and "Inside Log Homes" — proves his success in the former.
RUSTIC ARTISTRY FOR THE HOME; written and photographed by Ralph Kylloe; Gibbs Smith; 256 pages, 350 color photographs; $60 hardcover.
In "Rustic Artistry," the reader is introduced to many of the most talented new rustic furniture artists. The author gives readers a never-before glimpse of multimillion-dollar homes where the furniture is being used.
Complete with resources for furnituremakers, homebuilders, interior decorators, architects and galleries, the book is an excellent addition to any home reference library.
INSIDE LOG HOMES: THE ART AND SPIRIT OF HOME DCOR, by Cindy Thiede, photography by Jonathan Stoke and Cindy Thiede; Gibbs Smith; 192 pages, 175 color photographs; $39.95 hardcover.
This book serves as a guide to the décor options in creating the "Home Sweet Home" log cabin.
Thiede takes great pains to help readers feel at ease in making a living space that expresses their own ideas, whether handcrafted country or contemporary; "Inside Log Homes" is a peek through doors into hundreds of uniquely styled cabins.
RUSTIC COUNTRY: HANDMADE ACCENTS FOR THE HOME, by Abby Ruoff, photography by Michael Watson; Gibbs Smith; 160 pages, 140 color photographs; $34.95 hardcover.
As in the other three publications, "Rustic Country" stresses the current design trend in finding one's personal style and fitting it into one's décor.
The author's goal is to show how rustic elements add warmth and charm to an otherwise ordinary home; he does this by demonstrating ways to work on floors, windows, furnishings and more.
OLD WOOD/NEW HOME, by G. Lawson Drinkard III, photographs by Audrey Hall; Gibbs SmithWestcliffe; 144 pages, 135 in color; $39.95.
"Old Wood/New Home" is exactly what the title says — creating modern cabins through reclaiming weathered wood and other vintage building materials.
The book gives readers a complete list of ways to create the rustic cabin, from finding and purchasing old wood to techniques for making new wood look old.
Through his process, Drinkard, an architect, presents an imaginative way to live while also preserving nature's resources.
All four of these Gibbs Smith publications have a crisp, clean design and are replete with gorgeous photography. If the publisher can maintain this editorial and printing quality, he'll be around for another 30 years.
For a complete list of Gibbs Smith publications, write to Gibbs Smith Publisher, P.O. Box 667, Layton, UT 84041. You may also call 801-544-9800 or 800-748-5439 or visit the Web site: www.gibbs-smith.com.
E-mail: gag@desnews.com