Saturday, January 4, 2014

Michael G. Imber Ranches, Villas, and Houses: Elizabeth Meredith Dowling


Being born and raised in Texas, I have an affinity for ranches. Elizabeth Meredith Dowling's new book on Texas architect Michael G. Imber: Ranches, Villas, and Houses, reveals the beautiful and captivating work that blends into the landscape of the desert southwest where I grew up. In fact, so many of the homes featured in this book are homes I've seen in person. 

Imber, is a native of Midland, Texas - just a short 80 miles from where I grew up. He studied at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, and after college he spent time in Europe and the US East Coast, before being called back to San Antonio, Texas. If you've ever met a Texan, you know that most of us fight a battle daily of being away from those big blue skies, and many of us don't stay gone for long. 


One of the ranches featured in the book is Butcher Ranch, nestled in the beautiful Gonzales County. Gonzales is East Central Texas, right outside of San Antonio. For those of you not familiar with Texas history, Gonzales is most famous for its volunteer militia, the Gonzales Rangers, who risked and ultimately lost their lives in the Battle at the Alamo. 


When Imber was commissioned by Wealthy Houston barge builder and land developer Milton Butcher to design a ranch home, Imber created this, his first "real" ranch house, ... and it's been reviewed as being one of the top 100 houses in the United States.  


Another farm house, my favorite in the book, is in Independence, Texas. Once the wealthiest county in Texas, it's sandwiched between Austin and Houston.



With more than 5,000 square feet, the octagonal designed house features a limestone exterior - a staple in Texas construction. The cedar roof, multitude of windows, and sweeping views of the Brazos River Valley from the many porches make this a dream home of mine. 

The book also features Imber's watercolors, which are incredibly beautiful: 


as well as amazingly impressive grand mansions or villas, including these brother and sister villas in Roswell, New Mexico: 


Overall, the book is a stunning catalog of the work of this Texas architect, building amazing homes - large and small - from the rich architectural traditions of the desert southwest. Spending time to understand the land, and the view, Imber's work is both gorgeous and natural. A seamless blend into the beauty of the Southwestern Landscape. 

I highly recommend this book for my Texas friends and readers, and anyone who appreciates a traditional and southwest inspired interior and exterior. Published by Rizzoli, and provided with top-shelf exposure thanks to RH Birdwell, the book is available on amazon below.


Happy Reading!

8 comments:

  1. love love the new header. so interested in how that was made. thanks for all the info. still going through it all. the vintage site in ca is great and closer to a reasonable price point. thank you so much. talk soon.

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    1. Thanks Meg! I'll send you the link to the website where you can do color sketches from a photo - super easy! :) Good luck on your brass hunt!
      xoxo,
      Artie

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  2. As I live in Houston I will look forward to having this book. I didn't know about it. And, your new header is wonderful!!!
    Happy New Year !!

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    1. Marsha you won't regret it - it's an absolutely lovely book, filled with wonderful architecture and design. It's brought this Texas boy a lot of joy. Thanks for stopping by!
      xoxo,
      A

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  3. Learn something new every day! Will you ever live in Texas again? How do you stand the snow of Buffalo area??

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  4. It looks like a wonderful book. I can tell that I could move right in the ranch in Independence, Texas...beautiful!

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  5. Your photos and article both are spanking . So much thanks .

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