A country farmhouse surrounded by fields and trees is a quintessentially American scene, but it's one that has universal appeal. These simple homes speak to us of history and values, promising both comfort and protection. The 'country look' remains the single most popular American style. Despite social and economic changes and the whims of fashion, it continues to shape our design and decorating tastes. Now in these lavishly illustrated pages, AMERICAN FARMHOUSES offers a rich and inspiring survey of country architecture and design, from painted furniture to porches, stencilling to saltbox houses. Today, the interior of a country home can be a meticulous restoration in a traditional style or a flea-market mix of furnishings and collectibles. The nearly twenty profiles of country homes in AMERICAN FARMHOUSES, ranging from a rustic German-style house in Texas to a classic Greek Revival in upstate New York to a contemporary reinterpretation in Connecticut, are full of stimulating and original ideas.