The National Park Service offers this website on the exterior skin of a house, which is defined as a "weather envelope" that "typically includes all the surfaces of its functional and decorative features --roof, chimney, exterior walls, woodwork, windows, porches, doors, and the above-ground portion of the foundation." The site provides some basic pointers on taking care of a historic house....

While the name Shangri-La may conjure up an image of the mythical place from the book (and popular 1937 film) _Lost Horizon_ by James Hilton, this particular Shangri-La is the Honolulu home of Doris Duke. The home is widely considered one of Hawaii's most architecturally significant homes, and overlooks the Pacific Ocean and Diamond Head. Duke was the heir to the fortune of James Buchanan Duke...

During his long career, photographer Maynard L. Parker managed to create a fine body of work that included contributions to many home design publications. Parker was born in Vermont in 1901 and he settled in Los Angeles in 1929. Several years later, he established his own photography studio and began to work with a number of prominent architects, designers, and builders. This collection of his...