The Naturally Elegant Home: Environmental Style

By Janet Marinelli with Robert Kourik. Little, Brown & Co., 1992. 230 pages, hardcover, $45.

This book skillfully combines a “how-to” approach to sustainable home-building and remodeling, with an inspiring array of case studies and beautiful photographs showcasing environmental design strategies. Clearly reflecting the author’s first love, landscape design and gardening are heavily emphasized. Throughout the book, regionally appropriate design and sensitive transitions from architecture to nature are recurring themes. Global environmental concerns are not forgotten, however, as Marinelli goes through design and remodeling possibilities for each area of the home. A few unfortunate omissions aside, this book is easily the best we’ve seen on environmental home design.

Laid-out in a way that is both accessible and practical,

The Naturally Elegant Home is divided into four major sections: a “tour” through the various rooms, a portfolio of houses, a “how-to” of designing and remodeling, and section on garden/landscape design. Marinelli’s analyses throughout are well-grounded in history, from past architectural influences to experiences during the ’70s with alternative technologies. The portfolio section includes an interesting mix of houses, both large and small, for various climates and sites. All the houses are closely connected to their immediate environment, and all seem to have acres, if not miles, of unspoiled landscape around them. This feature points out one key issue that is left unaddressed—the need for cooperative and clustered housing arrangements that will leave more natural areas undisturbed.

The third, “how-to,” section is full of practical ideas and tips for houses in any setting. Much of this section is devoted to design tips for reducing heating and cooling loads—which she calls “natural climate control.” The discussions of solariums clearly explains the need to identify the structure’s main purpose, as no sunspace can work well as a sun room, solar collector, and greenhouse. Water conservation, appliance efficiency, and design for recycling are all discussed in depth (as founding editor of Garbage magazine, Marinelli

knows this stuff). Her discussion of building materials touches on many key issues, but inexplicably leaves out the ozone-depletion potential of some foam insulations.

The last part of the book, on landscaping, is even more inspiring and informative than the rest. The specific suggestions for elegant landscaping with minimal disruption to local ecosystems are terrific, as are the ideas for conserving water, energy, and soil in gardens.

Throughout the book references are provided for further information. These should have been verified more carefully before publication, as some of them are out-dated. On the whole, this book is sure to quickly establish itself as a basic reference and source of ideas for all environmentally conscious house designers and landscapers, and everyone will enjoy leafing through it time and again.