Haciendas will feature hacienda architecture from pre-Hispanic design in modern Mexico and the southwestern U.S. The "estate hacienda," which was the core of a regional economy, was the family home for Spanish nobles in the newly settled Mexican territories and included farmed land, orchards, stables, livestock, and servants. Today, these haciendas, many of which are owned by descendants of the original owners, are being meticulously preserved, and some have been transformed into popular inns. The influence of Spanish architecture, which has affected U.S. design for centuries and was the basis for the Mission style in California,continues to provide inspiration to architects, designers, and decorators. This book will offer a variety of styles and sizes: traditional and large to modern and contemporary, even innovative and of moderate size. Twenty-five haciendas will be presented in their freshest incarnation, with photographs that capture the experience of life in a magnificent adobe casa. There are haciendas from: Santa Barbara, CA., Montecito, CA., Sonoma, CA., Phoenix, AZ., Tucson, AZ., Nogales, AZ., Dallas/ Ft. Worth, TX., San Antonio/Laredo, TX., San Migelle de Allende and Ajijic, Mexico.