Good House Parts
Creating A Great Home Piece By Piece

Introduction:

Our country has a history of building good homes in a wide variety of styles and designs that reflect the diversity of our cultural and ethnic roots. From traditional homes to modern contemporaries, a well-designed home, regardless of the style or era, starts with a thoughtful composition of what I call "good house parts." Good house parts range from the smallest details, such as the pattern of storage cubby holes in a mudroom, to the shape and pitch of a cottage-style roof. And each part reflects the creative, collaborative vision of a homeowner and his or her architect and builder. How these parts are conceived, designed, and uniquely combined is at the heart of every well-designed home.

The intriguing notion of thinking about houses as a collection of "good house parts" is rooted in the idea that a good home does not need to slavishly follow every aspect of a particular architectural style. For instance, it's possible to combine the warmth of a bungalow interior with a whimsically inspired Victorian front porch. An experienced designer can find a way to incorporate elements from both styles into one good home. The important thing is that a new home or renovation is inspired by how it will be lived in, by the family's lifestyle, and by the owner's personal vision.

After designing and building dozens of homes over the last 20 years, I've come to appreciate four qualities that are essential to composing a good home with a thoughtful collection of good house parts. The four qualities are character, comfort, harmony, and quality. A home with CHARACTER reflects the owner's lifestyle while conveying a strong sense of personality and visual appeal. The uniqueness of homes with character is evident from rambling kitchens for sociable cooking to private retreats for music or meditation. Homes with true character also instinctively include house parts that enhance COMFORT, with a welcoming, truly at home ambiance.

A good new home starts, of course, with a building lot or a plot of undeveloped land. Creating a house that is in true HARMONY with its surrounding landscape involves choreographing a series of good house parts that accentuate the natural setting. For example, the windows may be designed to frame a special view or to capture the cooling breezes of a summer's night. Finally, the thoughtful use of QUALITY materials, whether in the front porch columns or the breakfast nook benches, provides a sense of timelessness, creating a house that is built to last for generations.

The roots of a good home
Our nation's first residential architects made it their mission to create affordable, quality homes for every American. They originated the idea that each individual could have a well-built, unique home. The architects of this picturesque vision were our nation's first residential designers. A. J. Downing, father of the home design book, wrote that all Americans should have homes that reflect their individuality, the beauty of their inherited landscape, and their free society. Yet, for much of the last 50 years, this vision has been an elusive one for many Americans. Traditional approaches to home building and design have not consistently created homes that are imbued with character, comfort, and enduring quality. Many suburban housing developments have lost a sense of neighborhood and true character, leaving homeowners with few choices but to settle for a house that lacks personality and charm.

Over the last decade, however, homeowners, architects, and builders have successfully collaborated both to renovate existing homes and to craft new homes that will become tomorrow's classics. This new level of creative energy is a promising start to a movement that will grace our communities and neighborhoods with houses that have been carefully composed and informed by a vision of a truly good home.

Starting with a personal vision
A good home cannot be designed with one brilliant insight, nor does it follow one simple design recipe. If it is to be successful, it must be created step by step specifically for the homeowners and the physical setting. The design of a new home or a renovation of an existing one needs to be considered piece by piece, pulling together the individual house parts based on the needs and desires of the owner.

Every home featured in this book was custom tailored according to the personal vision of the owner. These homeowners worked hard to create a dwelling that reflects their lifestyle, personal design aesthetics, and dreams. And these ideals can be applied to any new home, addition, or renovation. Whatever the project, it is possible to create a quality, comfortable space to fit almost any budget that will last for years to come. The diversity of homes featured here reflects the range of desires from wide-open views and impressive balconies to social spaces for serious cooks and family fun to intimate rooms for musicians and bookworms. Whether formal or rustic, a good house has true character, is comfortable to live in, is crafted with quality materials, and harmonizes with the surrounding landscape.

Character starts with a story
A house has a strong sense of character when it expresses the owners' personal tastes, interests, and dreams. I like to think of these qualities together as the story of the house. Each home's story has central themes, ideas, and an almost visible plot line that informs its design. Most homes' storylines are expressed in a series of design ideas that, woven together, make a house intriguing, interesting, and the subject of continued conversation and enjoyment for many years.

A good house can be realized through a variety of life experiences. One homeowner may dream of a "house that would be like a rustic pavilion, wide open to the woods that surround it"; another might envision "a house that would appear to be an assemblage of elegant structures, as if built over time." Some people have such a vision already formulated in their minds and seek a location that can be developed to fulfill it. Others come to their story after purchasing a property and seeing how their home can be nestled into the landscape. It is this personal vision or story that separates an ordinary house from one that has enduring, engaging character.

Only a few well-chosen good house parts and design moves are needed to convey an interesting story. For a rustic pavilion, these might include the shape of the roof, the particular selection of the exterior and interior trim details, and the use of a few good design techniques that seem to bring the outdoors inside. Similarly, in an elegant house that appears to be built over time, the vision could be realized through use of a particular detail that expresses a feeling of graciousness. Perhaps, a crown molding in combination with a design technique that sculpts the home into a series of wings or additions, apparently added one at a time.

The best designs accomplish the essence of the story with minimal effort. Too many bells and whistles can detract from the essential beauty and spirit of a home. This is the fundamental reason why homes with real character can be affordable. I built a "castle in the forest" for one couple who had a very tight budget. Their castle was only 800 sq. ft. and was built of wood shingles not stone. Yet it had all the romantic features and qualities that its owners longed for . . . a stair tower, a sense of solitude and fortitude, and even a gesture at the front door that calls to mind a drawbridge. The details and materials were not medieval or exotic by any means. All were found at the local supply store. It's just that certain house parts, such as the cedar shingles, the concrete blocks, and even the asphalt siding, had the right texture and color to gave this tiny house the feeling and character of a small castle tucked away in the woods.

An existing house that lacks a strong story can be transformed by the addition of several good house parts. For instance, a colonial that seems too formal for its new owners can be relaxed by the use of a few good house parts. Add on a deep, wide front porch to project a casual welcoming facade to guests and neighbors. In the back, replace small, scattered windows with larger ganged ones or French doors to draw the focus to the outdoors. The same is true in the reverse. Country village homes that were originally designed to be consistent with the neighborhood can be transformed into the perfect expression of a weekend hideaway. When a home expresses the story and personality of its homeowners it is not only imbued with character but also fosters a natural, comfortable sense of home.

Custom-designed comfort
I often hear clients talk about their future home in terms of the daily experience of the place: The house should be as warm or as cool as needed; it should have lots of natural light, good amenities, and good storage; it should be easy to maintain. A good home should provide a place of refuge, a place to relax, a place to enjoy friends, a place to think and reflect, a place to talk and share. A truly comfortable home serves up more than basic needs; it is tailored to everyday life. For some, this means a window seat for rainy-day reading; for others, it is a grand fireplace for winter warmth. And in another setting this means a wall of windows to capture a spectacular vista. Moments of pleasure should be easy to find throughout the day.

The good home is fitted to accommodate every one of life's ideal scenarios: the perfect place for eating breakfast, entertaining friends, and finding privacy. Even laundry can be a comforting task when a home is designed according to your preferences. Creating a home that adds comfort to your life starts with choosing the appropriate good house parts that match your personal sense of comfort. For each notion of comfort there is a corresponding house part. House parts that create a sense of comfort tend fall into three categories: those that help organize the home; those that make the most of the interior spaces; and those that facilitate the movement throughout the house. The best combination of these good house parts results in a recipe for a house that feels like home the minute you cross the threshold.

A home in harmony with the land
The best homes make the most of their setting and the natural landscape. A home's setting embraces not only the immediate surroundings but also the distant views. It includes all the natural features of the land from the nearest big tree to the way the sun rises over the back of the house. Yet for many people the setting begins and ends at the front and backyard. Taking a more expansive view of how the land and the house work in harmony results in a home that has a natural sense of place with intriguing views, an experience of the sun's daily path, and a thoughtfully designed site.

Before there is ever a house, there is the raw land. It might be an empty lot in a development, a small plot on a remote beach, or an urban lot in a rejuvenated neighborhood. Starting with the land is the first test of a personal vision of a good home. It brings a vision into clear focus, making an original design idea work within the boundaries and contours of the land. Many times, the property itself will build character into the house with the incorporation of several thoughtful good house parts that play to the best features of the site. You may always have imagined living in a brick cottage with a steeply pitched roof and deep-set windows. If you buy land on the coast of New England, your cottage can have the shape that pulls at your heart strings but it would be better clad in the cedar shingles that are found typically in those parts.

Windows, a house's eyes to the outside world, should be arranged to take advantage of the property's views no matter if it is of a mountainside or a single oak tree. A home in harmony with its site opens up to the sunshine and breezes while enjoying overarching shade and protection from the harsher forms of these same elements. Everyone's home should have good house parts that allow people to make the most of the outdoors, such as open or screened porches, windows that allow a morning breeze to flow into the kitchen, or an outdoor fireplace for late-fall cookouts.

Quality in the details
There is a general misconception that good homes are no longer being built because quality materials and fine craftsmanship are extremely expensive. true. Good house parts are available to fit almost any budget. With careful planning and a bit of research, a quality design can be married to stock parts to create a house that is solid, comfortable, and appealing. Not all good house parts need to be custom built. For example, attractive doors can be handcrafted or can be chosen from a less-costly line from a national manufacturer. A search through the local lumberyard or salvage warehouse and even the Internet is likely to uncover the pefect -- and affordable -- window, door, column, or hardware to enhance the character and personal vision of a home.

Every good architectural detail in a custom-built high-end home has an affordable counterpart that is readily available.

Exploring Good House Parts
If you look at two homes that are of the exact same size, the one built without quality materials and construction methods will be less expensive than the one designed with a selection of good house parts. But a home built without the necessities of plumbing, heat, electricity, insulation, and weatherproofing would also be less expensive. In my opinion, good house parts are just as essential in making a house an interesting and joyful place to live.

A home that includes only a few good details will be substantially better than one that has none. A home that has fine proportions, takes in the views, and is expressive costs no more to build than one crafted from the same materials but without these good house parts. The simple solution for making it all affordable is thoughtful, advanced planning: distinguishing the good house parts from the bad and discovering the parts that will add up to the ideal home to suit the owners' individual needs, lifestyle, and desires.

Regardless of its layout, size, or style, every home can be a good home if the design or renovation selects from a palette of tried-and-true details and combines them in a way that is best suited to the homeowner and the property. Good House Parts is a tour of great materials, successful details, and proven design principles, designed to encourage and empower everyone to achieve his own personal dream home by revealing that it's all in the parts.

Table of Contents:

Preface

Introduction
Composing with Good House Parts

PART ONE: Character

1. Discovering the Shapes
Roof profiles, overhangs, and wings

2. Selecting the Details
Exterior trim, posts, beams and brackets

3. The Style Of The Openings
Window sizes, types, shapes, and patterns

4. The Picturesque Parts: Porticos, dormers, towers, and chimney tops

The Making of a Good House
A Big Texas Welcome

PART TWO: Comfort

5. The Best Way In, Out, And About
Entryways, Reception Areas, Mud Rooms, and Hallways

6. A Place For Everything
Storage, Built-ins, Cabinetry, and Work Rooms

7. Theatrical Moves
Shapely Ceilings, Overlooks, Stairs, and Interior Windows

8. Making The Most Of The Interior
Fireplaces, Windows Seats, Alcoves, Inglenooks, and Niches

The Making of a Good House
A Home Tailored for Comfort

PART THREE: Harmony

9. Taking in the View
Window walls, ganged windows, oversized windows, and punched windows

10. The Nature Of The Materials
Wood siding, brick, stucco, and stone

11. A Place For The Outdoors
Open porches, Screen Porches, Balconies, and Widow's Walks

12. Meeting The Land
Steps, Terraces, and Decks

The Making of a Good House
A Woodland Sophisticate

PART FOUR: Quality

13. The All Important Floor
Wood, Stone, Tile, and Inlays

14. Special Surfaces
Wainscoting, paneled walls, beams, and decorative ceilings

15. The Details That Count
Interior trim, picture rails, crown moldings, and columns

16. The Finishing Touch
Interior doors and hardware

The Making of a Good House
Enduring the Test of Time

Architects

Index
 

Hard-cover, 9-1/4 x 10-7/8 in., 224 pages, with color photos and drawings

ISBN: 978-1-56158-628-8