A Good House is Never Done

Beautiful photography and specific examples on how to implement changes in your own home. Easy to read and up to date information.

This book has pretty photographs and text that leans toward the "poetic". I found it a little light on practical advice, and generally a little light. I burned through it in an hour or two, and it left me kind of unsatisfied. There's something a little pretentious about the philosophizing. It may just be a question of taste, but this one didn't really suit mine. A Good House is okay, and I agree with his basic premiss, but I guess I expected something more substantive.

Author John Wheatman earlier wrote Meditation on Design, and has been selected as one of House Beautiful's Top American Designers. Wheatman believes that real design incorporates things that have meaning to the inhabitants. Well said in the foreword by Sara Susanka, AIA: ". helping readers understand how to make a living poem out of the place they live-a poem that continues to grow and change with the years." Most design books show rooms that are so perfect-and unattainable for most of us. However Wheatman shows real rooms used for cooking/dining, playing/working (office) as well as sleeping and bathing. The tips, techniques and ideas are all about new ways to think about everyday activity-as well as your common and treasured items. I found myself saying, "Oh, I could do that." as one photo showed a collection grouped, whether antiques or hobbies (like matchbook collection displayed as wall hanging). The photography by David Wakely was superb with rich colors and unique angles. Together with Wheatman's words, you'll be ready to make your home a place of inspiration, beauty and vitality. I like to go antiquing (or rather, bargain hunting) and when I select a certain piece that makes me smile-or my heart thump, I know that I am in for pleasure every time I see it in my home. This book about design didn't make me hate my own house like many do, but that I could do little things to make my house better-more filled with things that give me pleasure, displayed in unique ways. As the title states: A good house is never done. Armchair Interviews says: This is a book that will give you easy-to-implement ideas for your own home.

This book had so many great ideas and new ways to think about arranging and ordering your home. I really liked the way he wrote about sleeping, bathing, working, cooking, dining, and playing areas and not bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. I read this while out of town and came home and rearranged my living room. I can't stop looking at the space in my house in quite different ways. I want to move everything around based on the ideas I got from this book. It is actually a fun read too.