House as a Mirror of Self: Exploring the Deeper Meaning of Home

As a designer with a background in architecture, and now as a professional coach with an emphasis in environmental psychology, I found this book interesting and definitely worth exploring. I bought this book years ago and have now read it several times, gleaning new information each time. There are few books written on this subject that synthesize a range of ideas the way this book does. Considering the building industry is as large as it is and people spend as much time and money on their homes as they do, I think this book should be required reading for all architects and designers. Having done an inordinate amount of research on this subject, I Thank You, Clare Cooper Marcus, for an original book that strongly resonates with me and encourages readers to look deeper at our relationship with self and all we surround ourselves with.

I loved this book for its ordinariness with a subject that can be extraordinary and difficult to grasp at times. The writings of Clare Cooper Marcus helped define and hone many inner qualities in a very immediate manner. This book is like having a compassionate friend sitting with me.

I found this book when I was undergoing my own deep personal transformation ten years ago. It helped me understand my own relationship to the homes I had created for clients and my self. As an interior designer and a contractor it is important to understand the calling of the client's psyche and meet those needs. There is so much focus now on the spiritual aspects of one's home, and feng shui does offer up its own insights, but using this book as a primer for understanding what is calling to you will lead you to a different more integrated understanding. A carpenter builds a house, the family makes it a home. Clare gives the reader a path to understanding this complex yet simple process. The book is easy to read and offers many good exercises to dialog with the inner self. I highly recommend it to designers and psychologist alike.

I wish my husband and I had read this book before we began designing our new home instead of after the plans were done. I would have understood why the whole process was making me feel angry and negated, he would have understood why he was not more excited about the whole design process. We now understand why we haven't felt the nesting instinct in our present home and what unfufilled yearnings we brought to every place we have lived in alone and together. This book should be required reading for architects and interior designers and builders. It would change the questions they asked their clients and move all toward a more fulfilling experience. Instead of asking how many rooms do you need and how big should they be, a designer could help clients explore what they found nurturing in former homes and what emotional needs could be met in the design of their new spaces. Very Jungian, but easy to use with worksheets for exploring ideas on your own. The book brought tears to our eyes and answers to our unasked questions. I'm almost ready to dump the current plans and start all over again with new excitment and optomism.

An interesting and comprehensive exploration of the relationship that develops between some people and their homes -- one of my favorite topics. This book confirmed some beliefs I already held and gave me new ideas to think about.