Nice House

This handsome collection of 30 congenial, livable houses will be an invaluable resource for those considering building a house and an inspiration to all who admire good design.White's project descriptions are lucid, brief and hypefree, and they come stocked with floor plans. He describes terrain contours, materials and palette choices and circulation patternsThis is a practical yet mouthwatering and aspirational study of architects helping people honor the streetscape, keep properties saleable and upgrade their home life by several respectable notches. Period HomesWhat makes a house nice? Architect Samuel G. White tells us: Nice houses arent too big or too formal. They are neighborly, with harmonious proportions. They have inviting spots in which to read a book, take a nap or cook. New York NewsdayThis is a book of houses where we all would like to live. The locations are diverse New England, Long Island, Pennsylvania, California and the architecture encompasses both traditional and contemporary vocabulary. What links them is their livable scale and the architects commitment to creating congenial spaces with a handsome and functional design.They are unassuming dwellings whose architecture moves easily to the background, supporting comfortable furniture, works of art from a variety of periods and styles, and the plantings and outdoor spaces that are essential to the composition. These houses display grace and style inside and out.They invite a full range of activities from formal to informal, from celebration to repose, from a solitary existence to a house full of children or guests. These houses have good places to read a book or write a letter, to take a nap, and to cook and eat with family and friends.