Deschutes Public Library

A place to call home, tradition, style, and memory in the new American house, Gil Schafer III ; written with Marc Kristal ; principal photography by Eric Piase CKI

eng

Includes bibliographical references (page 283-285)

illustrations

no index present

non fiction

A place to call home

bibliography

974355252

Gil Schafer III ; written with Marc Kristal ; principal photography by Eric Piase CKI

tradition, style, and memory in the new American house

"Opening with memories of the childhood homes and experiences that have shaped Schafer's own history, ... for Schafer, architecture is not just a career but a way of life, a calling. He describes how the many varied houses of his youth were informed as much by their style as by their sense of place, and how these experiences of home informed his idea of classicism as a set of values that he applies to many different kinds of architecture in places as varied as the ones he grew up in. Because while Schafer is absolutely a classical architect, he is in fact a modern traditionalist, and A Place to Call Home showcases how he effortlessly interprets traditional principles for a multiplicity of architectural styles within contemporary ways of living. Sections in Part I include the delicate balance of modern and traditional aesthetics, the juxtaposition of fancy and simple, and the details that make each project special and livable. Schafer also delves into what he refers to as "the spaces in between," those often overlooked spaces like closets, mudrooms, and laundry rooms, explaining their underappreciated value in the broader context of a home. Part of Schafer's skill lies in the way he gives the minutiae of a project as much attention as the grand aesthetic gestures, and ultimately, it's this combination that brings his homes to life. Part II of the book is the story of seven houses and the places they inhabit--each with a completely different character and soul: a charming cottage completely rebuilt into a casual but gracious house for a young family in bucolic Mill Valley, California; a reconstructed historic 1930s Colonial house and gardens set in lush woodlands in Connecticut; a new, Adirondack camp-inspired house for an active family perched on the edge of Lake Placid with stunning views of nearby Whiteface Mountain; an elegant but family-friendly Fifth Avenue apartment with a panoramic view of Central Park; a new timber frame and stone barn situated to take advantage of the summer sun on a lovely, rambling property in New England; a new residence and outbuildings on a 6,000 acre hunting preserve in Georgia, inspired by the historic 1920s and 1930s hunting plantation houses in the region; and Schafer's own, deeply personal, newly-renovated and surprisingly modern house located just a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean in coastal Maine"--provided by publisherSchafer shows how traditional and classical principles can blend with a sense of place to create beautifully realized home in a range of styles. He shares his essential toolkit for building a house, and then presents seven homes that, while all unique, are at ease in the land they occupy and contain elements that readers will want to emulate in their own lives

Introduction -- The essentials. Reading the landscape ; Building on our deep connection to home ; Fancy versus simple ; Modern meets traditional ; Beyond the house ; Decoration ; Details that matter -- Seven places. California ; Connecticut ; The Adirondacks ; Fifth Avenue ; New England ; Georgia ; Maine