| | |  | Design Books | Home » » Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid | | | | | | | Description: | | Even as oversized McMansions continue to elbow their way into tiny lots nationwide, a much different trend has taken shape. This return to traditional architectural principles venerates qualities that once were taken for granted in home design: structural common sense, aesthetics of form, appropriateness to a neighborhood, and even sustainability. Marianne Cusato, creator of the award-winning Katrina Cottages, has authored and illustrated this definitive guide to what makes houses look and feel right—to the eye and to the soul. She teaches us the language and grammar of classical architecture, revealing how balance, harmony, and detail all contribute to creating a home that will be loved rather than tolerated. And she takes us through the do’s and don’ts of every element of home design, from dormers to doorways to columns. Integral to the book are its hundreds of elegant line drawings—clearly rendering the varieties of lintels and cornices, arches and eaves, and displaying “avoid” and “use” versions of the same elements side by side. | | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9781402736285
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Marianne Cusato | | Hardcover:
| 272 pages | | Publisher:
| Sterling | | Publication Date:
| January 01, 2008 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1402736282 | | Package Length:
| 11.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 8.9 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.0 inches | | Package Weight:
| 2.5 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 35 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 An ideal companion for the right sort of houseAug 03, 2010
First up, if you're building a contemporary house, this book would be pretty useless. It deals mainly with traditional houses and how to make them look right.
And it does that perfectly. I hardly ever write reviews, but this book deserves it: it shows what people often do, why it's wrong, and what you *should* do instead. Things that just don't look right, but you're not exactly sure why -- this book illustrates those faults, and how to correct them.
For example, I had no idea panes (or "lights") in barred windows should all run vertically, and in the same proportions for each window. And that the faces of columns should line up with the roofline above (and not the column's header).
If you're building a traditional house, this book is a bible. Don't hesitate.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Do This Not ThatMay 10, 2010
On the whole this is an excellent reference on how to correctly assemble traditional building elements. Strong graphic illustrations demonstrate the practical origins of classical components as well common pitfalls to avoid. How tall should a portico be? How many dormers and where? The important ordering principles of implementing classical orders are explained in an accessible text that is clearly illustrated and intuitively organized. Thumb though the entire book and pin point the relevant section in seconds and return and find the deeper explanations as you design your projects.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Excellent reference.Mar 01, 2010
I am a contractor and home builder and have an interest in quality residential design. This is an excellent reference book. It is full of details and information on traditional design elements (columns, windows, doors, arhces, etc). This is a great book for any one involved in the design of homes. My only complaint is that the author is a bit dogmatic about everything being exactly like tradition. For instance, an interior molding can be attractive without being historically accurate. None the less, this is a great book.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A concise encapsulation of classical building principlesFeb 06, 2010
I whole-heartedly agree with the positive reviews this book has enjoyed in these reviews. The drawings are clear, the writing direct and the principles outlined concisely stated. I would note that the author received a distinguished architectural prize in the area of practical design last year. The book sets forth the reasons some buildings look "right" and others just look "wrong" based upon proportion, massing and use of elements (such as columns, entablature, arches, etc. or their latter day representations in the vocabulary of building). While the principles of classical architecture are readily applicable to and easily appreciated in connection with building styles that most directly employ the classical elements, these principles nonetheless have application to most traditional forms however they may be styled, so long as attention is payed to the basis for variation in a given style (e.g., asymmetry in the case of medieval-derived styles, vs. symmetry in the more classically derived). Anyone who has wondered what gives this house "good bones" or why does this building make me feel bad will find the answers in this wonderful book.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
The BESTJan 07, 2010
There are plenty of five star reviews for this book but I feel so strongly about it that I'm adding another. Half of any construction job is design and preparation, and any book that can help you do it properly is an asset that keeps on giving. I built homes on spec for over thirty years, never found a decent source book intended as such, and relied largely on looking at 'historical' homes and sixth sense. This book offers plenty of comparative illustrations and rationale, and will make you an expert when you are done. Its purpose is not historical adherence nearly as much as providing a conduit to traditional forms that have proven desirable to the human eye over generations of trial. If you are contemplating a traditional project, this book will give you a lot of assistance in doing a successful one, that will provide you comfortable and happy occupancy, and top dollar upon liquidation. Get this book.
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