A Good House Is Never Done

by John Wheatman, David Wakely, Sarah Susanka

In Meditations on Design, best-selling author and San Francisco-based interior designer John Wheatman introduced one of his favorite themes: "A good house is never done." Now, he explores this theme in depth and shows readers how to work with their homes as living spaces that change and evolve as their own lives do.

A Good House Is Never Done is organized around the six main activities most of us do in our homes: Sleeping, Dining, Playing, Bathing, Cooking, and Working. For each of these broad topics, the author shares a wealth of design ideas, both abstract and practical, that will guide readers toward creating living spaces that are functional as well as beautiful.

With his refreshingly irreverent attitude toward design "rules," John Wheatman invites readers to reject the conventional concepts of "living room," "dining room," "kitchen," "bedroom," "bathroom," and "study." Rather than divide your home into confining and static boxes, he advises, dare to think of your life and the way you live it in expansive terms. Design flexible living spaces that accommodate your dreams and not just your life circumstances or income. Gorgeous, practical, inspirational.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Jessica Whittemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book builds quietly on the ethos laid out in Meditations on Design. By taking simple ideas and iterating on them, building on them, the effect is not only to strengthen the concept, but also provide a pleasurable reading/viewing experience. As with the last one, I enjoyed my time with this book, and also I wish there were more photos to illustrate the concepts. This one in particular featured multiple spaces with very specific and grand (and expensive?) architecture that readers are not going to be able to recreate, and indeed it is even difficult to use them as inspiration because they are so fancy.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book looking for some things by Sarah Susanka, author of "The Not So Big House," who wrote the foreword. Wheatman organized the book by functions: playing, working, cooking, dining, sleeping, bathing. Each chapter has a number of pictures accompanied by his careful observations about what makes the space work, for example, "in the lower right-hand corner see . . ." Chapters then end with summary ideas, a number of which are not the usual design ideas: change keeps the eye awake--rearrange things periodically, a good table makes a good desk, consider removing closets and replacing them with other forms for storage, it's not what you have but what you do with what you have that counts, and a good house is never done. Comfortable approach to making a home.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever you need calm and are confused by what to do with a room, or the whole house, Wheatman can give you food for thought and steerage.

[Stephany · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars