Good House Parts: Creating a Great Home Piece by Piece [Hardcover]

Dennis Wedlick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2003

A great house really is the sum of its parts. This is the thinking that makes "Good House Parts required reading for anyone who imagines living in the "perfect" home one day. Drawing on 15 years' experience as a nationally known author and residential architect, Dennis Wedlick empowers homeowners to make a distinction between the whole house--and its unique components. He identifies hundreds of examples of quality house parts--from doors, windows, and roofing to dormers, columns, and fireplaces. The book invites readers to look at their homes in a whole new light.- A unique way of looking at home construction, renovation and remodeling.- Features a broad range of house styles by prominent American architects.- Written by an articulate, highly promotable architect with a following.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""Good House Parts is a clear, thoughtful, accessible, and understandable introduction to the ideas and principles that make the houses celebrated in the book so livable and sensible."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 202 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (November 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561586285
• ISBN-13: 978-1561586288
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Home Design > House Plans

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

157 of 161 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The pieces that make the whole, December 7, 2003

By 

Christine (Parsippany, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good House Parts: Creating a Great Home Piece by Piece (Hardcover)

I always think about those spaces that I want in a house that makes it me. Like a mudroom with panache. A breakfast nook that makes you want to leave your PJ's on. But what about that home builder who just puts regular wood floors or places windows where there is no view. These are the details or 'pieces' that make a house your home.
I see all these details in Dennis Wedlick's book. All those details that we want to include or that would make our house and, so, our lives more functional.

Doorways, windows, roof styles, beams that frame and add style to the structure.
Those places for things and everything in its place. Like built-ins, cubbies, shelves and rooms for particular functions like a laundry room, a hobby room and a pantry.
Places in those larger basic rooms like an island in the kitchen, a fireplace or a windows seat that make a living room cozy.
How about ramping up a room or making an unused room more integrated into the home? The idea of an addition or a wing giving the house even more character.
This book takes you outside so you can enjoy the outdoors within a patio, terrace, deck, balcony or dock but blending it with the house and the surroundings.
As for flooring, to me, these are the shoes of the house that transport you through the spaces. The impact of this feature is discussed as well as the walls and the ceilings to help you pull together your surroundings. Then, the book brings in the trim, doors and hardware.
If you are thinking about building a home or addition or even house hunting this book is a detail-lovers dream and a Chinese-menu of what you can do to make your home complete.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Useful Book For All of Us, December 24, 2004

By 

Inquisitive Professional (Southern, United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Good House Parts: Creating a Great Home Piece by Piece (Hardcover)

We are in the midst of planning a major renovation of an antique Texas farmhouse. Through beautiful and engaging photography and prose, this architectural masterpiece has given us the insight into how best to preserve the 'good house parts' while adding the essential modern 'good house parts' seamlessly. We own all the other books of this genre; this by far is our favorite and best.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good concept not quite achieved, October 25, 2006

By 

John Wills (Westmoreland NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good House Parts: Creating a Great Home Piece by Piece (Paperback)

The concept of this book is a great one: thinking about how the right doors, windows, porch, etc. all fit together to form a quality house. However, I feel Wedlick missed the mark slightly. There were several inspiring photos and I did come away with a few ideas for my home design. But too many of the featured houses were not well-balanced, attractive homes to my sense of style. And I felt the text didn't go far enough in explaining his points. I find Sarah Susanka's "Not So Big House" series of books better resources for this concept.