88 of 96 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
House Thinking by Winifred Gallagher, February 11, 2006
This review is from: House Thinking: A Room-by-Room Look at How We Live (Hardcover)
This book provides a good deal of practical wisdom on how
to decide upon your dream home. It covers environmental psychology
consisting of wall colors and lighting placement. It discusses
the wisdom of having a great room as a refuge. Some homes have
a cozy cavelike refuge to enhance privacy and intimacy.
The author asks that we balance privacy and sociability with the
design. After all, the house layout supports the way we live
far into the future. Optimum lighting contributes to an overall
feeling of well-being. Clutter management is important to enhance
orderliness and accessibility of items used on a daily basis.
As a rule of thumb, discard, sell or trade things not used
within the current year or so.
The book will assist you in organizing a model home for living
now and into the future. This is a valuable acquisition because
the author presents many aspects of the home which people
do not consider when making a purchase decision. A home can be
a place where you will spend much of your time. This book will
assist in ascertaining whether or not the site provides the
comfort and atmosphere most people require in a home setting.
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46 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Understanding the Psychology of Spaces in Your Home, February 26, 2006
This review is from: House Thinking: A Room-by-Room Look at How We Live (Hardcover)
I was pleased to discover this book from a review in the Orlando Sentinel. It explains why certain spaces in a home may be beautifully decorated, yet not feel right. The author says, "feeling at home isn't about spending money." Our bedrooms should reflect our private self and the living room our best self.
This book makes you rethink the spaces in your home and tells you why some area work for you and others just don't have the feel you want.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating topic covered in a haphazard fashion, August 19, 2007
I found the basic concept of this book to be fascinating. The author takes on the task of walking us through each room in the traditional American house and analyzing not the furniture and decor, but the life and psychology of each. The result should be a series of insights into how we can design our living spaces to support and even create behaviors that are beneficial to us. And in some cases, this is what we get. But all too often - indeed, for the majority of the book - Gallagher seems to veer off course and talk about the history and sociology associated with each room. While this is an interesting topic in and of itself, the lack of a consistent method from room to room can be both confusing and distracting. As an example, here are the approaches taken for two rooms: For the section on the living room, the author describes the psychology of refuge and prospect in a way that is potentially useful for anyone trying to figure out why their house does not seem to offer them the feeling of comfort and belonging they would like. For the section on the kitchen, we are treated to the historical background of women's literal place in the home, and the way the kitchen has evolved with and contributed to the feminist movement. Both sections are well written and interesting, but only the first supported my goal of learning how to create a comfortable home.
This lack of of focus cripples what could have been both a very readable and very useful book. As it is, while "House Thinking" is still well worth reading, it will not be a book that earns a place of honor in your library. Or your living room. Or bedroom.
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