Customer Reviews

Martha's Vineyard Plan Book: Designs for Houses, Porches, Additions, Guesthouses, Sheds, Garages, Barns, Outdoor Showers, and Garden Structures

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This plan catalog is unlike any other you'll find - it's a portfolio of designs that were originally created as custom buildings for architect James Weisman's clients. Unlike "stock" plans, these homes and outbuildings show the care of a good designer who listened to his customers and created unique buildings for their needs. They are also inspirational examples of how contemporary buildings can reflect the traditions of their place. The homes have balconies, lofts, lookouts, great spaces and unusual layouts that seem exciting and efficient at the same time. If you enjoy dreaming about a country home or a vacation getaway, you'll love this book.

I purchased this item expecting to see architectual details for some of the fine Victorian houses in Martha's Vineyard.
Instead, I was very disappointed to find out that it's an architectural firm's catalog listing plans to order.

Many collections of house plans, some dating to the 1920s, line my bookshelves, but James Weisman's "Martha's Vineyard Plan Book" stands out from all the rest. It is a cut above, not only in the stunning yet simple elegance of the designs, but also in terms of sheer practical usefulness. Weisman's homes, additions, and out-buildings are to be lived in, admired, loved. I originally bought this book with the intention of building a garage for our row house in a Midwestern city. The garage never got built, and my husband and I eventually relocated to a suburb where garages are plentiful (though there are none as lovely as the ones in the "Plan Book"). Now, as we approach retirement, we are thinking of returning to our roots in the Northeast. One option is to build a new home. I have been scouring my plan books, some of which offer hundreds of designs, but something tells me that "Martha's Vineyard Plan Book" is the only collection I am going to really need and use. It is inspirational, buy it!