New Rooms for Old Houses: Beautiful Additions for the Traditional Home (National Trust for Historic Preservation) (Nat Trust for Historic Preserv) [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Frank Shirley (Author), Randy O'Rourke (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: Nat Trust for Historic Preserv | Publication Date: October 30, 2007

The most popular American house styles today are still the classics from yesterday--Capes, Bungalows, Victorians and Federals. The perennial struggle, however, is how to best live in them with our changing needs. Often, we need more space. The likely solution? Add on. The challenge? How to do it right.
Published in conjunction with The National Trust for Historic Preservation," NEW ROOMS FOR OLD HOUSES" by renowned architect Frank Shirley contains more than 300 full-color photos. It is a beautiful design guide and essential resource for anyone who loves classic American houses or is considering expanding an old home.
Through words and pictures, Shirley shows how to enlarge a home without sacrificing the charm and character of the original structure. Using the guiding principle of "harmony," Shirley walks readers through the four cornerstones of design on which, he believes, all old house expansions should be based: balance, public and private areas, the careful use of transitions, and the choice of appropriate materials.
Packed with photos, both before and after shots, and architectural drawings, NEW ROOMS FOR OLD HOUSES is a fascinating tour through the golden age of architecture.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A design guide for lovers of classic American houses, the book offers tips, techniques, before-and-after shots and architectural drawings of historical homes in New York, California and Massachusetts. Shirley demonstrates how to add to a historical home without subtracting charm and character by using harmony as his guiding principle. The architect explains the four cornerstones of design, on which he bases all old-house expansions: preserving balance, creating public and private spaces, making transitions from old to new and crafting with materials that express your style. --Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
"New Rooms for Old Houses by Frank Shirley is a comforting companion for anyone undertaking the delicate challenge of extending the life of an old house for modern living. The book has an endorsement from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. --The Detroit News (Michigan)
"Old Houses have a charm all their own. But charm doesn't always translate into livability. Owners of old homes often find themselves having to add on to create a home suitable for modern living. The National Trust for Historical Preservation seeks to help them in that effort with New Rooms for Old Houses: Beautiful Additions for the Traditional Home. The book, written by architect Frank Shirley, guides readers on enlarging a home while maintaining its character. It contains tips, architectural principles and insights, along with plenty of examples of successful additions."--The Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio)

"The challenge of expanding an old home while staying true to its integrity, design and proportions is one that many New England homeowners have faced. Architect Frank Shirley of Cambridge, Mass., tackles the topic in New Rooms for Old Houses, reviewing in detail a number of examples, with excellent photographs by Randy O'Rourke. Interspersed with some before-and-after diagrams and a few "train wrecks," the book is filled with examples that show how to make the connection between old and new a graceful and flowing one." --The Hartford Courant

"Owners of old homes often find themselves having to add on to create a home suitable for modern living. The National Trust for Historical Preservation seeks to help them in that effort with New Rooms for Old Houses. The book, written by architect Frank Shirley, guides readers on enlarging a home while maintaining its character. It contains tips, architectural principles and insights, along with plenty of examples of successful additions." --South Bend Tribune (Indiana)

"New Rooms for Old Houses, by Frank Shirley, is a must-have for anyone living in an old house who wants to update his home for the 21st century. The author, an architect, is also a member of the Cambridge Historical Commission whose love of old homes is evident throughout. His main message is a home can be revitalized without sacrificing historical significance. Shirley knows the steps on how to achieve a sense of "harmony" between old and new. "--The Vancouver Sun

This book is a must-have for anyone living in an old house and looking to update it for the 21st century. To that end he suggests most historical homes should have additions at the side near the rear or off the rear so as not to interfere with the original structure." --Edmonton Journal

About the Author

Frank Shirley owns an architectural firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is the Boston Society of Architects’ appointed member to the Cambridge Historical Commission. Shirley is also Co-Chairman of the Boston Society of Architects’ Residential Design Committee. He lives in Cambridge, Mass.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 266 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561588857
• ASIN: B002IT5OSY
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #776,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable book, November 7, 2007

By 

Capeauthor "Capeauthor" - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Rooms for Old Houses: Beautiful Additions for the Traditional Home (National Trust for Historic Preservation) (Hardcover)

This is a remarkable book. By appearance, it is a handsome "coffee table" volume with stunning photographs of historical houses and rooms that are indeed beautiful. But it is far more. Frank Shirley writes with a clarity and grace to match the rooms and houses he describes. He presents detailed information that will give practical guidance to anyone considering work on a historical house, but those details will not distract the general reader who is simply interested in learning about older houses and successful experiences in renovating them.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Inspiration..., December 13, 2007

By 

Cottage Rooster (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Rooms for Old Houses: Beautiful Additions for the Traditional Home (National Trust for Historic Preservation) (Hardcover)

I researched long and hard for a few newly released books hopefully containing a lot of inspiring photos and decorating and design projects to help me with my home's restoration. Out of the 4 books I purchased, "New Rooms..." and Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint by Curtis Heuser - were by far the most helpful. "New Rooms..." is filled with historically accurate examples as to how to add architecturally add on to your existing home without losing its' original historic flavor - while "Your Home..." gives you loads of interior decorating advise as to how to recreate period charm after renovation. The book follows the complete interior artistic transformation of the author's 1890's historic home, with over 30 how to projects. I highly reccomend both books to anyone interested in home remodeling or restoration!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book For Dreamers And Doers, January 25, 2008

By 

sandyo (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Rooms for Old Houses: Beautiful Additions for the Traditional Home (National Trust for Historic Preservation) (Hardcover)

Wonderful book. As a homeowner and dreamer of owning an old house that may include plans for an addition, I was very much interested in learning the details of such an undertaking. This beautifully done book book provided me with the understanding to begin the process (at least in my mind for now!)with it's thoughtful consideration of different styles/architecture and how people once lived in these wonderful homes of the time vs how we live today and why the consideration of an addition to many old homes comes into play. I appreciate how chapters on old home additions reveal the history of the process from beginning to end and within the pages are some really great stories. I also found useful the chapters detailing the various materials used in construction of older historical and/or historic homes(there is a difference between the two and the book explains what that is). The author provides photos and insight into examples of ill planned/poorly conceived additions for the reader to see and gain a sense of why they don't work which I found very helpful.

As an aside I live less than 2 miles from the Federal Style house in Marshalton, PA. I have driven by this magnificent home in it's country setting many times and it is interesting that I always sensed there was something about the house that intrigued me- since it appears that the entrance to the original drive was at a different location on the street at one time and at some point may have been planted with Spruce trees. I could not put my finger on it but as I looked at the old entrance in juxtaposition to the facade of the home at it now sits something of a question mark came into my mind. After reading Mr. Shirley's book I found out that the house had been moved from it's original foundation and reoriented prior to the new addition being undertaken. What a great piece to the puzzle I had vaguely pondered in my mind a time or two while driving by the property. And the architect who was involved with the renovation...I happened to grow up near him (about 20 miles away from where I now call home) and we rode the same school bus during high school.

Loved this book, a great read-gave me lots of inspiration and clarity for that day when I pick up the phone and make that call to an architect to work with in the process of adding to my old house! And, for someone who often has 2 or 3 books going at one time, I found myself enjoying every page and putting other books on hold until I finished this delightful piece of work.