The Ultimate House Book: For Home Design in the Twenty-First Century [Hardcover]

Terence Conran (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2003

Three years into the new millennium, Sir Terence Conran has once again reinvented his concept of home design, now a harmonious blur between public and private living with a soupcon of professionalism. The Conran movement (stores and style) began in 1974 with The House Book and was updated as The New House Book in 1985 and The Essential House Book in 1994. The significance of the newly added word home in the title should not be overlooked, as the author has gravitated toward LeCorbusier's 1927 statement: "Everybody, quite rightly, dreams of sheltering himself in a sure and permanent home of his own." Ultimate appeals to this primal notion of belonging, starting with an aspirational, visual introduction before separating ideas into three distinct sections: home life, or the different stages of design, from first house to empty nest; home work, exploring all options for decorating, from paint versus plaster to remodeling versus new construction; and compendium, the nitty-gritty information so necessary to understanding and making design choices. A feat worthy of any bookshelf. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved 

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Three years into the new millennium, Sir Terence Conran has once again reinvented his concept of home design, now a harmonious blur between public and private living with a soupcon of professionalism. The Conran movement (stores and style) began in 1974 with The House Book and was updated as The New House Book in 1985 and The Essential House Book in 1994. The significance of the newly added word home in the title should not be overlooked, as the author has gravitated toward LeCorbusier's 1927 statement: "Everybody, quite rightly, dreams of sheltering himself in a sure and permanent home of his own." Ultimate appeals to this primal notion of belonging, starting with an aspirational, visual introduction before separating ideas into three distinct sections: home life, or the different stages of design, from first house to empty nest; home work, exploring all options for decorating, from paint versus plaster to remodeling versus new construction; and compendium, the nitty-gritty information so necessary to understanding and making design choices. A feat worthy of any bookshelf. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Conran's lush, comprehensive book is a breath of inspirational air." Closer Magazine "The essential compendium to making a house into a home." You Magazine, Mail on Sunday "The Ultimate House Book is the definitive guide to modern living spaces." The Glasgow Herald" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Conran (July 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840913568
• ISBN-13: 978-1840913521
• ASIN: 1840913525
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 10 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #504,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Expert Advice > Terence Conran

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate House Book by Conran et al., August 20, 2004

By 

Joseph S. Maresca "Dr. Joseph S. Maresca CPA,... (Bronxville, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ultimate House Book: For Home Design in the Twenty-First Century (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent reference for decorating a private

home. It describes flexible living quarters, work at home and

family quarters. There is a basic budget model, as well as

provision for more elaborate and expensive customizations.

The work contains an extensive materials directory which is

useful for deciding upon the material components and pricing

structure. Both form and function are described in detail.

There are contrasting arguments for employing vulcanized

rubber, plastics and marble. The book is excellent if it is

utilized wisely in connection with planned home designs.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the few house design books you need, April 3, 2007

By 

Jan Schultink (Tel Aviv, Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ultimate House Book (Hardcover)

Book store (and Amazon) shelves in the architecture section are filled with coffee table books with large pictures of homes we can never afford to own, or homes that look more like a museum show case than a place where people actually live. This book is different.

It gets you in the right mind set for starting to think about designing your own home. Practical, with lots of images that contain useful suggestions. Start with this book, then buy others.

This edition is a comlete re-write from the version I bought in 2002.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great book, February 14, 2007

By 

chicky bang - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate House Book: For Home Design in the Twenty-First Century (Paperback)

great resource information mostly for UK though (i think)

pictures and ideas are solid i just like to skim thru it for ideas

everything you can imagine related to the home is in there somehow