Suburban Renewal: Transforming Standard Capes, Ranches, and Builders' Colonials into Classic Homes

Rating:
Summary: A Starting Point for Change
Review: As a residential architect I have been using this book for years as a starting point to show my clients the possibilities and transformations that are possible to their typical, tired, suburban home. Most of my clients want to expand their home in someway while renovating and updating to modern looks, conveniences and finishes. This book provides all that and more. And while there are some homes that upon careful observation would be considered torn down and reconstructed on the original foundation, they are still well done in scale and respect for the lot and very likely the neighborhood. Don't look to this book for detailed information but for inspiration!

Rating:
Summary: All it takes is time, money and labor--and inspiration
Review: Here's what happens when you take a typical post-WWII American suburban home, add some design ingenuity, a lot of labor and a ton of money: you get a unique, livable and classy home. At least that's what's shown in this book--though I wish some of the homes had more photos and detailed floor plans.

Rating:
Summary: A Starting Point for Change
Review: With a few exceptions, the houses in this book were made into ghastly Modernist homes, or were so overdone as to not be viable to any but the rich. I do not recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Take plain houses and make them ugly
Review: With a few exceptions, the houses in this book were made into ghastly Modernist homes, or were so overdone as to not be viable to any but the rich. I do not recommend this book.