Table of Contents
Chapter 1 — Start With the Land
Before You Design the House, Learn the Property
House Placement: Stop Assuming the House Belongs in the Middle
Foundation and Structure: The Part You Don't Want to Get Wrong
Site Drainage, Elevation, and Water: Figure Out Where the Water Goes
The Roof: Your House's Umbrella
Chapter 2 — Design the Arrival
The Driveway: Parking or Part of the Experience?
Trash, Deliveries, and the Stuff Nobody Photographs
The Mudroom and Drop Zone: Where Does All the Daily Junk Go?
The Entrance: Where the House Has to Say Wow
The Final Exterior Composition: Stand Across the Street Again
Chapter 3 — Make the House Feel Right
Doors and Circulation: How People Actually Move
Ceiling Height: Sometimes Volume Matters More Than Square Footage
Windows and Glass: Where Design Meets the Budget
Lighting: Design the House Twice — Once for Day and Once for Night
Sound and Acoustics: A Quiet House Feels Expensive
Design the Furniture Before You Finish the Architecture
Chapter 4 — Build Around How You Actually Live
The Kitchen: The Machine Inside the Machine
The Living, Family, and Entertainment Area
Workshops, Hobbies, and Dirty Spaces
Outdoor Living: Your House Doesn't End at the Glass Door
The Pool: Don't Just Put a Blue Rectangle in the Backyard
Chapter 5 — Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Private Life
The Primary Suite: Build a Retreat, Not a Hotel Lobby
Bedrooms: How Many Do You Really Need?
Bathrooms: Small Rooms, Big Consequences
Security and Privacy: Decide What the World Can See
Chapter 6 — One Story, Two Stories, and the Shape of the House
One Story or Two? Decide How You Want to Live Vertically
Chapter 7 — Who Are You Building It For?
Why Are You Building This House?
Insurance and Insurability: The Cost That Never Ends
The Avatar: Who Is Going to Buy This House?
Budget Allocation: Spend the Money Where It Changes Your Life
Chapter 8 — The House Behind the Walls
The Mechanicals: Design the House You Have to Operate
Electrical Outlets: Put Power Where Life Actually Happens
Generator, Batteries, and Storm Resilience
The Boring Spaces: Where a House Either Works or Annoys You
Chapter 9 — Build It Once, Live With It for Decades
Change Orders: The Most Expensive Phrase Is 'While We're Here...'
Aging in Place: Design for the Person You Will Become
Maintenance: Design for the Day Something Breaks
Future Remodeling and Adaptability