The Great American House: Tradition for the Way We Live Now

In this review of The Great American House: Tradition for the Way We Live Now, the bottom line is clear: this is a thoughtful book for anyone who wants to understand how classical architecture and interior decoration can be adapted for modern family life. Acclaimed architect Gil Schafer illustrates his approach to creating houses that feel lived-in and timeless, blending detailed moldings, harmonious proportions, and practical updates. The book is best for readers seeking clear design principles and high-quality visuals that explain how architecture, landscape, and decoration work together to make comfortable, family-oriented homes.

Key Features

• Integrated approach: Schafer explains how architecture, landscape, and decoration combine to create houses with a coherent, historical character that still feel current and livable.
• Practical tradition: The book shows how traditional details like moldings and proportions can be updated for modern family needs, producing homes that are both beautiful and functional.
• Renovation and new build focus: Readers get insight into both creating new "old" houses and thoughtfully renovating historic homes, making the book useful across many project types.
• Clear design process: Schafer lays out his thinking and workflows so readers can follow the reasoning behind design decisions and apply similar principles in their own homes.
• Large photography: Customers praise the book for its large, high-quality photographs that illustrate the text and make the ideas easy to visualize.

Who It's For

This book is ideal for homeowners, architects, interior designers, and anyone who appreciates classical American architecture adapted for contemporary living. It works well as an inspirational resource for planning renovations, new homes, or simply refining a sense of proportion and detail.

Those looking for a step-by-step construction manual or a book focused on avant-garde, minimal, or ultra-modern styles should look elsewhere; this volume favors traditional forms and thoughtful adaptation over experimental aesthetics.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Beautiful, large-scale photography that clearly illustrates design concepts and finished rooms.
• Informative explanations of design principles and the interplay between interior architecture and fabrics.
• Useful coverage of both building new traditional houses and renovating historic structures, broadening its practical appeal.

Cons

• Focused on traditional and classical styles, so readers seeking modernist or contemporary-only approaches may find it less relevant.

Specifications

Title	The Great American House: Tradition for the Way We Live Now
Author	Gil Schafer III with Bunny Williams
Subject	Classical architecture, interior decoration, landscape
Focus	New "old" houses and historic renovations
Key themes	Moldings, proportions, family-oriented practicality
Visuals	Large high-quality photographs

Our Verdict

The Great American House is a strong, visually rich resource for anyone who values traditional design principles applied to contemporary family life. It offers clear explanations and inspiring photography that make it good value for homeowners and designers planning renovations or new builds who want a timeless, livable result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book cover both new builds and renovations?
Yes. Schafer addresses creating new houses in a traditional mode as well as renovating historic homes, showing methods for both.

Are there many photographs to illustrate the ideas?
Yes. Customers note the book contains large, high-quality photographs that support the text and help visualize designs.

Is this book suitable for modernist design fans?
The book emphasizes classical and traditional approaches, so it is less useful for those seeking strictly modernist or experimental design guidance.