Where we choose to settle, what we build, and how our homes feel inside and out are all expressions of who we are. The best houses are about people, and Creating the Inspired House chronicles the stories of memorable characters immersed in the search for a place they can call home.

With over 300 color photographs, this book takes readers on a cross-country tour of over 20 inspired homes -- large and small, new and remodeled -- with the very homeowners, architects, and builders who collaborated on their creation. Each of the houses is shaped by the owners personal passions, and its those passions that breathe life into the design of their homes, creating an inspired house.

The inspirations for these houses are as varied as the people who live in them, and the stories are as enthralling as gossip. In this collection of fascinating stories, readers will find the encouragement to believe and act on their own personal dreams . . . and build accordingly.

"John Connell confirms what should be self-evident: the best houses are more than just market commodities, they are dreams come true. Homeowners, architects, and builders will all benefit from the exceptional collaborations described and illustrated in this book and the wisdom that a truly inspired house reflects the collective genuine qualities of all the people who created it."

-- Jeremiah Eck, FAIA, author of The Distinctive Home

"Writing that neither preaches nor panders, images that delight, and stories that truly inspire -- this is a book everyone who has ever wanted to find their way home must have."

-- Duo Dickinson, author of The House You Build

About the author
John Connell is a Yale-trained architect practicing from his home in Warren, Vermont. "Built form" has been his primary "palette" with a focus on solar, earth-sheltered, and environmentally enlightened designs. An accomplished builder and author of Homing Instinct, Connell lectures widely on residential design and construction. In 1980 Connell founded Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont to promote the creation of sustainable vernacular (owner-built) homes. In 1984 the school expanded its curriculum to include professional students, becoming the first and only institution in the nation where architecture students can learn about sustainable design/build technology, methods and materials through hands-on construction.

Introduction

Houses Are about People

Simple Pleasures

Hot-Rodding a Fifties Colonial

Urban Innovation

Sleeping Beauty

The Fire Next Time

Remembering a Place

Mansion Moderne

Transformation for Two

A Builders House

Designing with an Eraser

Tip Top House

Rural Rehab

Going Native

Magical Makeover

Thicker than Water

Impulse Buy

Drama and Innovation

Getting There

One Final Move

Garden Pavilions

Queen of the Corner

Architects and Designers

Traditionally, books and magazines about home design depend on dramatic photographs of houses and their interiors while the text explains what the reader is looking at. Besides describing the materials, features, and finishes, the better publications outline underlying design principles, such as proportion, lighting, color, and style. But few, if any, devote much attention to the human drama that goes along with the making of a house.

I hope that Creating the Inspired House will be the first of many new house books that include people and their interaction as an integral part of the design story. Here, readers will find that personality, lifestyle, and human values are essential fuel for good design. These have always been key ingredients in residential architecture, but they are rarely explored in books and magazines that focus on distinctive homes.

Of course, the stories in this book lean heavily on beautiful photographs as well. But rather than treat finished houses as inanimate artwork, Ive gone behind the scenes to learn how homeowners and professionals have collaborated to produce these remarkable homes. This book holds up these houses not so they can be imitated in size, shape, or materials but rather to demonstrate how inspiration shared by everyone involved can lead to outstanding results.

Where that inspiration comes from is the other intriguing dimension of this book. Each homeowner followed a unique path. Some were dealing with unexpected changes in their lives. Others became committed to the idea of making an expressive and lasting home, while many were simply seduced by the beauty of a particular neighborhood or piece of land. In every case, the motivation was personal.

The personal aspect of inspiration and home is what makes this book challenging. These are ephemeral qualities that cant be photographed, sourced, or purchased. There are no universal definitions. Rather, these notions evolve in each of us as we make our way through life. An inspired house is the ultimate evidence of that evolution. I hope you will take some delight in the 21 house stories that follow, as well as enjoy the photographs. But dont mistake choices that someone else made about window design or furniture for your own inspiration. These are stories of individual conviction and team vision. They all began with homeowners asking themselves how and where they wanted to live.

Creating your own inspired house begins at home.