Nice House

“White's project descriptions are lucid, brief and hype-free, and they come stocked with floor plans. He describes terrain contours, materials and palette choices and circulation patterns…This is a practical yet mouthwatering and aspirational study of architects helping people honor the streetscape, keep properties saleable and upgrade their home life by several respectable notches.” -- Period Homes

“What makes a house nice? Architect Samuel G. White tells us: Nice houses aren’t too big or too formal. They are neighborly, with harmonious proportions. They have inviting spots in which to read a book, take a nap or cook..” --New York Newsday

This is a book of houses where we all would like to live. The locations are diverse—New England, Long Island, Pennsylvania, California—and the architecture encompasses both traditional and contemporary vocabulary. What links them is their livable scale and the architect’s commitment to creating congenial spaces with a handsome and functional design. They are unassuming dwellings whose architecture moves easily to the background, supporting comfortable furniture, works of art from a variety of periods and styles, and the plantings and outdoor spaces that are essential to the composition.

These houses display grace and style inside and out. They invite a full range of activities from formal to informal, from celebration to repose, from a solitary existence to a house full of children or guests. These houses have good places to read a book or write a letter, to take a nap, and to cook and eat with family and friends.