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A Place to Call Home: Tradition, Style, and Memory in the New American House
For award-winning architect Gil Schafer, the most successful houses are the ones that celebrate the small moments of life—houses with timeless charm that are imbued with memory and anchored in a distinct sense of place. Essentially, Schafer believes a house is truly successful when the people who live there consider it home. It’s this belief—and Schafer’s rare ability to translate his clients’ deeply personal visions of how they want to live into a physical home that reflects those dreams—that has established him as one of the most sought-after, highly-regarded architects of our time.
In his new book, A Place to Call Home Schafer follows up his bestselling The Great American House , by pulling the curtain back on his distinctive approach, sharing his process (complete with unexpected, accessible ideas readers can work into their own projects) and taking readers on a detailed tour of seven beautifully realized houses in a range of styles located around the country—each in a unique place, and each with a character all its own. 250 lush, full color photographs of these seven houses and other never-before-seen projects, including exterior, interior, and landscape details, invite readers into Schafer’s world of comfortable classicism.
Opening with memories of the childhood homes and experiences that have shaped Schafer’s own history, A Place to Call Home gives the reader the sense that for Schafer, architecture is not just a career but a way of life, a calling. He describes how the many varied houses of his youth were informed as much by their style as by their sense of place, and how these experiences of home informed his idea of classicism as a set of values that he applies to many different kinds of architecture in places as varied as the ones he grew up in. Because while Schafer is absolutely a classical architect, he is in fact a modern traditionalist, and A Place to Call Home showcases how he effortlessly interprets traditional principles for a multiplicity of architectural styles within contemporary ways of living.
Sections in Part I include the delicate balance of modern and traditional aesthetics, the juxtaposition of fancy and simple, and the details that make each project special and livable. Schafer also delves into what he refers to as “the spaces in between,” those often overlooked spaces like closets, mudrooms, and laundry rooms, explaining their underappreciated value in the broader context of a home. Part of Schafer’s skill lies in the way he gives the minutiae of a project as much attention as the grand aesthetic gestures, and ultimately, it’s this combination that brings his homes to life.
Part II of the book is the story of seven houses and the places they inhabit—each with a completely different character and a charming cottage completely rebuilt into a casual but gracious house for a young family in bucolic Mill Valley, California; a reconstructed historic 1930s Colonial house and gardens set in lush woodlands in Connecticut; a new, Adirondack camp-inspired house for an active family perched on the edge of Lake Placid with stunning views of nearby Whiteface Mountain; an elegant but family-friendly Fifth Avenue apartment with a panoramic view of Central Park; a new timber frame and stone barn situated to take advantage of the summer sun on a lovely, rambling property in New England; a new residence and outbuildings on a 6,000 acre hunting preserve in Georgia, inspired by the historic 1920s and 1930s hunting plantation houses in the region; and Schafer’s own, deeply personal, newly-renovated and surprisingly modern house located just a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean in coastal Maine. In Schafer’s hands, the stories of these houses are irresistibly readable. He guides the reader through each of the design decisions, sharing anecdotes about the process and fascinating historical background and contextual influences of the settings. Ultimately, the houses featured in A Place to Call Home are more than just beautiful buildings in beautiful places. In each of them, Schafer has created a dialogue between past and present, a personalized world that people can inhabit gracefully, in sync with their own notions of home. Because, as Schafer writes in the book, he designs houses “not for an architect’s ego, but [for] the beauty of life, the joys of family, and, not least, a heartfelt celebration of place.”
In his new book, A Place to Call Home Schafer follows up his bestselling The Great American House , by pulling the curtain back on his distinctive approach, sharing his process (complete with unexpected, accessible ideas readers can work into their own projects) and taking readers on a detailed tour of seven beautifully realized houses in a range of styles located around the country—each in a unique place, and each with a character all its own. 250 lush, full color photographs of these seven houses and other never-before-seen projects, including exterior, interior, and landscape details, invite readers into Schafer’s world of comfortable classicism.
Opening with memories of the childhood homes and experiences that have shaped Schafer’s own history, A Place to Call Home gives the reader the sense that for Schafer, architecture is not just a career but a way of life, a calling. He describes how the many varied houses of his youth were informed as much by their style as by their sense of place, and how these experiences of home informed his idea of classicism as a set of values that he applies to many different kinds of architecture in places as varied as the ones he grew up in. Because while Schafer is absolutely a classical architect, he is in fact a modern traditionalist, and A Place to Call Home showcases how he effortlessly interprets traditional principles for a multiplicity of architectural styles within contemporary ways of living.
Sections in Part I include the delicate balance of modern and traditional aesthetics, the juxtaposition of fancy and simple, and the details that make each project special and livable. Schafer also delves into what he refers to as “the spaces in between,” those often overlooked spaces like closets, mudrooms, and laundry rooms, explaining their underappreciated value in the broader context of a home. Part of Schafer’s skill lies in the way he gives the minutiae of a project as much attention as the grand aesthetic gestures, and ultimately, it’s this combination that brings his homes to life.
Part II of the book is the story of seven houses and the places they inhabit—each with a completely different character and a charming cottage completely rebuilt into a casual but gracious house for a young family in bucolic Mill Valley, California; a reconstructed historic 1930s Colonial house and gardens set in lush woodlands in Connecticut; a new, Adirondack camp-inspired house for an active family perched on the edge of Lake Placid with stunning views of nearby Whiteface Mountain; an elegant but family-friendly Fifth Avenue apartment with a panoramic view of Central Park; a new timber frame and stone barn situated to take advantage of the summer sun on a lovely, rambling property in New England; a new residence and outbuildings on a 6,000 acre hunting preserve in Georgia, inspired by the historic 1920s and 1930s hunting plantation houses in the region; and Schafer’s own, deeply personal, newly-renovated and surprisingly modern house located just a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean in coastal Maine. In Schafer’s hands, the stories of these houses are irresistibly readable. He guides the reader through each of the design decisions, sharing anecdotes about the process and fascinating historical background and contextual influences of the settings. Ultimately, the houses featured in A Place to Call Home are more than just beautiful buildings in beautiful places. In each of them, Schafer has created a dialogue between past and present, a personalized world that people can inhabit gracefully, in sync with their own notions of home. Because, as Schafer writes in the book, he designs houses “not for an architect’s ego, but [for] the beauty of life, the joys of family, and, not least, a heartfelt celebration of place.”
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 26, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 17, 2026
"It is the task and the pleasure of the architect to convert emotion into structure."
Without having actually met him, I think Gill Schafer is lovely.
Also, this quote at the book's intro gave me pause for thought:
"The home is the center and circumference,
the start and the finish, of most of our lives."
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Whatever I'm looking for in architectural design books, I never seem to find it. But I liked this one. I liked Schafer's emphasis on site placement, connection to place. Classic, traditonal style, but adapted to the way we use our spaces now. He's the first architect to leave a good, lasting impression with me.
Without having actually met him, I think Gill Schafer is lovely.
Also, this quote at the book's intro gave me pause for thought:
"The home is the center and circumference,
the start and the finish, of most of our lives."
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Whatever I'm looking for in architectural design books, I never seem to find it. But I liked this one. I liked Schafer's emphasis on site placement, connection to place. Classic, traditonal style, but adapted to the way we use our spaces now. He's the first architect to leave a good, lasting impression with me.
December 31, 2022
Present day. Gil Schafer III’s A Place to Call Home Tradition, Style, and Memory in the New American House is a book on today’s architecture that is very readable, understandable, relatable, and doable. First, I would like to thank the author for writing a book on architecture for which I did not have to run to a dictionary or my IPaD to define a string of ‘jargon’ in order to understand what he was saying and truly comprehend the concept he is presenting or the point he is making. I thank you. My brain thanks you too! A Place to Call Home refers to ‘essential’ areas that when put together will produce a a very livable domicile. For example, this architect combines various elements of craft with memory or emotion to create a home for his clients. The author is a classical architect, but he always wants to make “a personal connection” to whatever project on which he is working. A major question he continually asks his clients is “ How do you feel about (whatever part of the project that is being discussed)?”. If all systems are go, he collects his architectural bag of tricks and begins to put his client’s dream into structure. The seven houses that are spotlighted are stunning dreams, and I would love to live in each one. Fabulous photography! Extremely enjoyable! 5 stars.
May 15, 2021
Despite everything, it is still pleasant to look at the traditionally beautiful homes of the mega-rich. Gil Schafer’s work is proof that new architecture can mimic the style, structure, and beauty of bygone eras without falseness.
September 3, 2018
Beautiful homes 😍 if I ever were to build a house this is where I’d start
April 27, 2019
This book is a breath of fresh air! In a Pinterest world where everything looks the same and is so trendy, the classic perfection of every room in this book makes me smile. The designs clearly reflect the tastes and interests of the occupants. We get formal, rustic, southern, New England and everything in-between. Just so lovely!
August 27, 2022
I’m a huge fan of Gil Schafer’s work, which manages to perfectly evoke the ineffable charm and comfort of historic and vintage homes through rigorous attention to proportions, hardware and fixtures, siting, and what Schafer calls “narrative.” The book solidified my admiration for his work, but didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
If you’ve perused Schafer’s website, you’re familiar with about 80% of the photos here, for one. Seeing them in print is great, and there is some new material - but not much. And though you’ve paid the price of admission, Schafer is still jealously guarding some tricks of the trade - he will mention carefully selecting the paints in his Maine house, for instance, but isn’t disclosing the colors. There’s a list of suppliers, but that doesn’t make this any less of a guessing game. Gatekeeping is an unattractive trait of many architects and designers, justified by the claim that their clients would revolt if they gave away the milk for free. But it seems petty when it’s fair to assume that 99% of readers don’t have the 7- or 8-figure budgets necessary to recreate the look or hire Schafer. But then Schafer’s not trying to be accessible - you’ll hear a lot about his monied upbringing bouncing between beachfront California cottages and lacquered UES apartments, and he’ll recount his clients’ wishes for a highly formal “plantation” (his words) in Dixieland to play lords of the antebellum manor without a trace of irony. Those minor annoyances aside, it’s still interesting to hear Schafer’s take on how he approaches a project.
The real disappointment is the interiors. Save a wonderful project designed by Rita Konig, Schafer’s own atypically modernist home in Maine, and the kitchens and bathrooms where Schafer shines, the decoration of these homes is totally underwhelming. Many were designed by Schafer’s firm itself, at least one mostly by the owners, and one by the king of stuffy, blah interiors, Michael Smith. In most instances they fall well short of the architecture, and look about 20 years out of date (ie, resolutely not timeless). I’ll never understand decorating a Lake Placid Adirondack-style house in buttery yellows, but maybe I’m missing something.
So: great architect, average book. I am renovating my historic house and got a few ideas, but not much else.
If you’ve perused Schafer’s website, you’re familiar with about 80% of the photos here, for one. Seeing them in print is great, and there is some new material - but not much. And though you’ve paid the price of admission, Schafer is still jealously guarding some tricks of the trade - he will mention carefully selecting the paints in his Maine house, for instance, but isn’t disclosing the colors. There’s a list of suppliers, but that doesn’t make this any less of a guessing game. Gatekeeping is an unattractive trait of many architects and designers, justified by the claim that their clients would revolt if they gave away the milk for free. But it seems petty when it’s fair to assume that 99% of readers don’t have the 7- or 8-figure budgets necessary to recreate the look or hire Schafer. But then Schafer’s not trying to be accessible - you’ll hear a lot about his monied upbringing bouncing between beachfront California cottages and lacquered UES apartments, and he’ll recount his clients’ wishes for a highly formal “plantation” (his words) in Dixieland to play lords of the antebellum manor without a trace of irony. Those minor annoyances aside, it’s still interesting to hear Schafer’s take on how he approaches a project.
The real disappointment is the interiors. Save a wonderful project designed by Rita Konig, Schafer’s own atypically modernist home in Maine, and the kitchens and bathrooms where Schafer shines, the decoration of these homes is totally underwhelming. Many were designed by Schafer’s firm itself, at least one mostly by the owners, and one by the king of stuffy, blah interiors, Michael Smith. In most instances they fall well short of the architecture, and look about 20 years out of date (ie, resolutely not timeless). I’ll never understand decorating a Lake Placid Adirondack-style house in buttery yellows, but maybe I’m missing something.
So: great architect, average book. I am renovating my historic house and got a few ideas, but not much else.
April 11, 2022
Wonderful book to showcase how to create a home that is comfortable, but can be formal too. Of course, it would help to have LOTS of money. Many of the houses featured here also come with multi-acres of land so you can choose the exact location and angle of the house with the best view.
He talks about why he makes some of his choices, which I like a lot. and he doesn't emphasize the all-white interiors that are so popular these days. Sometimes he has lots of white, but it's for a reason, not just to be fashionable or because it supposedly highlights the art the best. In a couple of places he has orange or red walls and the art is just fine with that color. As usual in architecture and decorating at this level there's a lot of antiques, a fireplace mantel from Provence, French floors, etc. But there's also some mid-century modern, which was something new for him: he usually goes with more classical tastes. A lot of custom furniture and millwork.
He doesn't focus just on the facades and main rooms; he also pays attention to neglected spaces like laundries and mudrooms.
Under the first part: The Essentials, he talks about: Reading the landscape; Building on our deep connection to home; Fancy versus simple; Modern meets traditional; Beyond the house; Decoration; Details that matter.
In the second part, Seven Places, he features houses from different parts of the country that fit in with the local tradition: California, Connecticut, the Adirondacks, Fifth Avenue, New England, Georgia, Maine. The Maine house is his own.
If I had a lot of money, time, and interest in building or renovating a house, I'd like to consult this man and his firm. He consults and works with his clients. He doesn't just consult and then do his own thing. Comfort and the way each person or group lives is important to him and he incorporates this philosophy into his designs. He is primarily an architect, but he is also involved in decorating in some cases, though he and the clients often consult other people for the decorating and color choices.
He talks about why he makes some of his choices, which I like a lot. and he doesn't emphasize the all-white interiors that are so popular these days. Sometimes he has lots of white, but it's for a reason, not just to be fashionable or because it supposedly highlights the art the best. In a couple of places he has orange or red walls and the art is just fine with that color. As usual in architecture and decorating at this level there's a lot of antiques, a fireplace mantel from Provence, French floors, etc. But there's also some mid-century modern, which was something new for him: he usually goes with more classical tastes. A lot of custom furniture and millwork.
He doesn't focus just on the facades and main rooms; he also pays attention to neglected spaces like laundries and mudrooms.
Under the first part: The Essentials, he talks about: Reading the landscape; Building on our deep connection to home; Fancy versus simple; Modern meets traditional; Beyond the house; Decoration; Details that matter.
In the second part, Seven Places, he features houses from different parts of the country that fit in with the local tradition: California, Connecticut, the Adirondacks, Fifth Avenue, New England, Georgia, Maine. The Maine house is his own.
If I had a lot of money, time, and interest in building or renovating a house, I'd like to consult this man and his firm. He consults and works with his clients. He doesn't just consult and then do his own thing. Comfort and the way each person or group lives is important to him and he incorporates this philosophy into his designs. He is primarily an architect, but he is also involved in decorating in some cases, though he and the clients often consult other people for the decorating and color choices.
July 24, 2021
This stunning book not only has captivating photograph of the author/architect's work, but it compelled me to actually read it rather than to just look at the pictures. I especially loved the seven stories that accompanied the featured houses. Particularly the author's own house in Maine. How I would love to have the budget to hire him. But until then, I'll settle for this sumptuous book.
October 16, 2024
For fans of the author and anyone wealthy enough to be able to build a new home with an architect. Very thoughtful and a beautiful book, one to turn to frequently if you have the means to build a new home. Also a great place for traditional interior decorating ideas if your style runs toward a less formal classic look.
December 13, 2024
This is a beautiful architecture book with some interesting ideas for everything involved with designing a house from flow of the rooms to door hardware to interiors. I got some great inspiration and education about small but important details (moldings, hardware, stair details, spaces in between). I didn't love all the interiors, but that is just personal preference.
December 19, 2017
Pretty pictures.
August 28, 2019
Such a beautiful book! I love everything about a home and all the things that make it personal and comforting and this book embodies all of those elements. Wonderful photos too.
January 24, 2020
If you're interested in beautiful architecture and design with a classic, but livable look to it, this book is a treasure trove of inspiration. Over-sized. Beautiful photography.
June 23, 2020
I would like to be rich, now, please.
July 24, 2024
Beautiful and inspiring design. Insightful text.
August 21, 2024
Very nice book. Recommend to people that are interested in interior decorating and architecture.
June 25, 2026
Beautiful book! I’ve checked it out from the library twice, and still haven’t finished looking at all of it, but it keeps coming due! I will just have to check it out again!
June 1, 2018
I was expecting more of an interior design book, but this is actually a nice book for new-build architecture fans.
February 3, 2025
The second installment of his exquisite books. I love his Maine great room back to back double sofa situation where one daytime sofa faces outside looking at the water view, the other nighttime sofa faces inside looking at the cozy fireplace. An outlet inside the medicine cabinet for your electric toothbrush! I’m so hot for transom windows now.
February 22, 2024
"A Place to Call Home: Tradition, Style, and Memory in the New American House" is a visually stunning book that effortlessly combines Gil Schafer III's architectural expertise with Eric Piasecki's captivating photography. Each page showcases the timeless elegance and soulful design of homes that evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia. The book not only inspires with its insightful commentary on the importance of tradition and style, but also serves as a perfect coffee table companion. With its exquisite visuals and engaging narratives, it's a must-have for anyone seeking inspiration for their own dream home or simply looking to adorn their coffee table with beauty as I did with it.
January 22, 2021
Lots of beautiful homes.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews