Discover Your Dream House: It Could Be the House You're Living in Now

This guide to home design confines the daunting tasks of construction and renovation to realistic dimensions. Abundant suggestions, lively prose, and more than 150 plans and sketches will stimulate imaginations. Walking through a typical house room by room, architect Hamilton explains how to tackle both common modifications, like lighting, cabinets and additional rooms, and more luxurious features, like skylights and wine cellars. In the chapter on furnishings, he encourages readers to develop a simple approach to decorating, and considers limitations of space, structure and finances. Troubleshooting checklists help homeowners plan alterations and new installations. To this end, Hamilton includes advice on choosing, hiring and working with a contractor, and keeping dreams within budget. (June)