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Rating: 
Summary: Nice photos, poor floor plans
Review: "The New Family Home" is a godsend! As parents of young children getting ready to jump into the market for a new home, this book is a blueprint of what we should be looking for. While we probably won't end up in a custom home like the ones featured in the book, we will be sure to look for certain elements that the authors discuss like good bedroom placement and a kitchen/great room combination.The pictures in the book are fabulous eye-candy, a real treat, but best of all are the inspiring stories about the 24 families -- what they wanted, where they compromised, how they worked with their architects and builders to fulfill their dreams. We could totally relate. Anyone with kids (or a house) will love this book!
Rating: 
Summary: This is a lot to find in one book
Review: I first checked this book out of the library, then liked it so much that I bought it. With 24 homes in it this book was a bit overwhelming at first. It took me a week to carefully read. I agree with the reviewer who said that the floor plans were disappointing. I believe that was intentional so that people don't "steal" the architect's designs. The descriptions at times were too brief and frustrating in their lack of citing sources for materials. The book, though, does what it set out to do very well; promote the concept of flowing and multi-use space as the new design for modern living. Some of the ways that these families customized their homes to their lifestyle are amazing. Everyone should have a custom home because they have a custom lifestyle and preferences. Some of these families made the trade-off of a smaller house to own a custom house that they could afford. These people and their homes are inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: This is a lot to find in one book
Review: No no no. This book should be titled "The New Family Home for the New Economy", since practically all of the example homes described could only be afforded by folks who cashed in their dotcom stock options in March of 2000. I hate to bash a book with Jim Tolpin's name on it, but it's hard to believe that this was written by the same guy who brought us "The New Cottage Home" and "Built in Furniture". The idea is right on: homes should be able to adapt to our needs as our needs change. But there are more creative ways of achieving this goal than building a separate room for every activity (a media room, a game room, a home office, an exercise room, and on and on and on, all of which, presto-change-o, turn into something else when we decide little Billy needs a PlayStation room or mommy needs a yoga room), not to mention "Great Rooms" scaled to Jolly Greeen Giant proportions. I would recommend "More Small Houses" or "Building the Not So Big House" (as well as Tolpin's other books mentioned above) as better alternatives. Even if you really do need a bigger house, these books show how small spaces can accommodate more -- more stuff, more activity, more living -- and nothing could be more important in this day of starter-McMansions and astronomical building costs.
Rating:
Summary: The New Family Home for Al Gore's "Richest 1%"!
Review: No no no. This book should be titled "The New Family Home for the New Economy", since practically all of the example homes described could only be afforded by folks who cashed in their dotcom stock options in March of 2000. I hate to bash a book with Jim Tolpin's name on it, but it's hard to believe that this was written by the same guy who brought us "The New Cottage Home" and "Built in Furniture". The idea is right on: homes should be able to adapt to our needs as our needs change. But there are more creative ways of achieving this goal than building a separate room for every activity (a media room, a game room, a home office, an exercise room, and on and on and on, all of which, presto-change-o, turn into something else when we decide little Billy needs a PlayStation room or mommy needs a yoga room), not to mention "Great Rooms" scaled to Jolly Greeen Giant proportions. I would recommend "More Small Houses" or "Building the Not So Big House" (as well as Tolpin's other books mentioned above) as better alternatives. Even if you really do need a bigger house, these books show how small spaces can accommodate more -- more stuff, more activity, more living -- and nothing could be more important in this day of starter-McMansions and astronomical building costs.
Rating: 
Summary: Great general ideas for a "family" house
Review: We are in the pre-beginning stages of building...writing down ideas, concepts, before hiring an architect to design. This book is great for its general ideas in regard to family houses. The ideas of combined kitchen/living space, children's "quarters", importance of master suites and ensuring the house will fit changing needs as children grow are great. I've taken notes on the concepts I like and would like to incorporate in our home.
Rating:
Summary: Great general ideas for a "family" house
Review: We just finished building our first family home in 1999 and I wish I had this book before we began! We looked at 10,000 floorplans and now live in a craftsman style, family friendly home in the woods. What a gift is a well-designed, well-built house. But the heart of the family is not the building, but the love and commitment which grows between family members by God's grace. For another book published in April 2000 on the family home, take a look at THE FAMILY CLOISTER: BENEDICTINE WISDOM FOR THE HOME, by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad, 2000).
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