Thirty-seven million Americans move during any given year. Millions more think about it. They all want the same thing―a perfect place to live. But most of us have only the vaguest idea of what makes us happy, home-wise, and don’t even know all the questions to ask. That’s where Marianne Cusato comes in. One of the most influential people in the home-building industry, designer of the Katrina Cottages, and go-to authority for the media on issues related to housing, she’s written a comprehensive, interactive guide to finding the just right home. This is the book that answers the plea she hears every time she gives a speech―“I wish I’d talked to you before buying my house!”
 By leading the reader through every step of choosing a home―from the broad strokes, such as city vs. suburb and buy vs. rent, to specific details of energy use and building materials―The Just Right Home helps readers understand not only what they want in a home but what they need. It shows why proximity―to work, to stores, to schools―trumps location, and what the difference means. Why a property’s live-in value is greater than its resale value. How to identify and assess the big three variables: function, cost, delight. How to get a realistic grip on budget, including factoring in maintenance costs. How to plan for future needs―children moving out, a parent moving in, or just growing old in a home. Why all square feet are not created equal. The ins and outs of zonings, covenants, home-owner associations. The five elements to look for when walking through a property. How much to pay an inspector. And so much more.
 Filled with sidebars, boxes, examples, anecdotes, and cheat sheets, it’s the book that helps readers answer all their questions about where to live and what to live in.

The Just Right Home: Buying, Renting, Moving--or Just Dreaming--Find Your Perfect Match!

Cusato, Marianne

Reference

Workman Publishing Company

Even as oversized McMansions continue to elbow their way into tiny lots nationwide, a much different trend has taken shape. This return to traditional architectural principles venerates qualities that once were taken for granted in home design: structural common sense, aesthetics of form, appropriateness to a neighborhood, and even sustainability. Marianne Cusato, creator of the award-winning Katrina Cottages, has authored and illustrated this definitive guide to what makes houses look and feel rightto the eye and to the soul. She teaches us the language and grammar of classical architecture, revealing how balance, harmony, and detail all contribute to creating a home that will be loved rather than tolerated. And she takes us through the do’s and don’ts of every element of home design, from dormers to doorways to columns. Integral to the book are its hundreds of elegant line drawingsclearly rendering the varieties of lintels and cornices, arches and eaves, and displaying avoid” and use” versions of the same elements side by side.

Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid

Arts & Photography

PENTREATH, BEN

Sammons, Richard

Krier, Leon

Architecture

Sterling

Sick of McMansions? Marianne Cusato, creator of the award-winning Katrina Cottages, is a champion of traditional architectural principles: structural common sense, aesthetics of form, appropriateness to a neighborhood, and sustainability. She presents the definitive guide to what makes houses look and feel right, revealing the dos and don'ts of livable home design. Hundreds of elegant line drawings--rendering the varieties of architectural features and displaying “avoid” and “use” versions of the same elements side by side--make this an indispensable resource for designing and building a timelessly beautiful home.

Union Square & Co.

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Books by Cusato, Marianne