Interior Design

Home at Last: Enduring Design for the New American House

Bestselling author and popular American architect Gil Schafer returns with the final installment in his trilogy on the rewards of living in the American house.

The work of Gil Schafer—one of the world’s leading experts on contemporary traditional architecture—is beloved for its elegance, charm, and strong sense of history and place. Since his last book, Schafer has become a husband and stepfather, a change that has deepened his understanding of how a house must reflect and support the lives of those who live within its walls. Home at Last is a distillation of what he has learned and how he translates it to his work on houses that are adaptive to the evolution of life, depending upon a family’s needs.

The book includes homes he has designed in the mist-covered Hudson Valley, on a bluff above Lake Champlain, on the windswept shores of Block Island, and on the coast of Maine. Schafer shares the stories of these houses and their owners, exploring the choices made for architecture and interiors, and reemphasizing his guiding principles: how to create classical buildings that “live modern”; how to adapt buildings to different regions and ways of life; the connection to landscape; why fancy can coexist with simple, and traditional with modern.  

With original photography by Eric Piasecki, layered with practical takeaways, Home at Last is a tribute to the power of the American house.

About The Author

Gil Schafer III is a member of Architectural Digest’s AD100, a recipient of the Arthur Ross Award for Architecture, and the author of The Great American House and A Place to Call Home.

Acclaimed photographer Eric Piasecki’s work has appeared in several books.

  • Publish Date: February 27, 2024
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Category: House & Home - Decorating & Furnishings
  • Publisher: Rizzoli
  • Trim Size: 10 x 12
  • Pages: 336
  • US Price: $55.00
  • CDN Price: $75.00
  • ISBN: 978-0-8478-9978-4

Reviews

"With Home at Last, architect Gil Schafer gives readers an up-close-and-personal look at some of the storied homes he’s designed. From Rhode Island to Florida, each chapter examines a different project. 'The beauty of the passage of time is that it deepens your discernment through experience,' he writes. 'And with that time I have gained an ever-expanding appreciation for the fact that a house must never be about its architect but rather all about those who will live within its walls.'" — ELLE DECOR

"Gil Schafer is one of the leading experts in contemporary traditional architecture. The AD100 designer’s third book, Home At Last, explores how homes support their occupants by studying Schafer’s projects as well as their owners. Articulated through built work from the shores of Maine to the rolling hills of the Hudson Valley, his thesis amounts to an argument for how modernity, traditionalism, and simplicity can coexist in today’s family home." — ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST PRO

"A master of proportion, scale, and historic detail, architect Gil Schafer explores the elements of lasting style in his latest book." — FREDERIC MAGAZINE

"In his latest work, acclaimed architect Gil Schafer shares a personal journey, revealing how real-life experiences have shaped his approach to crafting homes for American family living. This final volume in his trilogy invites readers into a range of homes, from the Hudson Valley to Block Island, each one a testament to how classical architecture can gracefully accommodate modern life." — VERANDA

"Home at Last: Enduring Design for the New American House features the work of Gil Schafer, III, a New York-based architect known for his contemporary take on traditional design. Home at Last features a look at Gil’s guiding principles along with beautiful photography by Eric Piasecki." — AT HOME IN ARKANSAS

Author Bookshelf: Gil Schafer III

Author Bookshelf: Eric Piasecki