the home's classic, cozy shingled entry on the magazine's 1994 cover
"LIFE Magazine believed that too many people, as noted architect Robert A. M. Stern has said, 'buy the house they hate the least'." Starting with Stern in 1994, LIFE commissioned 6 home designs by leading architects, with construction drawings available to everyone. We have a set of drawings for the Robert A. M. Stern home because a family member wanted to build it years ago. We've long enjoyed “walking through” the house's floorplan...
The plan has surprisingly many details, nuances, nooks and crannies for a spec design dating from the 1990's. It's a classic design that is versatile, too: the plan offers options for building two bedrooms or four. The two-bedroom design comes in at about 1,700 square feet, which is refreshing given the McMansions that are so abundant everywhere today.
Are you familiar with any Time LIFE dream house designs? Do you have any favorites or have you learned any pointers from studying their plans? For more on the Stern design, click here.
Just a perfect layout.
view theserovingeyes's profile
Michael Graves designed the Life Dream Home in 1996:
http://www.disneyguys.com/dreamhouse/graves.html
view AlmostAD's profile
The original 1994 Stern Life Dream Home is for sale:
http://www.lifedreamhouse.com/lifedreamhouse/default.htm
view AlmostAD's profile
I'm disappointed by the Stern. (the Graves one... ugh)
view mschatelaine's profile
a 1,700 sq feet for 2 bedrooms is a McMansion, that is a ridiculous amount of space to heat and cool for 2 people
view LaDonnaNichole's profile
The Stern house is quite dark. What a strange lack of decent windows on the front of the house.
view LBhirise's profile
The Stern house is so cheesy with all the faux-historicism gingerbread -- more or less like the McMansions they're still building today in the suburbs (although maybe no one has enough money to buy those anymore?)
It seems like a movie set.
view BrooklynRob's profile
Anything with a "great room" is by definition a McMansion.
view roflcopter's profile
A bit of trivia for you all; the "great room" was invented by a midwestern architect - in Iowa no less. It was coined by John Bloodgood.
view dn's profile
This surprises me. Robert A. M. Stern is one of the few architects of today whose work I enjoy. His portfoliohref> doesn't suggest this kind of cookie cuttery.
view Alaricus's profile
@LaDonna... in what world is a 2BR only for 2 people? That is a perfect space for a young family with two kids.
view grover's profile
I built this home with some changes and it is beautiful. Lots of closets, large rooms (it has an upstairs). Three massive bedrooms and the closets and bath for the master are in a hallway so there is plenty of room for furniture placements. Lived in it since 1996. All the people who have given negative comments have not seen what this house can be.
view suelynne's profile
I live in one of these houses as well! It's been changed a good bit, (the front of the house design is now the rear, for a start) but it was definitely a good place to grow up!
view bryan_allen's profile
suelynne ...I'm actually doing a project for my housing seminar on my house/this 'life dreamhouse' and if you're still seeing this, it'd be great if you could send me some pictures/information about you house?
view bryan_allen's profile