The locations are diverse—New England, Long Island, Pennsylvania, California—and the architecture encompasses both traditional and contemporary vocabulary. This is a book of houses where we all would like to live. They are unassuming dwellings whose architecture moves easily to the background, supporting comfortable furniture, works of art from a variety of periods and styles, and the plantings and outdoor spaces that are essential to the composition. What links them is their livable scale and the architect’s commitment to creating congenial spaces with a handsome and functional design. They invite a full range of activities from formal to informal, from celebration to repose, from a solitary existence to a house full of children or guests. These houses display grace and style inside and out. These houses have good places to read a book or write a letter, to take a nap, and to cook and eat with family and friends.