A house that's designed to be beautiful and house an active, energetic family may seem like a tall order for an architect, but the 24 homes featured in The New Family Home meet both needs extraordinarily well. Author Jim Tolpin takes readers through all the nooks and crannies of these well-planned homes, where every inch of space is maximized to create a family living space that's attractive as well as functional.

Many of the 24 homes share several characteristics popular with today's families, such as a great room (rather than the separate living room, dining room, and kitchen configurations of the past), so that family members can feel connected even while pursuing separate activities. A home office sometimes needs to be incorporated into the home or property, as telecommuting has become both possible and popular. Separate media rooms that house the television, video games, and stereo are also frequently requested, as they allow families to preserve the living room as a distraction-free place to spend time with each other.

Adaptability is the key to making these homes work, and Tolpin explains how this element is incorporated into each house. For instance, what is currently a guest bedroom on the first floor of a home can be converted to a bedroom for a teen who wants more privacy, and then to an accessible master bedroom for the aging parents after the child moves out. This flexibility in a home makes sense considering the current trend of families who want to live in their homes longer rather than move when a house no longer fits their lifestyle. By making a house's space adaptable and multifunctional, it can fill many roles through the years, and a family can live happily in one home for many decades.

Each family in The New Family Home required a home designed to meet their specific needs and wishes, and the book documents how the family worked with the architect who translated their requests into reality. The end result is a home that fits each family's particular lifestyle now and for the foreseeable future. --Kris Law