“What makes Classical architecture so enduring? British philosopher Roger Scruton addresses this in his BBC essay entitled, ‘Why Beauty Matters.’ He begins by observing, ‘At any time between 1750 and 1930, if you had asked educated people to describe the aim of poetry, art or music, they would have replied, “Beauty.” And if you had asked the point of that, you would have learned that beauty is a value. . .as important as truth and goodness.’”

—Denver-based architect Tom Matthews, writing in the latest issue of Clem Labine’s Period Homes magazine about classicism’s enduring attractions

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“I’d warned the curators in advance how bad it would look in the thick of things before it got better, as if it could never be put back together again. But now the building makes sense. There’s finally a logic to the flow.”

—Mary Oehrlein, principal, Oehrlein & Associates, quoted in an article from Clem Labine’s Period Homes magazine on the various redesigns and additions made to mansion-turned-museum, Dumbarton Oaks, in Washington, D.C.

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“Somehow, Wright’s clients, even the ones who had to sue him over construction problems and money disputes, still found him irresistible.”

—Eve Kahn, journalist and authority on traditional architecture, reviewing a book on the planning and making of the Freeman House, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s residential designs

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“Nobody is saying ‘money is no object’ anymore. Every client has real choices to make, and, at the core, they all come down to this: Do you want it bigger or better? Make it bigger, and the quality goes down. Make it better, and it must be smaller.”

—Stephen Mouzon, AIA, LEED AP, writing about building smaller and smarter houses in the most recent issue of Clem Labine’s Period Homes magazine

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“Great design can have a transformational effect on a space, and also on the people who inhabit it.”

—Interior designer Michael Whaley, quoted in a recent profile about him and his practice in Clem Labine’s Period Homes magazine

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“Keeping historic windows can save money, increase resale value and benefit the environment.”

—Dave Martin, president of Allied Windows, writing in the January issue of Clem Labine’s Period Homes magazine

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“A beautifully designed, finished room isn’t the only reward in working with salvaged material – the initial inspiration, the hunt, the selection, and the anticipation you feel as you watch the room come together are all a part of the fun. And, of course, knowing that your eco-friendly process is contributing to the greater good of the world makes it just that much better.”

—Joanne Palmisano, author of “Salvage Secrets: Transforming Reclaimed Materials into Design Concepts,” quoted in a recent review of the book in Clem Labine’s Period Homes magazine

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“The more freedom they have to choose, the more our clients rely on institutions and other people, especially experts like you. What if we were able to make decision-making easier by limiting the choices we present but presenting what we have more expertly? What if we made it simple to choose? Who knows? Maybe clients would choose to spend more.”

—Peter H. Miller, Restore Media’s president, blogging about the paralyzing freedom of having too many choices

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“A renovation is in many ways more challenging and in some ways more satisfying because you take a building that is dysfunctional and oftentimes a hodgepodge, and the transformation can be stunning.”

—Ross Chapin, principal, Ross Chapin Architects, quoted in a profile about his work and firm in the latest issue of Clem Labine’s Period Homes magazine

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“When regulations make it prohibitive economically to make improvements on your property, it’s over the top for me.”

—Architect, preservationist and historic homeowner Robin Levitt, quoted in the New Yorkabout the severe limitations imposed by some of San Francisco’s historic preservation codes Times

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