Classic Cottages: Simple, Romantic Homes Review

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(More customer reviews)Simple picturesque bungalows, quaint thatched stone and stucco huts, or elaborate marble and plaster palaces - all types of homes have been called a cottage. ~pg. 8
Dreaming about a hideaway bungalow or Victorian mansion seems equally appealing. In "Classic Cottages" an entire world of intricately decorated homes await. The interiors are fascinating on their own and could give you many ideas for decorating. The room from a Seattle, WA home is stunning and the remodeled Victorian home has creative gardening ideas.
The houses are divided into specific categories:
Gingerbread Gems
Bungalettes
Gnome Sweet Home
Rolling Bungalows
Enclaves
Contemporary Cottages
If you are dreaming of an escape to simpler times or have been dreaming of a rose-covered romantic bungalow, this might be the book for you. I loved the historical information and the following pictures:
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
Gothic Rose-covered cottage
1883 Cape May Homes from New Jersey
The Lyford House, Tiburon, CA
Queen Anne jewels with gingerbread ornamentation and stained glass
Mediterranean-style brick bungalows
Covered Wagons
Fairy Tale Cottages
While looking through this book my heart just felt like it was melting. These houses are adorable and it is like a fantasy book of dream houses for the true romantic. I want a castle, but maybe I'd settle for a cottage like the one in Spokane Washington with ivy growing all over the walls.
~The Rebecca Review


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Romantic and picturesque, the word "cottage" brings to mind the idyllic charms of the countryside. Who can resist the appeal of a sweet little house, surrounded by wild roses, at the end of a winding cobblestone lane?From Anne Hathaway's cottage, which became synonymous with the innocent charm of the English countryside, to the sturdy Cape Cod, the first cottage indigenous to the United States, Classic Cottages: Simple, Romantic Homes looks at the architecture, history, design, and decorating possibilities of the many charming cottages throughout North America. From rolling bungalows to quaint thatched stone huts to nineteenth-century gingerbread gems, cottages in all forms are being rediscovered in record numbers as people yearn for inspiring and appealing housing.Classic Cottages: Simple, Romantic Homes celebrates the delightful cottage home with the renowned photography of Doug Keister, the insightful and enlightening text of Brian Coleman, and an abundance of historical and cultural information about the charming cottage. Brian Coleman, M.D., is a practicing psychiatrist in Seattle, Washington.As an old-house enthusiast, he has written numerous articles on historic home design for magazines ranging from Old House Journal to Period Living in the United Kingdom and is the West Coast editor for Old House Interiors. Brian wrote two previous books, Vintage Victorian Textiles and The Victorian Dining Room. He divides his time between New York and Seattle.Douglas Keister has photographed fourteen award-winning, critically acclaimed books (including Red Tile Style: America's Spanish Revival Architecture, The Bungalow: America's Arts & Crafts Home, and Storybook Style: America's Whimsical Homes of the Twenties) earning him the title "America's most noted photographer of historic architecture." His latest offering from Gibbs Smith, Publisher is Stories in Stone: The Complete Guide to Cemetery Symbolism. He also writes and illustrates magazine articles and contributes photographs and essays to other books, calendars, posters, and greeting cards. Doug lives in Chico, California, and travels frequently to photograph and lecture on historic architecture and photography.

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Portable Houses Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had an opportunity to see an advance of this book and must say I am impresssed. The photography alone is a reason to pick it up. What a wonderful topic. I continue to be impressed by these authors works. Cozy, comfy, like a crackle of a corner fireplace in an wintry cabin this book takes you to those bitty homes with great charisma.

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Sheep wagons, houseboats, RVs, tents, yurts, even prefab homes and old converted school bussespeople are finding creative ways every day to build and adapt homes that aren't confined to one geographical location.Portable Houses features traditional movable dwellings around the world, from a houseboat in Sausalito to a gypsy wagon in the English countryside. Authors Irene Rawlings and Mary Abel provide essential information on making movable homes functional and practical, along with chapters on acquiring the necessary tools and gear for travel, problem solving with each type of portable house, and converting the dream into highway-legal reality. With photography of some of the world's most ingenious and unique portable structures, Portable Houses will inspire the migratory-minded to turn ordinary modes of transportation into creative living spaces. Rawlings proves that it really is possible for the dedicated, nomadic, do-it-yourselfer to make the road a comfortable home! Irene Rawlings is editor-in-chief of Mountain Living and Log & Timber magazines. Since age seven, she has wanted to buy a retired school bus, take out the seats, paint it a shiny red, and travel around the country. She is the author of many books, including The Clothesline (Gibbs Smith, Publisher, 2002) with Andrea Van Steenhouse.Mary Abel is the managing editor of Mountain Living and Log & Timber Style magazines. She wants to buy an old trailer, paint it pink, and take it into the mountains to fly fish and cook chili over a campfire. She's still working on it.

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