Product Description

Virginia Woolf was right. Women–and men, it turns out–yearn for a room of their own.

But instead of a little nook beneath the eaves, that room is now a shed. Today’s sheds, however, are not dusty shelters for plants and tools. Lace curtains have replaced cobwebs, charming antiques stand where shovels and rakes once rusted, and instead of corrugated walls, you will find cedar shingles and window boxes. Sheds are stylish and elegant and offer a hassle-free and affordable way to create more space without undergoing a major renovation. They function as artists’ studios, writers’ retreats, yoga dens, entertaining pavilions, children’s playhouses, garden rooms, or serene hideaways for any personal pursuit.

In Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, Debra Prinzing and William Wright showcase twenty-eight innovative and beautifully imagined spaces from New York City to East Hampton, from Seattle to San Diego, and from Atlanta to Austin to Santa Cruz. Some are elaborate and luxurious; others are delightfully modest. They are built in urban gardens and suburban backyards and tucked away on rural properties.

Stunning, lush color photography graces Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, bringing the reader into each space and face-to-face with all its nooks, crannies, and details; the text describes how the owners’ needs and interests inspired the shed practically and aesthetically. With sample plans for building a shed, advice on the practicalities of designing and decorating it, and thoughts from backyard philosophers who celebrate the appeal and possibilities of simple structures, Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways is both an inspiration for creating your own backyard destination and an armchair journey to some of the country’s most private and serene places.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8579 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-29
• Released on: 2008-04-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

About the Author
DEBRA PRINZING is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times, Cottage Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Fine Gardening, Sunset, and other magazines. She lectures frequently on garden and design topics. She lives in Los Angeles.

WILLIAM WRIGHT is an architectural and interior design photographer and a regular contributor to many shelter magazines, including Old House Interiors, Romantic Homes, and Sunset. He lives in Seattle.

Customer Reviews

Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways: Big Ideas for Small Backyard Destinations
i enjoyed this book. It gave me many ideas for my farm cottage and tool shed. i recommend this book to others.

Not your grandmother's shed....
I want a shed. I didn't know I wanted a shed until I read this charming book. Debra Prinzing invites us into small, stylish backyard rooms that are steps away, but imaginations away. She profiles each shed owner--what they envisioned, how they designed the space, how they entertain there or write books there or just nap on the sofa in this garden hinterland. Now I want to know each of these people. I want an invitation to their sheds. Such yearning is the mark of a captivating read.

I have to buy a house so I can build one of these....

First, I have to tell you that the Author is my sister-in-law. However, don't hold that against this review. Her writing simply flows off the page, making me want to spend some leisurely time at each of these destinations. This is a book where the written and the visual more than complement each other. I read the words, looked at the pictures, then closed my eyes. It took me on flights of fancy -- ones I could dream about for my own small destination. I am not a gardener, but a colleague of mine is. I bought a copy to give to her, since she gardens every available weekend in New Hampshire -- koi pond and all. She talked of moving/building a shed, so I thought Debra's book might help her think about the possibilities. She says she has been inspired.