Product Description

Campers, anglers, hunters, and nature lovers--the woodland hideaway you've dreamed of is in these pages. From an elegant water gazebo to a traditional tipi, all can be found in RUSTIC RETREATS. The authors, who are experienced designers and builders, offer illustrated, step-by-step instructions for more than 20 low-cost, sturdy, beautiful outdoor structures.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #352862 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781580170352
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
This is a delightful book that promises to deliver loads of fantasy and fun for anyone in need of a rustic place to rest, relax, and retreat from the speed and stress of modern living. The Stiles provide more than 20 step-by-step plans for low-cost outdoor buildings, among them a grape arbor, a hillside hut, a water gazebo (floating!), a log cabin, tree houses, a wigwam, a garden pavilion, a yurt, and a river raft. A bit of individual creativity can make any of the plans described and diagrammed into unique personal statements or fantasies. Many of the plans are so simple they can be built in a few hours or in less than a day, and most do not require high levels of carpentry or building skills (though all will be useful as "learning projects" for the uninitiated). If you built forts as a kid--or wanted to--here's your chance to play at it again as an adult! --Mark A. Hetts

From Library Journal
The Stileses, authors of a number of do-it-yourself books such as Jeanie's Kids' Furniture You Can Build (LJ 12/96) and David's Sheds (LJ 4/93), have created a unique build-it-yourself book based on the concept that "today, more than ever, we need to have a way of escaping from our high-powered electronic civilization with its hectic pace." They start with the very basic task of tool selection, and supply directions to build a tool-box for storage. They also cover primitive door locks, roof thatching, window design, ropes, and knots. Within the pages of this book are directions on building garden retreats, basic lean-tos, primitive native huts, log cabins, among other things. A delightful treat for the imagination and also a very practical building guide. Highly recommended (no Boy Scout should be without it!).?Sandra Knowles, Sch. of Medicine Lib., Columbia, SC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover
Deep in the woods or right in the backyard, take refuge and enjoy the natural world in your own rustic retreat.

Campers, anglers, hunters, and nature lovers -- the woodland hideaway you've dreamed of is in these pages. From an elegant water gazebo to a traditional tipi, you'll find it in Rustic Retreats: A Build-It-Yourself Guide.

Experienced designers and builders, David and Jeanie Stiles offer illustrated, step-by-step instructions for more than 20 low-cost, sturdy, beautiful outdoor structures, including:
* Garden Pavilion
* Grape Arbor
* Hillside Hut
* Sauna Hut
* Water Gazebo
* Triangular Tree House
* Log Cabin
* Wigwam
* River Raft
* Yurt

This complete workbook also contains sections on basic building techniques, essential tools, joints and joining methods, and safety concerns, plus directions for building all types of windows, skylights, doors, roofs, latches, and locks.

Customer Reviews

The perfect builders' guide
Straightforward instructions and beautiful, informative drawings will help you build dozens of great back-country shelters. Designs include sheds, arbors, lean-tos, huts, cabins, tree houses and even a design for a floating cabin.

creative ideas, not for children
These are true rustic retreats for adults. Just know this is not for children's tree houses or play houses. These are very rustic retreats, such as a lean-to to use as a nature retreat, or for the shack-like building the size of a garden shed for sleeping in as a weekend getaway,(sans electricity or toilets).

The one I loved the most was a rustic arbor for grapevines that was basically 4 poles with a semi-roof--for the vines to grow up and over the top to form a roof. The idea of sitting under it with a table and relaxing outdoors was quite tempting. However, where I would get the rustic tree trunks to make this is beyond me (but it looked wonderful).

There are no photographs. This is not a glitzy-beautiful tempting type of book. It is about the nuts and bolts of really building one of these structures. I suggest browsing this book first to see if there is a structure you are interested in.

The plans are quite detailed and seem more than adequate to use as building plans.

Rustic Retreats
We have enjoyed all the Stileses garden house/project books and consulted "Sheds" when we were planning our own shed. We especially appreciated the step by step instructions and clear drawings. We were still deliberating over plans when we saw "Rustic Retreats" in a book club ad and we ran all over greater Seattle looking for it. We must have bought the first copy in Washington. We proceeded to build the cover garden house in the fall of '98, finishing the shingles this summer. It was originally intended to be a storage shed but was so wonderful that we added chairs and a bed. It was our first building project and what a treat!