Product Description

Cottages travels from coast to coast, sharing delightful examples from the Catskills of New York to Georgia's Tybee Island to Southern California and beyond. The popularity of cottage homes has continued to thrive; cottages share charming details that capture the imagination and creativity of their owners, from a built-in window seat to a front porch swing to an outdoor shower for washing sandy feet after a stroll on the beach. Whether it's a rustic mountain retreat, a sunny southern California casita or a simple seaside fishing shack, cottages are whimsical, welcoming and irresistible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #965111 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-07
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

From the Inside Flap
Cottages-small, romantic dwellings-are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason. A smaller house, something with less upkeep and expense but still with plenty of charm, fits the bill for many of today's homeowners. People are rediscovering the joys of cottage living, whether through details such as a built-in window seat, a swing on the front porch or a bathroom fitted with an outdoor shower for washing sandy feet after a stroll on the beach. A cottage need not be grand; as long as it's homey and welcoming, it can still be a wonderful place to call home. From the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York to Tybee Island off the coast of southern Georgia, Cottages reveals some of the most appealing examples around. A rustic mountain retreat, a sunny southern California casita, and a seaside fishing shack are just some of the classy cottages portrayed here. This book celebrates the joy of having a cottage of our own for kicking off our shoes and taking time to enjoy life.
Brian Coleman, MD, is a practicing psychiatrist who divides his time between Seattle and New York. He is an editor with Old House Interiors magazine, as well as the author of thirteen books on the decorative arts, including the popular Scalamandre.
Photographer Douglas Keister is America's most noted photographer of historic architecture. His most recent books are Stories in Stone, Courtyards, Silver Palaces and Mobile Mansions. Cottages marks his thirtieth book. This is Coleman and Keister's second collaboration; their first was the book Classic Cottages.
Jacket photos 2007 Douglas Keister
Jacket design by Gabriella Hunter

About the Author
Chico, California-based photographer Douglas Keister has photographed twenty-two award-winning, critically acclaimed books. His seventeen books on architecture include four books on Victorian homes (Daughter's of Painted Ladies, Painted Ladies Revisited, America's Painted Ladies and Victorian Glory); three books on bungalow homes (The Bungalow, Inside the Bungalow and Outside the Bungalow), a book on 1920s whimsical homes (Storybook Style) a book about cemetery art and architecture (Going Out in Style), a book on Spanish architecture, (Red Tile Style), six books on bungalow details and Classic Cottages, that will be published by Gibbs Smith Publisher in the Spring of 2004. Keister photographed and wrote an award winning children's book (Fernando's Gift), has two monographs of his personal work (Black Rock and Driftwood Whimsy), a book on classic travel trailers, (Ready to Roll) and a book on cemetery symbolism, Stories in Stone: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Cemetery Symbolism, that will be published by Gibbs Smith Publisher in the Spring of 2004. His wealth of books on architecture has earned him the title, "America's most noted photographer of historic architecture."

Brian D. Coleman, MD, divides his time between Seattle and New York. His articles have appeared in magazines ranging from Old House Journal, where he is the West Coast editor; to Period Living in the U.K. Brian is the author of seven books on the decorative arts, including the recent titles Farrow & Ball and Cottages.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Tybee Island today is a cottage lover's delight, thanks in a large part to designer and preservationist Jane Coslick. Over the past decade, Jane has restored dozens of these simple buildings, infusing them with new life and giving them a fresh, laid-back charm. Painted with bright, cheerful colors such as rain-slicker yellow and seafoam green and furnished in a casual country chic, these cottages invite you to take a deep breath, kick off your shoes, and just relax.

Customer Reviews

lovely pictures but.............
I am all over any type of cottage themed book, so this was definitly going to be on my bookshelf. the pictues are really nice but the only thing that stood out when I first sat down with this book is how the author pretty much limited himself to one particular island on the east coast. There are about 5 or 6 cottages all from this one island, and all were fixed up by the same lady who rescues run down houses and breathes new life in them. Very cute and quaint for sure, but I almost felt like the book should have been titled "Cottages of " " Island". Because I ordered this book without being able to look at it first, I was a little disappointed, but all in all the cottages profiled are dear and sweet, so regardless of how many are within a few miles of each other, I will hold onto the book for decorating and color ideas.

OK READ
It was easy to sit down and read a "cottage a day". Of course, I was not impressed with all, especially the non-traditional cottages. I was able to fine tune my likes and dislikes more with the book as there were beautiful pictures of insides and outsides and a nice write-up of history and descriptions.
Most spoke "money" or were vacation/second homes. Many of the cottages featured were preserved and restored which I admire. I loved the simple furnishings in some and occasionally would catch a new idea for myself. I just wish that I could afford them. The book made a nice advertisement for Tybee Cottage Rentals. It is a great book for people who like to drool over those who "have".

GREAT IDEA SOURCE
"Cottages" is the latest collaboration between writer/sylist Brian Coleman and photographer Douglas Keister. They profile fifteen homes including beach cottages, urban bungalows, historic houses and a cutting edge structure in Canada. Coleman's copy is rich and the photographs are gorgeous, but there could have been more diversity since eight houses are on Georgia's Tybee Island. Still, "Cottages" offers an abundance of fresh and invigorating decorating ideas, especially with use of color. It's the perfect book for for lovers of small homes and/or empty nesters looking to downsize with style.