Cottage Retreats

Regardless of location or style, cottages offer sheer enjoyment and relaxation. Bring a wonderful simplicity of design into your living space, using a medley of furnishings and natural materials. Choose from tranquil, romantic, cozy, nostalgic, rustic, and whimsical approaches. A Cape Cod might favor white wicker and a soothing blue palette, while rough-hewn furniture suits a mountain retreat, and sweet hideaways blossom alongside an English country garden. Whichever you opt for, your home will have flair!

Presents decorating tips for cottages by the sea, on the lakefront, in the open countryside, and in the woods and mountains, covering furnishings, window treatments, floors, lighting, storage ideas, and accessories, and provides more than 150 color photos, a section on "outdoor rooms," and a source directory.

Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan--Scottish interior designers, TV hosts, and property speculators--are cabin aficionados who divide their time between homes in Canada and their beloved Scotland. iEscapology: Modern Cabins, Cottages and Retreats is a stunning book of modern-day retreats--bucolic weekend escapes by the sea, remote getaways in the woods, and rustic mountain hideouts--to inspire peaceful and quiet living. The authors genuinely believe that cabin time has a remarkably positive impact on our health, wellbeing and our happiness. Whether it's a rustic cottage nestled deep within a Nordic forest, a robust mountain lodge in Montana, a breathtaking treehouse in Canada, or a steel-walled, one-room "hotel" in Denmark, these retreats share one vital aspect in common: they proffer the chance to escape and to and live in harmony with nature, far from the madding crowd. Part style bible and lifestyle manual, the book features a beautiful collection of classic and contemporary cottages and cabins, each accompanied by an informative design profile and beautifully photographed images. And of course, the book is also packed with practical building and design advice that fans of Colin and Justin have grown to love. You'll find relevant information about different types of dwelling styles, builds, sustainability/off-grid living, tiny homes, renovation on a budget, room zonings, décor and everything in between.

A beautiful look at the houses and cottages of The Thousand Islands sure to delight anyone interested in interior design, architecture, island living or a rustic getaway. Featuring 24 cottages, ranging from modest to grand, in the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River, on the border between the US and Canada. Dating from 1864 to 1990, the houses collectively epitomize the dream of summertime waterfront living. Here the fantasy is made real—and has been realized for us in gorgeous photography, showing both wonderful interiors in a variety of styles, great exteriors ranging from Victorian Gothic, to Rustic, to Colonial, to Classical, all set within the extraordinary environment of the 1000 Islands region.

Turning away from traffic-choked streets and onto meandering country paths, urban residents increasingly are choosing to take up residence in greener pastures. Quiet and quaint, the countryside comes with its own pace of living - and depending on where you are, its own regional flair. Country and Cozy opens doors and pulls back the floral curtains to reveal a more characterful approach to interior design and decoration. Whether it's a converted outhouse in the south of France, a Latin American Finca, or a whimsical English cottage complete with a thatched roof, Country and Cozy showcases a series of beautiful country homes and illustrates how their inhabitants have created breathtaking living spaces that make the most of rural life.

The Idea of the Cottage in English Architecture is a history of the late Georgian phenomenon of the architect-designed cottage and the architectural discourse that articulated it. It is a study of small buildings built on country estates, and not so small buildings built in picturesque rural settings, resort towns and suburban developments. At the heart of the English idea of the cottage is the Classical notion of retreat from the city to the countryside. This idea was adopted and adapted by the Augustan-infused culture of eighteenth-century England where it gained popularity with writers, artists, architects and their wealthy patrons who from the later eighteenth century commissioned retreats, gate-lodges, estate workers' housing and seaside villas designed to 'appear as cottages'. The enthusiasm for cottages within polite society did not last. By the mid-nineteenth century, cottage-related building and book publishing had slowed and the idea of the cottage itself was eventually lost beneath the Tudor barge-boards and decorative chimneystacks of the Historic Revival. And yet while both designer and consumer have changed over time, the idea of the cottage as the ideal rural retreat continues to resonate through English architecture and English culture.

Looks at the retreats and homes where each president spent his downtime, providing historical context on why these sites were chosen by each Commander-in-Chief.