| This book far surpassed all expectations and is a book I am using a great deal. We live in a cottage in the Sierras that was built in the 1800's and what the book has helped me with, is better understanding how to make every room usable and how important wise and imaginative one has to be when designing storage in a small room, which is what older cottages are all about. She clearly notes on the cover under the title "designing comfortable country retreats" thus it does have a serious country leaning. And I like the fact that she realizes that cottages in different regions of the United States be they Maine, the Rockies, desert or coastal or mountain areas, evoke different feels and needs. While it is true she speaks of cottages as get away places, I also know that thousands of families here in the Sierras live year round in cottages, just as some do in the variety of coastal towns up and down California's coast. This is a book that can be used wisely by those who do not have a cottage as simply a vacation home but as their main dwelling. I also liked the fact the author reminded the reader that a cottage is a great place to show off small collections be it shells, teapots, small paintings, quilts etc. That a cottage can become a small piece of art. |
Cottage Living: Creating Comfortable Country Retreats Books In Print, Audio Books.