The Getaway Home: Discovering Your Home Away from Home [Hardcover]

Dale Mulfinger (Author), Jim Buchta (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004

Who doesn't dream of the perfect getaway place? Dale Mulfinger, author of The Cabin, addresses the increasing popularity of recreational homes-both new and remodeled-in The Getaway Home. Written for active adults and families who place a high premium on the enjoyment of nature, this book is organized according to four settings: woods and wilderness, mountains, water sites, and desert. Readers are invited into 24 remarkable homes from across the country, all designed for getting away from it all. With over 300 color photos and drawings, they can discover how the design requirements are dictated by activities, environment, and site. For those who pine for a cottage on the water or a compound in the woods, The Getaway Home helps fulfill dreams of the ultimate escape.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Owning a getaway home, long a fantasy for many urbanites, has become even more appealing in an era of color-coded terrorism alerts. Architect Mulfinger (The Cabin) shows how the fantasy can become a reality, encouraging readers to dream big as he showcases 24 homes designed for escape and relaxation. Given Mulfinger's profession, it's no surprise that the book focuses on new construction ("a getaway is typically built with discretionary income," Mulfinger writes in the introduction), which might alienate those of more modest means or ambitions. Dramatic architectural details abound as readers tour homes built in secluded coastal, wooded and mountainous areas, from a futuristic metal cliff-top cabin in Nova Scotia to a round adobe house in New Mexico. Mulfinger includes a few smaller, less costly homes—a tiny mountaintop wood cabin, a beach house constructed with cheap barn siding and PVC—but in general, the projects involve major investments. To Mulfinger, whose firm designed four of the houses featured in the book, what matters most in a vacation home is creating a comfortable environment that allows for "the interweaving of indoor and outdoor spaces," and the way these dwellings use their surroundings is inspirational. Tips on adapting to local weather and topography will be of interest to those designing homes in challenging locations; for others, simply ogling the gorgeous photos might provide escapism enough.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Mulfinger, professor of architecture and author of The Cabin (2001), not only has designed homes in nature settings but also has an excellent feel for the tranquility and alternative reality that many people seek in a second home. He takes the reader on a tour of some 24 homes built for relocation and recreation in various idyllic settings: hills and prairies and along coastlines, mountains, and lakes. Readers are likely to find both an ideal setting and a home design or elements that will meet their wants and needs. Nature is incorporated in every design, as are the whims of the owners, as getaway homes are dictated more by desire than by need. The essential elements are a great setting and a great view, with emphasis on comfort and informality. Mulfinger gives practical advice, from placing elements to integrate with the natural environment to reclaiming and modernizing a farmhouse. He includes examples of efficient use of space and floor plans, adaptations to fit budgets, and creating a functional flow. Photographs and text that includes areas for focus allow for a quick read or deeper perusing when time permits dreaming or planning a getaway. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 186 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561585998
• ISBN-13: 978-1561585991
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #588,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars DT, April 24, 2009

By 

D. Thompson "DT" (Bellingham, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Getaway Home: Discovering Your Home Away from Home (Hardcover)

Great book with excellent ideas for a second home. It's a pleasure to just sit down and read it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Ideas and more Ideas!, January 1, 2009

By 

D. - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Getaway Home: Discovering Your Home Away from Home (Hardcover)

Nice book, well written, good photos. Contains great ideas to build/dream on. Would make a great gift too. I have other books by this author and they are all as good or better.

1 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful pictures but damaged, January 9, 2007

By 

E. Wesson (Burlington, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Getaway Home: Discovering Your Home Away from Home (Hardcover)

I bought this for my father for Christmas. The pictures in the book were beautiful and the layouts were a nice added touch. However, the cover of the book was scratched and torn, like it had been mishandled. Unfortunatly, because it took so long to get to me, I didn't have time to send it back and get a new one. The book its self was beautiful however the condition was disapointing and destracted from the beauty of the book.