Little Retreats [Hardcover]

Jane Tidbury (Author), Peter Aprahamian (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 12, 2001

A magically photographed collection of cottages, rustic cabins, tree houses, and huts by the sea, with advice and ideas for decorating a small space of your own.

Is there anyone who doesn't dream of having a cozy getaway spot within earshot of the surf, high on a hill, deep in the woods, nestled in a suburban garden, or even up a tree? In Little Retreats, Jane Tilbury invites us into a variety of havens that are just big enough to offer a soothing retreat from the weekday world.

Little Retreats takes us on a magical tour of 100 wonderful architectural idylls in the United States and Europe, showing both interiors and exteriors. It is filled with tips on maximizing a small space, while also making it comfortable and inviting. For example, even in the most primitive cabin, the addition of sumptuous fabrics or delicate embroidery can create a welcoming space.

As more people invest in second dwellings and country retreats, they need practical ideas for decorating. Little Retreats offers ideas for creating a second home that is both cozy and calming. In the tradition of The Not So Big House and Chris Madden's Getaways, Little Retreats lets us visit an imaginative group of hideaways that are within the reach of every dreamer.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

A magically photographed collection of cottages, rustic cabins, tree houses, and huts by the sea, with advice and ideas for decorating a small space of your own.

Is there anyone who doesn't dream of having a cozy getaway spot within earshot of the surf, high on a hill, deep in the woods, nestled in a suburban garden, or even up a tree? In Little Retreats, Jane Tilbury invites us into a variety of havens that are just big enough to offer a soothing retreat from the weekday world.

Little Retreats takes us on a magical tour of 100 wonderful architectural idylls in the United States and Europe, showing both interiors and exteriors. It is filled with tips on maximizing a small space, while also making it comfortable and inviting. For example, even in the most primitive cabin, the addition of sumptuous fabrics or delicate embroidery can create a welcoming space.

As more people invest in second dwellings and country retreats, they need practical ideas for decorating. Little Retreats offers ideas for creating a second home that is both cozy and calming. In the tradition of The Not So Big House and Chris Madden's Getaways, Little Retreats lets us visit an imaginative group of hideaways that are within the reach of every dreamer.

About the Author

Jane Tidbury is a freelance writer and stylist contributing to a wide range of interiors magazines, including House & Garden and Country Homes & Interiors. She is the author of Zen Style.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 Amer ed edition (June 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609609025
• ISBN-13: 978-0609609026
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,542,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lovely book..., July 12, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Little Retreats (Hardcover)

Lovely book, wonderful photos of creative little retreats. Lovley word descriptions, too. But it was not what I was hoping for. Few interior shots that show how the spaces actually work. No floorplans, no useful information on how to plan or design a little retreat of your own. Lovely book though.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No Middle Ground, December 28, 2001

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Retreats (Hardcover)

The Retreats are mostly exceedingly expensive or wildly funky (it takes a special person to really enjoy a sojourn in a teepee). The photography is beautiful, which is a saving grace for the book.

Perhaps this reader is overly attuned to comfort, but I was dismayed at all the circular stairways, ladders, and challenging skywalks to enter or navigate these homes-away-from homes. Some were set in such boggy, swampy areas, all I could think of were mosquitoes and other unpleasant insects. If readers are expecting examples in the United States, they will be disappointed; most of the retreats were set in the British Isles.

The book illustrates a variety of settings: seaside, desert, mountains, lake and forest as advertised. "Little Retreats" is fun to read, but I would not recommend it as a practical guide.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for what it is, December 14, 2001

By 

"lolalu" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Retreats (Hardcover)

"Little Retreats" covers what it sets out to do. It's not a house plan or how-to book---and it doesn't claim to be. It succeeds in the task the author set for it, with pictures of charming, whimsical, personal homes. Places are quaint without lapsing over into funky and the text is concise. Looking through it is like a tiny vacation as one imagines having a private space of one's own as a refuge.

I rated it at four stars instead of five because while I like it, I'm not passionately in love with it or transformed by it. (The recently released "Storybook Style" raises the bar for perfection in a home & garden book, in my opinion.) It's an enjoyable book and I'm glad to have it in my collection.