Customer Reviews

New Cottage Home

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Browsing through a big name book store one day, I happened upon "The New Cottage Home". I'm not sure why I picked it up because having a home of our own is so far into the future for my husband and I, that I try not to tease myself and in turn not think about it. But I flipped through the book anyway and fell in love with it almost immediatly! We rushed home knowing that Amazon would be cheaper and ordered it that same day. I was amazed at all the tricky, unique architecture ideas and styles. It is filled with easy-to-understand language and descriptions. I also found it refreshing that Mr. Tolpin wrote like he was speaking to you as if in conversation and not at a college lecture. He covers many different home styles and addresses the importance of the use of indiginous materials to tie the look of your home to your surroundings. I like how he stresses trying to make your home look as if it "grew" where you built it and has been there forever. Along with little pieces of history used as teaching tools he also describes many of the homes attributes from an artistic point-of-view(ie. the use of vertical windows ties in with the tall pines surrounding the home, hiding the garage from frontal view of the home and focusing on the "human sized entry way" makes a person feel welcome and curious to step into the cozyness of your home etc...). I like how he included tight- budget homes reliant on alternative sources of energy all the way to the retiring couple who needed less space but were financially ready to spend half a billion but knew they didn't need or have to. In conclusion, I would recommend this book for anyone interested in building, dreaming(!) or looking for decorating ideas that really work. A definate must-have!

New Cottage Home took me to some of the homes I knew I was always meant to live in. There's a wonderful section of the history of the cottage style, and what design details create that warm feeling when we see such a home. Modern cottages are meant to retain the structural and detail essentials of the older cottages but to allow more interior open space due to modern materials and construction methods. Most of the book is given over to examples, with the architects names and addresses listed (very useful!). Some of the examples did not stick to the "cottage essentials" in my mind, but the rest were so charming it made up for it. I hope more architects see this book and take up the challenge of designing the small, detail-oriented home that singles and empty nesters would be proud to live in. I'm already imagining my cottage garden.

This outstanding book offers a bounty of gorgeous four-color photos and descriptive "plank and nail" text explaining the design and construction of each cottage. I've referred to this book countless times while brainstorming my own cottage design. Each time I open the book, I find another detail that I hadn't seen previously. The New Cottage Home offers an elequent objection to the bland, overbuilt, pretentious developer homes that increasingly blight America's landscape.

As an avid cottage fan, and living in one while designing a new one to build for myself which is even more zen and simple, I found this book to be one of the best books on cottages around. Although I also admit what was considered a cottage when my place was built someone hundred years ago and what is considered a cottage in 2006 is around five square feet more in size.

Of course I am a purest and go by what my dictionary says a cottage is which is 1 : the dwelling of a farm laborer or small farmer 2 : a usually small frame one-family house. Small being reduced in size. So I was surprised that on page 112 they show a French Hunting Lodge from the Pacific Northwest. Not a cottage at all.

What does make this good sized book useful for anyone looking for ideas on cottage styles is the vast array of examples given. From the coastline of Maine to the San Juan Island of Washington State, to rural Kansas to Massachusetts to favorite areas here in California.

And wonderful examples of simple to elaborate. One of my favorites because of its really simple zen style is the Pumphouse on pages 52-59 on San Juan Island in Washington State that was made into a smooth lined, all in one cottage which I and other minimalists would love to own. Or the wonderful Salvage Yard cottage in Franklin County, Kansas on page 156-161 that would fit in just about anywhere where clean lines and environmental desires are important.

There is even an off the grid cottage and some communities of nothing but cottages like those on Lopez Island in Washington State beginning on page 196, where the cottages are part of a land trust that was set up to allow people on moderate incomes to build small abodes with common greenbelt areas in and area where expensive homes were/are the norm. Heck, this made the book worth the price in itself.

Each cottage is shown inside and out complete with basic blueprints of each cottage so one can see how the space sits and works. The photography and text meld well and makes this a book that is hard to put down.

I absolutely love this book. Beautiful photographs of exteriors and interiors and the "rough sketched" floor plans are quite helpful. Also informs you of the locations of the actual cottages pictured and how you can contact the architect. I've finally decided on my dream home and purchased my new home plans because of this book. Can't wait to start building my "Three Gable Cottage"!

Getting away has taken on a certain urgency in the past week. The second home we've been wanting now seems like a good idea for our primary residence, instead. Getting our family of the metro area is something we are seriously considering. This book is gorgeous. It looks like most of the homes are architect designed, so the architect's fees might eat you alive if you decided to go this route. Still, though, the houses are reasonably sized and include lots of charming details. I also recommend:
SECOND HOME (shows great houses around the country but also includes real estate shopping information, tips on evaluating a region or a small town, and so forth. inspiring and helpful too. houses includes new homes as well as refurbished older ones. A handsome but realistic book.)
CABIN FEVER (a style book that does show how delightful a small cabin can be)
SMALL HOUSE BIG STYLE (a very helpful book that also shows how to live in smaller spaces)

My husband and I will someday get out of the "rent-race", and I'm always on the lookout for inspiration for our future home. The second I spotted "New Cottage Home" on the store shelf, I realized the dwellings featured in the book are exactly the kind I have been attracted to all my life. I have always loved not very large, but quirky and simply stylish cottages. Having lived in England and Europe for a few years gave me an appreciation for these little jewels. Although most of the homes featured are modern, they still evoke a sense of comfort and uniqueness that truly charms the soul. Someday, when my husband and I are able to buy or build our own home, I will rely on the inspiration given to me by "New Cottage Home".

My husband and I (against the advisement of our families) are planning to build a very small home to start out and this book has helped us figure out some of the best ways to use our space. My Mom owns this book and she has a hard time letting it out of her sight so I have now ordered it for my own library. Love it, Love it, LOVE it!

Beautiful pictures with a ton of ideas. Shows how you can still have a lovely home with little space.

I'm so inspired by this beautiful book, which makes a nice companion to the Cottage Style decorating book that I got from amazon last year. I'm marking pages of ideas to use when we have our own cottage built, but in the meantime, I'm picking up ideas I can use now to cozy up our present home. The first thing on the list is an upholstered window seat to go under our bank of living room windows. A beautiful book.