Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways: Big Ideas for Small Backyard Destinations (Hardcover)

by Debra Prinzing (Author), William Wright (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Virginia Woolf was right. Women–and men, it turns out–yearn for a room of their own.

But instead of a little nook beneath the eaves, that room is now a shed. Today’s sheds, however, are not dusty shelters for plants and tools. Lace curtains have replaced cobwebs, charming antiques stand where shovels and rakes once rusted, and instead of corrugated walls, you will find cedar shingles and window boxes. Sheds are stylish and elegant and offer a hassle-free and affordable way to create more space without undergoing a major renovation. They function as artists’ studios, writers’ retreats, yoga dens, entertaining pavilions, children’s playhouses, garden rooms, or serene hideaways for any personal pursuit.

In Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, Debra Prinzing and William Wright showcase twenty-eight innovative and beautifully imagined spaces from New York City to East Hampton, from Seattle to San Diego, and from Atlanta to Austin to Santa Cruz. Some are elaborate and luxurious; others are delightfully modest. They are built in urban gardens and suburban backyards and tucked away on rural properties.

Stunning, lush color photography graces Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, bringing the reader into each space and face-to-face with all its nooks, crannies, and details; the text describes how the owners’ needs and interests inspired the shed practically and aesthetically. With sample plans for building a shed, advice on the practicalities of designing and decorating it, and thoughts from backyard philosophers who celebrate the appeal and possibilities of simple structures, Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways is both an inspiration for creating your own backyard destination and an armchair journey to some of the country’s most private and serene places.

About the Author
DEBRA PRINZING is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times, Cottage Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Fine Gardening, Sunset, and other magazines. She lectures frequently on garden and design topics. She lives in Los Angeles.

WILLIAM WRIGHT is an architectural and interior design photographer and a regular contributor to many shelter magazines, including Old House Interiors, Romantic Homes, and Sunset. He lives in Seattle.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307352919
• ISBN-13: 978-0307352910
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,363 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stylish Sheds Indeed!, May 12, 2008

By	IdahoGardener "IdahoGardener" (Boise, ID) - See all my reviews

For anyone who wants to build or create a cool garden shed, art studio, playhouse, writer's retreat, greenhouse dining room.........this is THE book for them! If your style is cozy, crafty, rustic, or contemporary, there is a shed or hideaway, in this book, which will inspire you to start building. I have been saving old windows for years, and now I have the impetus to start to create my own special space using a combination of elements from several of the buildings featured in this book. The photos are wonderful. The writing is approachable and totally inspiring.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreamy Sheds Drawn One In, June 29, 2008

By	Dee Nash "bluerose0907" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Debra Prinzing's newest book is a wonderful collaboration with William Wright, as photographer. Together, they documented fantastic outbuildings across the United States. These artist's retreats, decorator paradises, and architectural jewelry for the main house can sometimes scarcely be called sheds, but Ms. Prinzing makes all of us feel like friends who have dropped over for a glass of iced tea on a sunny afternoon.

I knew I was in for quality enjoyment when I opened the book, and the first line paraphrased Virginia Woolf's "room of one's own." Hasn't every writer or artist longed for such a place? I know I have, and now I have several templates from which to choose.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Garden Inspiration, May 20, 2008

By	L. Fischer (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm one of the lucky shed owners in this book Stylish Sheds and
Elegant Hideaways. And I'm a lover of modern design. When looking through books and magazines I'm always flipping quickly trying to find the "good stuff". Debra Prinzing found the good stuff for her latest book.

This book has several contemporary designs, but I found the other sheds just as beautiful and interesting. I guess that's the style and elegance. Perfect title for the book.

William Wright's photos are gorgeous. He captures the sheds in their surroundings which makes this book a good tool for designing your own backyard oasis.

I want to use many of the great ideas I got from this book. In the chapter Poetic License the Italian tile is installed upside down and the Nordic pavilion in San Francisco has a grass roof. The glass block ceiling in the Manhattan shed makes a great sky light.
Plenty of planting arrangement ideas in every chapter. I go on garden tours to get ideas. With this book I can visit 28 gardens and their sheds from my easy chair.

I don't think I'm biased because I'm in this book. Just Lucky.