Cabins: A Guide to Building Your Own Nature Retreat (Paperback)

by David Stiles (Author), Jeanie Stiles (Author) "To make your dream a reality, the first thing to determine is how far you are willing to drive before arriving at the cabin..." (more)
Key Phrases: snowshoe furniture, corner beams, cabin furniture, Cabin Construction, East Hampton, Long Island (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Cabins have come a long way from the 19th-century rustic structures familiar to all school children. The Stileses, a husband-and-wife team who have collaborated on a number of woodworking titles, show how to build a cabin that reflects the builder's lifestyle; some are simple, while others contain multiple rooms and utilities. Although the authors make it look easy, the amount of work that goes into a log cabin is staggering (even small cabins require 60 or more logs that each take five to seven hours to hew by hand). Other designs include a Japanese moon-gazing cabin, a pyramid-shaped cabin, and an A-frame cabin. A section on cabin accessories (including brief construction hints for rustic wood furniture) and a list of sources (including web addresses) completes this title. It should be part of in-depth public library collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
An invaluable resource ... step-by-step instructions starting with basic planning. -- Stacie Gentile, Calgary Sun, June 16, 2001

Clear, practical book ... full-color photos help do-it-yourselfers realize their dreams. -- Log Homes Illustrated, November 2001

If you've ever thought of building a little retreat somewhere ... you will probably enjoy this book. -- New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, May 26, 2001

The Stiles ... show how to build a cabin that reflects the builder's lifestyle. -- Library Journal, September 1, 2001

The kind of book that stirs the imagination. -- Lexington Herald-Leader, June 3, 2001

You'll find not only the practical issues ... but also the inspiration to help select the cabin that is perfect. -- Spokane Spokesman-Review, May 25, 2001

[The book will] lead the clumsiest carpenter through the necessary steps to build a cozy getaway. -- Annie Stoltie, Adirondack Life 10/15/2002

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (March 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552093735
• ISBN-13: 978-1552093733
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34,795 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #10 in	Books > Home & Garden > Small Homes & Cottages
  #48 in	Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Buildings & Construction
  #71 in	Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Design & Construction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just great!, October 19, 2001

By	Donald J. Berg (Rockville Centre, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This book is an absolutely essential guide for anyone planning to build a getaway home. It takes you, step-by-step, through the process of choosing your site, planning and designing your cabin and then building it. It includes plans, details and do-it-yourself hints on building all types of cabins: pole-frame, A-frame, timber-frame, log, stick and stone. Designs included range from Thoreau's 10'x15' cabin on Walden Pond to a big, comfortable lakeside cabin with all the extras. If you're dreaming of a little place in the country, get this book.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even Better Than Stiles' Usual Excellent Work, August 6, 2001

By	Jonathan Pote (Mississippi State, MS United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have always enjoyed books by Stiles and her group of architects. I built a tree house from one and a play structure from another. This is the most thourough book I have seen by her. Lots of good tips, superb drawings, construction details, etc. This is not just a pretty picture book (although there are some of those, too. This is a book for the real do-it-yourselfer.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has Everything You Need, March 29, 2003

By	Eliza (Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews

This book is wonderful. It contians all the information you could possibly need for building a cabin, whether you want a one room hut with no amenities, a two-betroom beach house with running water, electricity, and a bathroom or something in between. It covers everything I can think of and gives clear instructions for projects.
This book lives up to its title: it really is for someone who is serious about building, with more diagrams than "arty" pictures of the wilderness. However, there is a nice section of color pictures in the middle of the book to give a taste of what sort of results you can expect from your efforts.