Classic Cottages: Simple, Romantic Homes

This is a lovely book offering beautiful photographs of various types of cottages that can be found throughout the country. The author organizes the selections into several different types of cottages (see an earlier review for a great break down of the categories)and offers some history on each. Perfect for getting comfy in your favorite chair and passing a pleasant hour or two!

My favorite part of the book were the pictures. Nice selection of both the interior and exterior elements of a wide range of cottages. Not an idea book, but an inspiring and relaxing read.

If you love driving or walking through towns with charming cottages, then you'll probably love this book. However, I was disappointed that the book is 90-percent exteriors and very, very few interior photographs. This is NOT a book on how to decorate in the "cottage style" but rather how to identify and possibly re-create the cottage look in the shape, form and garden of the house. Many of the homes featured are more unusual examples, such as the storybook or "gnome" style houses.

Simple picturesque bungalows, quaint thatched stone and stucco huts, or elaborate marble and plaster palaces - all types of homes have been called a cottage. ~pg. 8 Dreaming about a hideaway bungalow or Victorian mansion seems equally appealing. In "Classic Cottages" an entire world of intricately decorated homes await. The interiors are fascinating on their own and could give you many ideas for decorating. The room from a Seattle, WA home is stunning and the remodeled Victorian home has creative gardening ideas. The houses are divided into specific categories: Gingerbread Gems Bungalettes Gnome Sweet Home Rolling Bungalows Enclaves Contemporary Cottages If you are dreaming of an escape to simpler times or have been dreaming of a rose-covered romantic bungalow, this might be the book for you. I loved the historical information and the following pictures: Anne Hathaway's Cottage Gothic Rose-covered cottage 1883 Cape May Homes from New Jersey The Lyford House, Tiburon, CA Queen Anne jewels with gingerbread ornamentation and stained glass Mediterranean-style brick bungalows Covered Wagons Fairy Tale Cottages While looking through this book my heart just felt like it was melting. These houses are adorable and it is like a fantasy book of dream houses for the true romantic. I want a castle, but maybe I'd settle for a cottage like the one in Spokane Washington with ivy growing all over the walls. ~The Rebecca Review