The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes

I thought this book was beautiful, and really gave me some good ideas to think about when designing my home. I like the great variation of projects that it shows. I was getting a little worried that all straw bale houses looked the same. I was very interested to see that a home can be retrofitted with strawbales, and also that a person can make their own paint. Those are some good ideas. It is not, however, a book that will teach you every step of the building process.

If you want to convert your friends to strawbale... if you are sick of the Three Little Pigs comments... get this book. I did and one of my friends stole it so now I've had to buy it again - that's how good it is! Nearly everyone I show this book to is entranced by one or more of the houses... and many people love LOTS of the buildings. I love this book. It's portable, which is an asset, but mainly it's inspiring... thanks Athena!

To be frank, the chance that I'll actually build and live in a straw-bale house is very slim. For those of us who like to look -- and figure we can pick up a few enviro-friendly ideas along the way -- this is the perfect book on straw-bale. The color photos are very high quality, detailed, and appealing. "Recipes" for green-friendly plaster and paint are a fun feature. And practical information about straw-bale is useful as I consider "Well maybe one day ... ?"

I have been very interested in building a straw bale house for a few years now, but the thing I've lamented most was the lack of pictures! There are pictures out there that show exteriors, walls in the process of being built, and small individual wall shots, but I wanted to see larger "whole room" pictures. I wanted to see the different types of interiors that could be accomplished - I'm not a very rustic person, so could a straw bale house be made to look a little more refined than than in most of the pictures I'd seen? The answer is YES! The gorgeous pictures in this small (but wonderful) book show many different design possibilities, ranging from bale walls simply (but minimally) plastered, to bale walls barely looking like they are made of straw at all. If you're interested in the theory of building a super-insulated strawbale house, but have some questions about how it will *look* when you're done, you MUST buy this book. Most (if not all) of your questions will be answered.

The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes is an extremely beautiful, well-written, and informative book. I was so drawn in by the book that I read it in one sitting. I'm eagerly awaiting a chance to reread it and share it with friends. The photographs are elegant and awe inspiring. If you've been thinking about building a straw bale home, this book is a great place to look for creative design ideas. The Steens have also provide valuable information on earthen plasters, wall finishes, moisture, and ways to retrofit a home with straw bales in this delightful gem of a book.