House & Garden Book of Vacation Homes and Hideaways

9780865652194

0865652198

Most of us have at some point built and furnished the house of our dreams -- at least in our minds. This truly seductive book features the homes of those who have realized those dreams and created very special hideaways and retreats in some of the most beautiful parts of the world. Some of the places featured are vacation homes; some have become the permanent base for families seduced by the beauty of their architecture or location; all are truly special places that inspire the senses and refresh the spirit.Structured around chapters that range from Houses by the Sea and Mountain Retreats to Country Cottages and Exotic Island paradises, the homes featured take the reader from a charming white clapboard house in Nantucket and a winter chalet in Verbier to a sumptuous Tuscan villa and a flamboyant retreat on Mustique. Vacation homes are often relaxed in their decoration -- there is less need to cater to workaday activities and formal occasions, more emphasis on uncluttered spaces where enjoymentand family,life reign. Informative text describes the key elements of the design and decoration, and there are many ideas that can be translated into any home, whatever the location; yet there is also plenty of opportunity simply to indulge and enjoy the unique atmosphere of these very special houses. With superb pictures by some of the world's leading photographers, The House & Garden Book of Vacation Homes and Hideaways offers escape and inspiration to all who open its pages.