Cottages on the Coast: Fair Harbors and Secret Shores

by Linda Leigh Paul

Buy new: $39.95 $21.93 Buy used: $20.17

Editorial Reviews

With her successful books Cottages by the Sea and Coastal Retreats, Linda Leigh Paul has beautifully captured the dream home in an ideal setting. Now she broadens her scope by visiting the most picturesque and private seaside cottages on all three coasts of the United States, from the cliffs of Big Sur to the dunes of Nantucket to Florida's sandy beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. The most charming cottages in the country are here, including a 1924 stone cottage in Carmel, a weathered clapboard cottage on the Isle of Hope, Georgia, and Tennessee Williams's Key West cottage.

Seaside cottages are intrepid structures. They hold onto the earth as a brace against heavy seas, furious flood tides, and stormforce winds. The names themselves conjure departures and returns, danger and escape: Destruction Island, Peril Strait, and Wrath Cape describe one arc of shoreline. Another coastline offers Fair Harbor, Port Protection, and Safety Harbor. Still another speaks of lost encounters: Dogs Keys Pass, Tortugas Harbor, and Alligator Reef. But the interiors of these cottages evoke only warmth and beauty, providing comfort for those eternally drawn to the sea. Many display artifacts of life on the water: nautical objects and treasures found on the beach, as well as journals, letters, postcards, and books that reflect the long, rich history of seaside living.

Customer Reviews

peaceful relaxing, 2006-05-17
by Kristen A (NY)

I love to read and I love houses on the water. When I need to relax I grab this book. It has also given me some ideas to use in my own home to give it that cottage look. Very inspirational and easy to read.

Great detail source, 2006-03-10
by Bob P. Francisco (Atlanta, GA United States)

Great source of architectural interior details and inspiration for small residential structures.

Sea Spray and Salt-Crust, 2004-07-20

When I picked up this book I was surprised to find it so filled with a wonderful variety of cottages. Cottages on the Coast is a small and wonderful glimpse of styles around the coasts of the United States. A small "photo album" near the beginning shows early pictures of some of the cottages that are featured later and as those same cottages appear today. A great selection of cottage styles, representing different regions of the country, are fascinating with their accompanying stories. This is a book I will go back to over and over again, to look up something I remember, to find something new and to just plop down with it in my lap for pure beach imaginings. I love this book!

Lusting for a Summer Cottage? Pick This Book., 2004-07-14
by Manon Kavesky (Chicago, IL)

Wherever they are located, seaside dwellings share several common traits. These hearty homes are crafted from tried and true materials that age gracefully in the sea air and reflect local building traditions and styles. They balance the storms of winter with the peaceful days of summer and maximize beautiful views whatever the season.

Cottages on the Coast presents an extensive variety of homes from sea to shining sea. Linda Leigh Paul selected more than 25 examples from Bainbridge Island, to Big Sur, from the Florida Keys, to Tybee Island, and north to Maine. You will be captivated by hundreds of beautiful photographs of vernacular exteriors and very personal interiors.

Cottages on the Coast stands out because the interiors and exteriors exude a lot of personality, and they seem authentic and attainable. New England is well represented with houses in Maine, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. The tranquil cover image, Treasure Cottage on Key West is truly a cottage at a mere 500 square feet. Treasure Cottage is filled with the owners carefully arranged antique collection, which does not clutter the small space but gives the home so much personality. Other examples, a modernist cottage designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright pupil in Carmel, complete with loads of natural light, and built-in furnishings. Or a cottage recently built on a private island in the Puget Sound, built on a solid rock foundation, with enormous interior beams to withstand the fiercest storms, decorated in a simple manner re-using found materials such as driftwood for a mantel and stair case railing.

Cottages on the Coast will be a source of inspiration for readers who are considering rehabbing, designing, or decorating a seaside dwelling. Or if you are an avid armchair traveler Cottages on the Coast will fill you with travel ideas for your next coastal break.