Early Inspirations--Handmade Houses

Years ago in a galaxy far away...well, really, it was just the 1970s...I bought a  copy of this book and fell in love.  We didn't build our farmhouse, in the 70s, but I definitely was influenced in how I rehabbed and decorated it!  Wonderfully quirky stuff, some soooo '70s and some I'd love right now. Beautiful carving, imaginative solutions, warm wood... Handmade Houses is still available for a reasonable amount (unless you want one of the hardbound "new" ones some optimist has listed for $900+!!)

If you love the idea of creating your own space, you'll love this old-but-still-good book!

Shedworking...

And of course Uncle Wilco's link led me to a new book I'm going to need...I skimmed through the look inside feature and there are a LOT of ideas in here...click on the title for some views!

Garden shed inspirations...

Two of my favorite you-can-do-it inspirations; Lester Walker's Tiny (Tiny) Houses is the oldest. I've owned this top one for 30 years, I think. It was largely what inspired my cabin in the woods...the architect's cabin was just SO right.

Here's how my own version, a bit larger and with more windows--all recycled!--turned out...it's 20 years old, and unfortunately popular with the neighborhood vandals, out in the country.

Sunset's Ideas for Great Backyard Cottages is a much newer inspiration. I found this book at Lowe's a couple of years ago...very nifty, too. You can see both of them in the sidebar at right...