My Favorite Books: Cottages by Brian Coleman and Douglas Keister

I want to share another of my favorite home design books. Cottages by Brian Coleman with photos by Douglas Keister is filled with inspiration. If small houses make you happy, I’m sure you will love this book, too.

Cottages by Brian Coleman (Author), Douglas Keister (Photographer)

Cottages – small, romantic dwellings – are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason. A smaller house, something with less upkeep and expense but still with plenty of charm, fits the bill for many of today’s homeowners. People are rediscovering the joys of cottage living, whether through details such as a built-in window seat, a swing on the front porch or a bathroom fitted with an outdoor shower for washing sandy feet after a stroll on the beach. A cottage need not be grand; as long as it’s homey and welcoming, it can still be a wonderful place to call home.

From the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York to Tybee Island off the coast of southern Georgia, Cottages reveals some of the most appealing examples around. A rustic mountain retreat, a sunny southern California casita, and a seaside fishing shack are just some of the classy cottages portrayed here. This book celebrates the joy of having a cottage of our own for kicking off our shoes and taking time to enjoy life.

Cottages by Brian Coleman (Author), Douglas Keister (Photographer) on Amazon

Cottages has 160 pages of photos of cabins and cottages, from really small beach houses and log cabins to larger cottage style homes in the Catskills. Styles range from a small modern home in Canada to sundrenched colorful Southwestern style. Some are dark and cozy, some are filled with unusual objects, but my favorites are the open beach cottages.

Tybee Island Cottages

This post is mostly about charming little beach cottages on Tybee Island that were brought back to life by Jane Coslick.

Tybee Island is off the coast of Georgia. It’s just south of Hilton Head Island.

Time Out on Tybee Island

In 1993, Jane Coslick bought a little 625 square foot cottage on Tybee Island. She saw potential through the black mold and layers of brown paint. She tore off the 7-foot high plywood ceiling and exposed the rafters, stripped the paint off the  original heart pine floors and scoured salvage yards for vintage building supplies and hardware. Vintage french doors, exposed wood and white paint with accents in shades of blue turn this old temporary Army Corps of Engineers cabin into an inviting beach cottage.

I love the white paint and wood floor. I love the wood walls and ceiling. There are more photos in the book with the open ceiling.

I love the blue and white striped slipcovers that tie together the furniture. I love the white painted folding porch tables tucked into the tiny living room. I love the white curtains set just over the windows.

Luscious Little Cottage

Luscious Little Cottage was a “derelict, one-room shack” about to be torn down. Jane Coslick bought it for $1 and moved it to a vacant lot near Time Out Tybee Island Cottage.

Luscious Little Cottage is 300 square feet. She shoe-horned in a bathroom by having an outdoor shower.

There are more photos in the book. Years before the Small House Movement, this little cottage demonstrates how comfortable very small space can be.

Palm Cottage

Jane Coslick saved Palm Cottage, too. She got it for $1, moved it off the land where it was about to be demolished.

The cottage was 600-sqaure feet, built in the ’20s. She turned the porch into another bedroom and tucked in a second bathroom with a 12-inch corner sink and an outside shower.

I love the slipcovers on the bar stools. I love the nautical pendants over the bar. I love the small flush mounted fan with a school house light on the white painted wood ceiling. I love all of the windows.

I’m less in love with open shelving, but this doesn’t look cluttered like I’m sure mine would be.

The heart pine floors were repaired and restored. The walls were rebuilt using salvaged woodwork from a local apartment building being torn down.

I love the white painted wood everywhere. I love the windows. I really love the trim.

Amazing Grace

Two-story Amazing Grace is larger, much larger. But it has all of the elements that make me love the little Tybee Island Beach Cottages. And there is a reason why. The owners had the home restored by Jane Coslick.

By this time Jane Coslick had “rescued more than a dozen cottages scattered around the island.” She and her team removed fake wood and acoustic tile ceilings and restored, repaired and replaced the original wood. Using traditional low country materials and methods, they restored this 2-story 1904 home with wraparound porches, “while also making it livable and bringing it into the twenty-first century.”

There is a lot to absorb in this beautiful book. It is still available in print or you can download a digital version. There is a sample to read on Amazon.

Cottages by Brian Coleman (Author), Douglas Keister (Photographer) on Amazon

Brian Coleman and Douglas Keister have another books about cottages.

Classic Cottages: Simple, Romantic Homes by Brian Coleman (Author), Douglas Keister (Photographer) on Amazon