Beach Homes (Best of Fine Homebuilding)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1561586900 ISBN 13: 9781561586905

Publisher: Taunton Press, 2004

Beach houses are the ideal getaway homes, offering the peace and relaxation of living near water, the fun of hanging out on the beach, and the total change of environment from city life. Selected from the pages of "Fine Homebuilding, this book provides inspiration for anyone dreaming of such a home, plus practical guidance for designing and building in this often-challenging environment. Chosen for their variety of styles and settings, these outstanding examples range from Northwest eclectic in Seattle to an elegant houseboat in Rhode Island, from the quintessential California beach house to an oceanfront classic in Nantucket, and from a kick-back Floridian cottage to a charming Canadian retreat. Throughout the book, photographs, floor plans, drawings, and expert building information give a full picture of the possibilities for living at the beach.

About the Author:

All contributing authors are seasoned professionals whose articles have appeared in Fine Homebuilding magazine.

Since 1981 Fine Homebuilding has been providing information and inspiration to everyone who cares about quality home improvement and construction. the magazine is the best source of home improvement information and helps readers build projects better, faster, and more efficiently.

From Publishers Weekly:

Strong winds, salt corrosion, gorgeous views, hurricanes, irregular foundations: there are many special considerations homeowners must keep in mind when constructing houses by the sea. This collection of article reprints from Fine Homebuilding magazine shows how more than a dozen professional architects have overcome these problems to create beautiful seaside homes. Their solutions are as varied as they are ingenious. On Block Island, RI, architect Brian Wilson created a boathouse-cum-cottage modeled on a 19th century Coast Guard station, with a large great room set off the main floor space to take advantage of the surrounding views. In Gloucester, MA, Jeremiah Eck pinned a house’s foundation to a long rocky ledge in order to set the building closer to the water. And in Seattle, WA, Lane Williams renovated a "dark brown and avocado disaster from the 1960s" into an energy-saving home with deep eaves that protect the interior from the area’s drizzly weather. Though this book lacks an overarching chapter that would summarize and explain the architects’ findings, its detailed floor plans, color photographs and clear, concise prose make it a good choice for anyone thinking of making a home along the shore.
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