Coastal Retreats: The Pacific Northwest and the Architecture of Adventure

Paul (Cottages by the Sea) here turns her enthusiasm to vacation architecture of the Pacific Northwest. She's unsparing in her portrayal of the region, praising its""ragged mountains, hot desert updrafts, spires of volcanic rock dating back seventeen million years, seventy-miles-per-hour winds, misty beaches, painted cliffs, shaded forests."" The retreats of this land aren't for wimps craving balmy, bucolic days, she says: here, nature needs to be reckoned with. The houses Paul features invite an exploration of the relationship between inside and outside, between human and environment. From a three-story glass beach house in the Oregon coastal community of Neskowin to a cabin nestled into the landscape of north central Washington, Paul opens up a world of retreat possibilities that defines homes""designed for ritual."" Her simple but engaging descriptions grab readers by the hand, taking them inside the architecturally brilliant structures of glass, wood and stone; dozens of crisp pictures showcase expansive exteriors and intimate interiors. For the shelter-magazine crowd, Paul's book will serve as both a resource and a visually impressive journey inside nature-inspired cabins, cottages, studios and lodges. Color photographs throughout