Book Review: Shed Chic and Weekend Retreats

The nice folks at Rizzoli (thanks Jessica!) are kind enough to send me copies of their gorgeous shelter books. Nice "perk" of blogging!

I've been reading two of their recent releases "Shed Chic" by Sally Coulthard and "Weekend Retreats" by Susannah Salk. Both books showcase "second" properties and, of course, both showcase a wide range of design styles and have beautiful photography. However, where "Shed Chic" is all about making a retreat out of the modest backyard shed, "Weekend Retreats" showcases a more high end property - the true second home for weekend getaways. Well, timing is everything. As the mortgage gets harder to pay and the news is filled with foreclosure stories, "Shed Chic" just feels more accessible. Shelter magazines and coffee table books have always had an aspirational quality to them - we read them and dream of the life we want to have. But these days, perhaps we're learning to be happier with the life we have, to find satisfaction in the natural beauty around us, and, as Dorothy Gale said, "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!"

Shed Chic: Outdoor Buildings for Work, Rest, and Play. Written by Sally Coulthard

© Shed Chic by Sally Coulthard, Universe Publishing, 2009

Weekend Retreats. Written by Susanna Salk

©Weekend Retreats by Susannah Salk, Rizzoli New York, 2009

Susannah Salk is a regular on the Today Show and will be appearing this Friday, May 15th, during the 9:00 am hour.

I wonder if my condo association would let me put up a wee little shed in the back yard...?