Simplicity, comfort, and intimacy define the cottage—and they are the hottest ideas in domestic design today, as seen in a host of new books and magazines celebrating the not-so-big house. The personal, easy-living style of the cottage has formed a compelling counter-trend to the overblown, oversize McMansions of the 1990s. Today, quality of place is more important than quantity of space, and no home style demonstrates that value more appealingly than the cottage.

Presenting charming retreats perched on rocky coasts, hidden in leafy woods, and nestled on rolling farmland, The Cottage Book explores the roots of this iconic and beloved style. Century-old examples of simple, beautiful getaways from Maine to California—along with delightful variations on the theme—are captured in richly detailed, atmospheric photographs.

In this gorgeous paean to the cottage tradition—now available in paperback—artist, designer, and cottage expert Carol Bass showcases a group of classic early cottages (all still in happy and active use), leads us through a collection of updated and new cottages, and delineates those stylistic elements that define cottage life. Primary residence or weekend haven, The Cottage Book inspires an irresistible fantasy of a home of our own.

Carol Bass is an artist, sculptor, writer, and furniture and textile designer who is the co-founder of Maine Cottage Furniture, an award-winning company that manufactures cottage-inspired furnishings. Bass lives in her own cottage in Yarmouth, Maine.

Dennis Welsh is a photographer based in Maine who specializes in lifestyle photography. His work has been published in national magazines, advertisements, and catalogs.