Books by Jim Tolpin

The New Cottage Home

This best selling book (more than 150,00 copies) takes you

on a tour of some of America's most intriquing and beautiful cottages

and explores the reasons why we have--and always will have--

such a love affair with them.

Take a look at the Table of Contents and Introduction

to get an idea of what the book includes

I went to some of the best residential architects around the country to find out what was new in the cusp-of-the-21st century American family home. What I found were beautiful, well crafted homes that worked hard for every member of the family.

One of the best ways to make the most of a small living space is to employ built-ins for much of the furnishings--from under-stair storage units to window seats to bedsteads. This strategy leaves room for, and helps showcase, your finer pieces of free-standing furniture. This book is filled with artful, unique and innovative built-in solutions from woodworkers and designers around the country.

This book details my system of designing and building traditional-style cabinets that do not sacrifice efficient storage space or smooth running, durable drawer and door hardware. The secret is in melding the appealing look of American cabinetwork with high-tech european design and hardware systems. It won the Stanley Award for best how-to book in 1995.

If you love tools, you probably also love tool boxes. In this near coffee-table book, I show you the gamut--from what may have been the first tool box set ashore at Jamestown, Virginia in the early 1600's to the tool box taken into space to fix the Hubble Space Telescope at the cusp of the 21st century. From each, you'll glean scores of ideas and inspirations to build your own. A Stanley Award first place winner for 1996.

Cottage Home BooksI

I read these books during the course of researching and writing

The New Cottage Home. Each contributed much to my understanding

of the cottage-style house.

This book takes a close look at the cottages of Carmel, CA-- one of this country's motherlodes of over-the-top cute, cottage-style homes. The author includes some in-depth profiles of several of the cottages that also appeared in my book, The New Cottage Home. Good photographs and interesting text make this book a very worthwhile addition to your book collection.

Idea books for cottages and cottage detailing don't get much better than this. This book tells the story of the emergence of the Storybook style in the early part of the 20th century-- a style that came right out of the fantasy world of Hollywood. In fact, many of the homes featured in this book were commissioned by the movie folk of this era. This is a larger format book-- and you'll be glad it is when you see the pictures!

This book, like The New Cottage Home, takes you on a tour of homes that reflect a particular lifestyle as much--if not more--than a particular home style. In the small homes featured here, that lifestyle is one of rustic retreat and recreation. For us cottage-folk, these little houses may be a bit coarse, but they are filled with great ideas for living simply and efficiently in a small and delightful space. The book lives up to Taunton's reputation for superb photography and extensive explanatory text.

Molly English, in company with photographer Linda Svendsen, takes you inside a potpourri of camp-style cottage homes. The extraordinarily rich and well composed photographs give you a really good feeling for the decor of this style home. Spend some time between the covers of this book and you'll feel like you've been there. You will no doubt come away with some great ideas for decorating your own little camp cottage.

Though Lundie is not well known outside of Minnesota, his homes of the early part of this century are rich in traditional craftsmanship and design. (Book available from MN Historical Society Press.)

This book is by the grandaddy of American cottage-style home designer's: Andrew Jackson Downing (1815-1852). He wanted all of us to enjoy the simple, but rich, life of the cottage. You won't understand the roots of the American cottage unless you know about the life and work of Andrew Downing. As a footnote: He died young trying to save other's aboard Robert Fulton's steamship after a boiler fire. Someone should make a movie about this guy.

Maybeck designed and built a number of truly wonderful homes in the San Fransico bay area. Strongly influenced by the magnificence of the gothic era, his homes embody honesty of design and fine craftsmanship. But don't just take my word for it, read this book!

In the last century, New Jersey was a hot-bed of pattern-book house building. Lucky for us, this book takes us on an extensive tour of these highly picturesque homes as it explains their roots in America's romantic period of the early 19th century.

Richly illustrated and entertaining exploration of the American Arts and Crafts-era home.

One of my favorite books, perhaps the inspiration for my own. You can't find much cuter cottages than those built since the turn of the 20th century around the Bay area--and Sexton has found them for you. (*Publisher currently out of stock, a 1990 edition is available: The Cottage Book)

The Perfect English Country Cottage
by Lydia Greeves
(Thames and Hudson, NY, NY (1995)

Both this book and the one by Bill Laws takes you on an excursion through the English countryside to look at classic English Cottages. Here you can see the roots of cottage design, and understand our inate desire to get back to them. (*Publisher currently out of stock.)

Eck, one of the finest residential architects of our day, truly believes that the distinctive house is an important and possible goal for everyone‹we just need to take the time to learn the best possible ways to site it, to create an honest and dignified façade and to create a convenient and comfortable floorplan. In this way we will create a home that is "sensuously and spiritually satisfying inside and out." Ecks bottom line...and the line that really stuck with me from this book is this inexorable fact: "A better understanding of houses leads to better houses".

In my opinion, this is one of the best books on decorating the cottage home. Its photos are a delight to the eye, and the book is both a fun and informative read.

Wedlick designs homes in a contemporary "picturesque" style...homes that are good. Which to Wedlock means a home that is "above all, a house imbued with soul, a house whose character arouses emotion and sentiment". When you see the homes that he has designed, you'll know exactly what he's talking about. And you'll understand why cottages‹which tend to be picturesque‹are such "good" homes.

After reading this book, you may feel like tearing down every shopping mall and track home in america. But mostly you'll feel like building something human and beautiful-and know something about doing so.

In his own words: "I think a building should sing". Read this book to find out the notes.

Join the author as he builds his own "room of his own"--a little writing studio in the woods behind his house--and experience his take on the essential meaning of creating a building.

This is a must read--a classic. What makes architecture work for human's.

While some of the houses featured in the book are not cottages, there are some outstanding ones that make the up for it. There is something about living by the sea that brings out the best in use, and its reflected in our sea-side homes.

There are endless books about landscaping, and many about english "country" gardens. But this was my favorite because it was not just about the plants and landscape, but how to play amongst them. That, to me, is what cottage life is about.

To Canadians, the word "cottage" refers primarily to summer lakeside vacation cabins. This book offers a visual feast of these rustic fair-weather homes. Great porches!

This is a very fun book. Here you will find some of the most delightful little houses ever published. Great design ideas. (*Publisher currently out of stock. The Tiny Book of Tiny Houses by Lester Walker is available.)

A ground-breaking book on designing livable small homes by renowned architect Sarah Susanka. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in building or remodeling a modest-sized home.

Visit the website: The Not So Big House.

The title says it all. If you want to get started right away on your cottage project with some really attractive, off-the shelf designs, this is the first book you should buy. (You may order it directly from Donald Berg at djberg@aol.com).

This is not a how-to-build or remodel book--instead its a why-to-build book; a collection of stories about nine different weekend-builders who decided to take the plunge and improve their own homes. You will see yourself in this book--prepare to laugh and cry, maybe at the same time.

If you are contemplating the notion of building your own home--or at least serving as the general contractor yourself a favor and read this book by Mark and Elaine Smith. With highly readable text that offers ton's of excellent advice the Smiths encourage and support you to take on this frightening--but potentially hugely rewarding--endeavor. You can also learn mo re at their website: www.ownerbuilderbook.com.

(No review available yet)

(No review available yet)

Here's what happens when you take a typical post-WWII American suburban home, add some design ingenuity, a lot of labor and a ton of money: you get a unique, livable and classy home. At least that's what's shown in this book--though I wish some of the homes had more photos and floor plans.

So you've built or bought a great cottage....now what? You decorate....and this book, through exceptionally good photography, shows you how other cottage-lover's did it.

Here's what happens when leading-edge architects are given rein to produce what they consider to be the essence of the American cottage.

This book explores and explains how certain essential patterns of design will allow a home to "resonate with the lives of its inhabitants". These patterns, according to the authors‹and I would agree after reading the book--are simply observations of "what our senses tell us about the places we inhabit." The bottom line: If we listen well, we design well. This book will help you do that.

If you love the bungalow, you will love this book‹especially if you are thinking about restoring one. Here you will find superbly photographed stories of some wonderful examples‹from simple bungalow element add-ons to complete foundation to roof restorations. This book is an inspiration!

• Lucia's Little Houses, P.O. Box 324, Blue Hill, Maine 04614 (207) 374-5299
• The Cottage Design Company, 91 Summer Place, Portland, Maine 04103 (800) 322-6149
• Cottage and Home Plans--a Collection of Classic Craftsman Style Designs, Robinson Residential Design, Inc., 30 Lake St., Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4S 4A8 (306) 586-5950
• The Country Building Directory Check out this website as a gateway to finding plans and building guides for cottages, playhouses, gazebos and garden sheds. http://www.abetterplan.com/
• John Gower Vancouver, BC. http://www.bcmountainhomes.com/  Large selection of smaller homes and cabins.
• Milwaukee Craftsman LLC  www.milwaukeecraftsman.com Architect Designed Arts & Crafts House Plans.
• Homepatterns www.homepatterns.com  Classic patternbook-era cottages and craftsman era bungalows.
• Rick Thompson--Architect  www.thompsonplans.com  Another large cottage collection.

• American Bungalow
• American Homestyle and Gardening
• Bob Vila's American Home
• Coastal Living
• Cottage Life
• Cottage Living
• Country Accents
• Country Gardens
• Country Home
• Country Rooms
• Down East
• Fine Homebuilding
• Home
• Maine Boats and Harbors
• Old House Journal
• Romantic Homes
• Sunset
• Victorian Homes

You can find most of these magazines at your local newstand. Or go to http://www.magamall.com to order directly.