The Orvis Book of Cabins

by Amy Laughinghouse

Book Overview

'The Orvis Book of Cabins' is a compelling illustrated tour of more than 20 cabins, both large and small, rustic and sophisticated. All the cabins provide inspiration for living an active outdoor life... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599210290
• ISBN13: 9781599210292
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 2.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.9" x 11.2"

Customer Reviews

Comprehensive Cabin Book

This isn't just a book of pretty pictures. Although it is beautifully illustrated, "The Orvis Book of Cabins" delves beneath the glossy surface of standard coffee table books to offer really useful and interesting information. It covers subject like how to site your cabin, making the most of loft space, suggestions for storing sports equipment, kitchen and bath decorating ideas, and floor plans for a comfortable-looking 1500 square foot cabin. The author also tells the stories of nearly 20 different cabin owners, discovering what drew them to this lifestyle, what challenges they faced in building, and ultimately, the rewards they've reaped from their cabin retreats. Two of the homeowners include country singer Charlie Daniels and Kathy L'Amour, the widow of novelist Louis L'Amour, and while it was great to get a sneak peak into their lives, I also enjoyed reading about the "regular" people, like the man who felled and stacked his own logs (and whose mother wore her fingerprints off spreading the chinking) and a couple who camped out and bathed in a Minnesota lake while restoring a 1920s cabin that most people would have just knocked down. They seem like the kind of friends you would like to have over for dinner, swapping stories in front of a roaring fireplace in your own cozy cabin.

Cool pictures and some great ideas

This book is perfect for anyone interested in Log Cabins, planning to bulid one or looking for decorating ideas. The pictures are amazing with both internal and external shots of a whole range of sizes and types of cabins. The narrative is informative and written in a conversational style that feels like you are there with the author. I highly recommend this book.

Great selection of cabins, big & small, & useful design ideas

This book offers an extensive cross-section of 19 cabins all across the U.S., from grand lodges to plenty of cozy, humble getaways. A few of the more rustic examples include "Building a Cabin from Scratch," which the owner built with his family in the North Woods of Wisconsin; "A Simple Boat House" in Maine, with "unfinished" walls that double as bookshelves; and "Casting Call," a cabin in North Carolina made with cleverly recycled elements. Fans of the late Wild West novelist Louis L'Amour will be intrigued by the article about his ranch in Colorado, and there's also an interesting look at the Tennessee log home and remarkably down-to-earth lifestyle of the legendary Charlie Daniels. I found the design sections--with advice on things like "creating antique patina" to give newer cabins more character, innovative storage ideas, selecting a wood stove and designing a fireplace, building interesting bathrooms, and planning outdoor rooms and outbuildings--extremely helpful. (One of my favorites: the dog house on page 101.) This is a great book for hands-on planning and gathering design ideas, as well as a beautifully photographed record of a type of home that is an art form unto itself. A great Christmas gift and must-have for cabin lovers.

BEST LOG HOME BOOK

The Orvis Book of Cabins (Orvis) The Orvis Book of Cabins features a wide range of log home styles and décor from across the country. A chapter is devoted to each of the 19 homes selected - from Washington State to Tennessee and Maine to California. Each is described through numerous color photographs showing both décor and design details with an easy reading narrative by the author. A special feature is a short section in several chapters, More Cabin Concepts, including choosing a site, creating antique patina, designing a hearth, and other useful design tips. It is a fine gift and worthy addition to the library for any and all who appreciate this most American of dwellings. The author and her husband have their own cabin in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. For the present, I can only dream - and consult my copy of The Orvis Book of Cabins.

A very special form of rural architecture

In "The Orvis Book Of Cabins", freelance writer and interior design expert Amy Laughinghouse celebrates a very special form of rural architecture through profiling more than eighteen cabin getaways that cater to anglers, hunters, hikers, canoe paddlers, and simple lovers of nature. Beautifully photographed in full color, the cabins range from small and simple to large and rustic. Some have been the home to generations of families, while others are either newly built or completely remodeled. But all of them are superb examples of an active Orvis lifestyle catering to the enjoyment of the outdoor worlds of mountains, lakes, rivers, and woodlands through every season of the year. "The Orvis Book Of Cabins" is especially recommended for browsing by non-specialist general readers with an interest in cabin architecture and interior design, and of immense value as a reference for professional architects and anyone planning to build a cabin of their own!