Coastal havens designed for laid-back living. The idea of a retreat—a place removed from one’s daily stressors, a secluded haven to be enjoyed by family--is more appealing than it has been in decades. But second homes are far from a novel concept. Families have built retreats since the late 1800s, when the well-to-do began to construct reprieves in coastal areas to escape the combustive atmosphere of city life. Homes on the water have been coveted and cherished for their particular restorative qualities. In an oceanside house, one can’t help but pause to contemplate the view. At Home on the Water offers a history of coastal living and features twelve homes on the water on both coasts and the gulf. This stunning title focuses on both the design of the homes and the way the homeowners live in them, embellished by interviews with homeowners, designers, and/or architects.

Highlighting thirty-five spectacular recently completed houses overlooking sea, lake, river, and ocean, selected for beauty and variety across the globe, Houses by the Shore features homes that demonstrate the extraordinarily diverse ways that today's leading architects and interior designers build and design homes on the water and new approaches homeowners are taking to life on the shore. Frequently elegant and uncluttered, these houses serve as models of smart and often exquisite design with lots of ideas for homeowners who don't necessarily live in a waterfront home, but who wish to have something of that appeal and sensitivity in their own space. A range of projects encompassing myriad geographic and cultural inspirations show some of the world's most inviting residences, built in stone and glass, in wood and steel and concrete. The houses vary in size and style, though all within the realm of the modern, from open plan homes that include terraces and rooms that flow from indoors to out, to spaces flooded with light and views. Each house is photographed comprehensively with detailed interior and exterior pictures and plans, and placed into context through the lens of widely respected editor Oscar Riera Ojeda and descriptive texts written by design critic Byron Hawes, to give readers a privileged look at the best of shore-side residential architecture. With its beautiful modernist homes set beside the golden sands of the gulf coast of Mexico or upon the romantic islands of Greece, from Finland to South Africa to New Zealand, Houses by the Shore is a paean to rooms with a view.

There is a universal longing to live near the water. . .and this inspiring book can make that dream come true.

Irresistible interiors that capture the essence of seaside living. Everyone dreams of a house by the sea, and this book presents the best examples of homes for escaping to the serenity of the seaside. Beautifully photographed interiors, exteriors, gardens, and patios offer a peek into these appealing homes, including Martha Stewart’s Seal Harbor, Maine, residence, Donna Karan’s Zen-like East Hampton retreat, Tommy Hilfiger’s Pop art–inspired Miami house, and Giorgio Armani’s Antigua getaway. Such top designers as Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Steven Gambrel, and Ken Fulk have decorated these lovely and inspiring homes—in quintessential seaside communities, including Block Island, Harbor Island, Malibu, and Martha’s Vineyard. A seaside house is a place to unwind in a relaxed setting—white floorboards, whimsical nautical touches, pastel tones, and vivid colors. Indoor-outdoor living is the norm. Yet it is also a place to entertain friends and family in style and can express a range of chic decorating and design tastes. From clean, modern beach houses to traditional-style cottages, these breathtaking interiors—presented by a team known for style and taste—will inspire homeowners, designers, and anyone who loves a water view.

Save the earth’s most precious resource while also saving yourself money. Laura Allen provides expert strategies for using water smartly and efficiently while fulfilling all of your home and garden needs. Learn how to create a water-wise landscape, reuse greywater, harvest rainwater, and even set up a waterless composting toilet. Offering proven techniques in clear and accessible language, The Water-Wise Home makes it easy to help the environment and lower your household operating costs through conserving water.

Looks at homes built beside, over, or on top of water.

Rhyming text and photographs introduce a variety of animals that live in the water.