Cottages by the Sea, The Handmade Homes of Carmel, America's First Artist Community

This book is so much more than a pretty face. It is truly a lovely journey into another time . It was a real and dream time when artists could create community in idyllic ,wild breathtaking natural settings yet unspoiled by the developer and modern shabbiness. The artists / architects of not only Carmel but Taos New Mexico , Florence -Italy, Provence -France and so many other places immersed themselves in the light and essence of place. Out of all this , a unique organic form grew in each place. These places became famous because they awake our senses to our surroundings in a different way than the grand Tetons or Yosemite. The grand places need to stay wild and unsettled . The artist places invite us to become one with the landscape and make it home. This book is a snapshot of Carmel 's essence . As a child I was blessed and saw the last vestiges of similar dream places in other areas up and down the West Coast before they either all but vanished or were turned into painted dollies to such a degree as to lessen their charm. The Cottages by the Sea in this book have not suffered that fate .

I was a little disappointed in this book although the description was on target. I guess I just built it up a little too much in my mind.The subjects were thoughtfully photographed and you can tell that Carmel must be awe-inspiring, but the images were kind of dull....like a book left in the sun. You can kind of get an idea of this simply from looking at the book cover. I thought it was my computer monitor, but the pix just weren't vibrant and inviting like those to which I have become accustomed. In fact, I found them to be a little gloomy.Nevertheless, I spent a pleasant hour looking at my purchase; however, it's probably not going to be one of my books that I look at again and again.

The downside was I paid $50.00 for a book with pages torn out of the middle. But I did learn new interesting things about homes I walked past daily for years. The cover is perfection...

Beautiful pictures! Worth it for ideas before building your own home.

Thrilled to get this book to give as a gift.

These cottages are heart warming and make you swoon! The book arrived in very good condition, even though it was used! Again, I would have preferred it looked more 'beat-up', so to speak, but a great book, non-the-less. I had expected more and larger pictures, but if you are an architect or builder/carpenter, the book has the floor plans for each cottage for you to examine. Me, myself...all I want are the pictures of the insides of the decorated cottages.

This will inspire you to how beautiful a place can be. Has some history and lovely pictures.

We visited Carmel this past spring, and were absolutely charmed by the cottages in the center of town and nearby. But it turns out that there were many more that we did not see. What a great way to learn about the history of the town and the people who formed its quirky character.

I had been to Carmel in 2013 and fell in love with it. Saw this book there but guessed I'd be able to get it cheaper through Amazon. This one arrived from the U.S safely as unfortunately my first order went astray. Lovely pictures with a history of each cottage featured.

I was very disappointed in the clarity of the photographs. The house on page 110 is a terrible picture, you can see this charming quaint Comstock house on Pinterest and it is beautiful. The colors are so clear on Pinterest and not at all clear in this book. After seeing this house on Pinterest is what prompted me to purchase this book. I thought the book would show more pictures of quaint Comstock houses. I am very disappointed that it doesn't I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I grew up in Carmel and have always loved the cottages and unique designs. Reading more about the history was wonderful. The book takes me back to my childhood.

Very nice book. Great pictures along with informative text.