Whether you live in a little house and need more practical space, or a big house and want some psychological space, Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways will inspire your dreams with its “Big Ideas for Small Backyard Destinations.” Author Debra Prinzing and photographer William Wright spent a year investigating and photographing some of America’s most wonderful sheds, follies, tea houses, pavilions, and other grown up play houses and packaged their work in a book as beautiful as it is informative.

The book is loosely organized by the purpose to which the featured structures are put: backyard escapes, artist havens, garden sheds, entertainment spaces, and playhouses. Within these chapters, the discussion of each structure follows the same format, with an article on the background, building, and use of the structure, plus informative sidebars and plenty of pictures.

The only question is, when will Stylish Sheds II be published? This book is enjoyable even for those who never build their own backyard hidey-hole, sequels should follow. How about an international version? Or a whole series: Stylish Sheds of Northern Europe, Stylish Sheds of the Mediterranean, Stylish Sheds of Asia, Stylish Sheds of South America -- think of the possibilities! We can hope.

Also posted on Rose City Reader. ( )

Chicken-coops for the rich and famous. Nice pictures, lots of name dropping. Excesses of expense and decoration. However, some of the buildings are interesting and innovative. ( )