Whether on a magical lakeside, a secluded woodland or a flowering prairie, the unique shabby-chic home decor is full of charm, nooks and crannies. Here is my favorite selection of the best selling cottage style homes – the kind of homes that many of us have always dreamed of living in – capturing the beauty and romance of cottage living.

I just came upon this gorgeous idea book for great backyard cottages and vacation homes, offering a variety of architectural styles, from the traditional English cottage to a backwoods rustic getaway, from Victorian gingerbread to Asian.

With fantastic color photos, which are fun and inspiring, the Ideas for Great Backyard Cottages by Editors of Sunset Books, is a 128 pages paperback book featuring a wide selection of structures, such as guesthouses, offices, pavilions and gazebos

Mini House Now by Agata Losantos, is a 192 pages hardcover book which demonstrates the point of ‘bigger is not necessarily better’.

By showcasing dozens of fabulous small-scale homes from around the world that ingeniously make the most out of a small amount of space, this book is the perfect source of inspiration for anyone living in or building a small–scale home.

The Very Small Home: Japanese Ideas for Living Well in Limited Space by Azby Brown is a must for anyone wanting to maximize the space and light of a small residence, while conveying a bright and airy feeling.

This inspiring book presents 18 residential buildings in his photo-packed volume, many of them were designed by leading Japanese architects, such as Tadao Ando and Shigeru Ban. With compact floor spaces ranging from 540 sq. ft. to 1,730 sq. ft.-the volume is so full of ingenious ideas.

Space: Japanese Design Solutions by photographer and writer Michael Freeman, is a photographic exploration of Japanese architecture and design for small spaces. This book is full of imaginative, ingenious, and revolutionary solutions combined with the well-known clean lines and modern aesthetics of Japanese architects.

This is the perfect gift for anyone looking to maximize his or her space as well as architecture enthusiasts and those with an interest in Japanese style.

Urban Eco Chic: How to live in an eco-friendly way without compromising on style, by British designer Oliver Heath, helps interior designers, green builders, and homeowners make eco-friendly choices that transform the home into a sanctuary of sustainable style.

Featuring more than 100 full color photographs, this book comes in hardcover while printed on FSC-certified paper. If you’re looking to do an eco-style home makeover while balancing the elements of nature, vintage, and technology, then this is the book for you.

“You can’t have too much of a good thing” and I am all for it! You see, I’ve been a book lover and a design aficionado for all my life so I thought it is high time for me to share my favorite architecture and home design books with you.