Most of us have at some point built and furnished the house of our dreams - at least in our minds. This truly seductive book features the homes of those who have realized those dreams and created very special hideaways and retreats in some of the most beautiful parts of the world. Some of the places featured are vacation homes; some have become the permanent base for families seduced by the beauty of their architecture or location; all are truly special places that inspire the sense and refresh the spirit. Structured around chapters which range from Houses by the Sea and Mountain Retreats to Country Cottages and Island Paradises, the homes featured take the reader from white clapboard simplicity in Nantucket and a winter chalet in Verbier, to a sumptuous Tuscan villa and a flamboyant cabin on Mustique. Vacation homes are often more relaxed in their decoration - there is less need to cater for workaday activities and formal occasions, more emphasis on uncluttered spaces where enjoyment and family life are to the fore. Informative text pinpoints the key elements of the design and decoration, and there are certainly ideas which can be translated into any home; yet there is also plenty of opportunity simply to indulge and enjoy the unique atmosphere of these very special homes.