Cottages ornes: The Charms of the Simple Life

An engaging account of the cottages orne, exploring the history of this charming architectural form's aesthetic values, cultural impact, and lasting influence

Tracing the history of cottages ornes (ornamental cottages), this copiously illustrated volume offers an engaging survey of an often-overlooked architectural genre. An invention of mid-eighteenth-century England, these cottages were designed to facilitate a more informal way of living and were built in different guises that range from royal and imperial cottages to the working-class lodges that still dot the English countryside. Analyzing cottage designs by some of the leading architects of late-Georgian England-including Robert Adam, John Soane, and John Nash-Roger White explores the aesthetic values that made the form so appealing. Following the development of cottages ornes across Britain, Europe, North America, and Australasia, White reveals the significant impact of the genre on social, cultural, and political history and examines the influence of cottage design on the architectural developments of the Victorian period and even the twentieth century.