Compact Cabins presents 62 design interpretations of the getaway dream. Whether it be a small cabin on a sparkling lakefront, a breath-taking mountaintop, an expansive beach, or some other peaceful location, there is something here to please every taste. Best of all, these small-footprint designs are affordable and energy-efficient without skimping on comfort and style. The cabins range in size form a cozy 150 square feet to a more spacious but still economical 1,000 square feet, and all include sleeping accommodations, kitchen and bath facilities, and a heat source. Complete chapters on low-maintenance building materials, utilities and appliances, and alternative energy sources supply you with the options for living efficiently in small space.

For every design, you will find floor plans with detailed suggestions for designing the space for optimal use. These plans are flexible: many feature modular elements that can be mixed and matched to accommodate your particular needs or hobbies. Features such as an outdoor fireplace, covered porch, or external storage locker might work nicely in several cabin designs. It's all about enhancing and maximizing small spaces to your individual needs and preferences.

• Need plenty of sleeping space for visiting friends and family? Jean's Run Cabin sleeps six in 501 square feet.
• Do you own a shallow plot on a beautiful lake? Glass House Cabin offers terrific views, a large deck, and a wide-frontage floor plan.
• Is your priority a romantic getaway? A Cabin for Two features a fireplace, a spa tub, and a cozy sleeping nook.
• Love hosting parties? Clerestory Cabin with Dining Room has a dedicated dining space right next to the porch, which is perfect for cocktails or coffee.

In this time of uncertain energy costs, global warming, and tighter budgets, building small is a very appealing idea. Gerald Rowan shows you how to achieve your cabin dreams on a small footprint.

Recommended Product for Wiser Living: Today, more than ever before, our society is seeking ways to live more conscientiously. To help bring you the very best inspiration and information about greener, more sustainable lifestyles, MOTHER EARTH NEWS is recommending books to readers. For 40 years, MOTHER EARTH NEWS has been North America's "Original Guide to Living Wisely," creating books and magazines for people with a passion for self-reliance and a desire to live in harmony with nature.

Discover the huge possibilities to be found in a small house! Whether you're building from scratch or retrofitting an existing structure, these 50 innovative floor plans will show you how to make the most of houses measuring 1,400 square feet or less. Gerald Rowan focuses on efficient layouts and creative ways to use every inch of your space, including closets, decks, porches, bathrooms, attics and basements. Artist renderings bring each house's exterior to life, and detailed interior drawings illustrate special space-saving features. Compact Houses includes one- and two-floor designs and plans with one to three bedrooms.

With DIY Wood Pallet Projects, you can finally personalize your space without having to spend a fortune on getting that perfect rustic chic look. Featuring 35 creative upcycling ideas, you'll transform old wood pallets into beautiful projects that will help fill your home and yard with style and personality.

This innovative collection features 35 simple, inexpensive projects that you can make from salvaged and upcycled materials: cardboard, metal, plastic and wood. The projects include tables, shelving units, chairs, lamps, and more, in a variety of styles.

You can build an underground home or earth sheltered house with this guide and plans from underground building authority Malcom Wells.

Making Better Buildings cuts through the hype and provides the unvarnished facts about the upsides and downsides of the most widely discussed materials and technologies. Drawing on the real-world experiences of designer/builders, this comparative guide systematically and comprehensively examines each approach.

This guide features easy-to-follow picture tutorials on how to build your own DIY survival projects (50 in all!). One of the prepping movement’s most prolific authors, Jim Cobb has taught readers how to fortify their homes, survive for weeks without electricity, and prepare themselves financially for years of economic turmoil. Now he turns to some of his favorite DIY projects to teach his thousands of fans how to create cheap, easy, and ingenious tools to help survive any natural disaster. Prepper’s Survival Hacks is filled to the brim with intriguing, fun, and innovative projects to secure any home.

A complete introduction to natural building for everyone from do-it-yourselfers to architects and designers.

An in-depth exploration of the benefits of choosing the EcoNest technique over conventional alternatives, combined with a complete practical guide for prospective designers and builders.

If you love camping, but you’re tired of sleeping on the ground (or you have a dream of simply checking out and hitting the road), then a teardrop trailer is the perfect DIY project for you. Sleek, nimble, and oh-so-comfortable, a custom-built teardrop trailer lets you escape in head-turning style. Covering everything from sketchbook ideas to the complete step-by-step know-how, The Handmade Teardrop Trailer trains you up like a pro on how to successfully build this iconic camper.