The Tropical Cottage

Book excerpt: Quaint cottage meets tropical paradise in this delightful consideration of the homes, gardens, and interiors of "The Grove." Coconut Grove is a seaside hideaway filled with modest homes and charming cottages that have been nurtured, preserved, and artfully updated for today. Houses washed with white set amidst abundant gardens recall Eden. Irregular rooflines fitted with earthy red tile emerge playfully from an abundance of bright bougainvillea and graceful palms. Fountains splash playfully within cozy courtyards. Within these homes--small cracker cottages, stone bungalows, Mediterranean casitas, and Caribbean-styled ranches--light, bright colors and cool tile floors offer solace from the blazing afternoon rays of the sun. A haven for those drawn to eclectic architecture and a welcoming atmosphere, the cottages of Coconut Grove are both the realization of the tropical domestic dream and an expression of a lifestyle marked by quiet joys. Here, for the first time in brilliant new photography specifically commissioned for the book, are the finest and most intriguing cottages of this special place--an unprecedented tour and invitation given by architecture authority and Miami resident Beth Dunlop and Coconut Grove-based photographer Claudia Uribe.