Now featuring the publication:

"Living in the Key West Style Anywhere"

A Complete Guide to Planning a Home in the Charming Key West Style

by David Hemmel, PE & Judi Sample Smith

Duval Publishing - Key West, Florida

Everything you need to know to get you started on your very own Conch cottage and much more....

• Key West architecture and history
• Making your dream home a reality
• Transforming a plain house into a Conch cottage
• Classic gingerbread patterns
• Tropical flora and landscape ideas
• Floor plans, exploded views, checklists and hard to find item
  

People everywhere are rediscovering the "old neighborhood" concepts and classic houses of their past.  Stirred by movements such as "New Urbanism", they're building neighborhood-friendly structures that recall their small-town roots.

But too often, homes are designed as unimaginative boxes with a few decorative enhancements thrown in.  Why not begin with a durable classic- the "Key West Style"?  Whether it's a permanent residence or a vacation retreat, you can choose among dozens of ideas that have pleased homeowners for over 150 years.  These concepts were beloved by Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway and scores of celebrities who made Key West their home.

Enjoy the "gingerbread" that graced Key West speakeasies during the era of rum-running from Cuba.  Or live in a home that stirs with the ghost of Humphrey Bogart battling a hurricane on "Key Largo".  Conjure up images of shrimp beginning to boil in Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.  Your home can reflect the imagination and style of old Conch neighborhoods of Key West -- almost anywhere!

Everything you need to know to get started is covered here -- from the background of Key West architecture, to special details that give a home a distinctive look.  And you don't have to be a professional.  Just follow the simple advice of these two highly experienced designers contained in their new book.