Life in the woods: Illustrated Cabins Collection

Some books feel like they were made to be flipped through slowly, maybe with a cup of coffee nearby. Cabins belongs exactly in that category. It’s the kind of book you pick up “just to look at one page,” and suddenly you’ve lost half an hour wandering in the middle of a forest you’ve never visited.

The project brings together writer Philip Jodidio and the Parisian studio Cruschiform, whose illustrations by Marie-Laure Cruschi give the book a personality you don’t see often in architecture titles. Her drawings don’t simply decorate the pages; they help you understand how these cabins breathe, how they fit into their landscapes, and sometimes even how light moves through them. It’s almost like getting a guided tour by someone who really loves what they do.

What struck me is the range: sixty cabins from all over the world, each with its own reason for existing. Some are tiny creative hideaways; others are family retreats built for long weekends. A few are more experimental, perched in places where you’d never think of building anything. Jodidio’s writing stays clear and warm throughout—informative without slipping into that overly technical tone that sometimes weighs design books down.

One moment you’re studying a little artist’s studio on the Suffolk coast, and the next you’re looking at eco-huts tucked into India’s Western Ghats. The shift in geography gives the book a sort of quiet rhythm, almost like traveling without moving.

Taschen produced the book in their usual large format (15.6 x 21.7 cm, 512 pages), and it feels solid without being intimidating. At around €49.99, it’s surprisingly accessible considering how much material is inside—photos, drawings, small notes, little surprises on nearly every spread.

What I appreciated most is that it doesn’t idealize cabin life as some magic, rustic escape. Instead, it reminds you that living closer to nature can be simple, thoughtful, and—above all—possible. It’s the kind of book that makes you close the last page and think, “maybe one day.”

If you’re dreaming of stepping away from the noise, even for a minute, this book does the job.

Hardcover, 15.6 x 21.7 cm, 1.10 kg, 512 pages
€ 25 on Tashen.com