Making Waves: Floating Homes and Life on the Water

This striking debut by stylist Mitchell offers eye-popping glimpses into what it’s like to live in a floating house. Profiles of aquatic homes and their owners from across the globe showcase the houses’ diversity; some are “nomadic” and able to travel, such as the enclosed rescue boat renovated by British architects who rode it from England to Norway, while others are permanently moored, such as the house built by an entrepreneur on the Argentinian delta where the Paraná and Uruguay rivers meet. Mitchell highlights eco-friendly homes, including an upcycled storage container mounted on a concrete pontoon and a Brazilian prefab structure that’s made out of recycled wood and generates energy from solar panels. The homeowners provide advice on how readers might take to the water; a resident of a luxurious Dutch houseboat community recommends devoting 80% of one’s budget to constructing the home and the remaining 20% to furnishing and decorating it, and a married couple living on an anchored yacht in Hong Kong proffer tips on keeping a garden on board (cover from the elements is essential, and be wary of bringing pests home with new plants). With eye-catching photos and a broad sampling of the many ways to live on the water, this is a vibrant tour of the life aquatic. (June)