Home Design Books - Page 6

French Country Kitchens: Authentic French Kitchen Design from Simple to Spectacular

Linda Dannenberg

Amazon Price: $24.75 List Price: $37.50 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Clarkson Potter Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $22.81

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> Kitchens
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Interior Design -> Decorating
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Interior Design -> Decoration & Ornament

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

“When I think back on all the homes I’ve visited in the French countryside—and I’ve visited hundreds over the last twenty-five years—it is almost always the kitchens I remember most clearly and recall with the most affection.”
—From the introduction

The kitchen is truly the heart of the home, and nowhere is this exemplified with more style and personality than in France. Distinguished by striking craftsmanship, bold colors, and vintage accents, the French country kitchen—whether a rustic retreat or an urban oasis—is always unique and inviting.

In this beautiful celebration of France’s real-life kitchens, French style authority Linda Dannenberg invites us into dozens of kitchens that capture the spirit of their regions, carefully examining the design, the priorities of the owners, and the details—from color palettes to collectibles—that create inviting, functional, and personal spaces. You’ll visit a remarkable new “eighteenth-century” kitchen in the heart of Paris’s old garment district designed entirely with elements dating from the 1700s; an airy, open family kitchen in a Provençal house that was once a grain mill; a dramatic kitchen, bold in color and scale, in an elegant farmhouse in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence; a romantic country kitchen, illuminated by a Palladian-style window from an old abbey, in a welcoming village surrounded by the farmland of the Île-de France; and a casual Parisian space—once an atelier occupied by Pablo Picasso—featuring a kitchen with subtle, restrained mosaics.

Distinctive elements that characterize these welcoming spaces are examined in depth, from tile work to the French way with color. You’ll even find recipes that capture the spirit of the French kitchen. With an extensive directory of sources, more than 200 full-color photographs, and evocative text highlighting a bounty of original ideas, French Country Kitchens is a lush and inspiring guide to re-creating a little corner of France in the heart of your own home.

Renovation: Completely Revised and Updated

Michael W. Litchfield

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Taunton Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $21.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Crafts & Hobbies -> General
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Crafts & Hobbies -> General AAS
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From This Old House

This is, hands down, the very best home renovation book I've ever read. And as former editor of This Old House magazine, I've seen `em all. Renovation 3rd Edition covers the entire home renovation process, from inspecting an old house before you buy it to the hundreds of steps and decisions you'll encounter in a renovation. Author Mike Litchfield (a founding editor of Fine Homebuilding magazine) writes in a down-to-earth conversational style that's comprehensive, practical and easy to understand. He also has a sharp wit and a dry sense of humor that makes this book not only useful, but great fun to read. Excellent drawings and photos show you just the information you need, and the book is liberally sprinkled with pro tips and insights that will save you time, money and heartache--guaranteed. Renovating an old house is a big, messy, emotional process, but one of the most satisfying projects you can tackle in life. If you're even thinking about taking the plunge, there's no better roadmap to follow than Mike Litchfield's book.
--David Sloan

Organic Housekeeping: In Which the Non-Toxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family, While You Save Time, Money, and, Perhaps, Your Sanity

Ellen Sandbeck

Amazon Price: $19.80 List Price: $30.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scribner Amazon Marketplace: 61 new & used starting at $6.85

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Personal Health -> Healthy Living
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> General
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Longing for a kinder, gentler world? As the old saying goes, everything begins at home, and odds are, if you live in the all-American household, the air inside is more toxic than the air outside, even if you live in the most polluted of cities. You regularly handle the filthiest object in your home -- the kitchen sponge -- and put the same chemicals on your face that are used in brake fluid and antifreeze.

The cleaning agents and personal care products commonly marketed to and used in American homes contain not only some very dangerous, toxic chemicals, but they also create an "overly clean," chemically bombed-out house that compromises immune systems. And with more than fifty million Americans suffering from allergies and other autoimmune diseases -- not to mention the developing and fragile immune systems of children and seniors -- large numbers of people are actually being made sicker and sicker by their homes.

Learn to live a clean, healthy, more economical way with Ellen Sandbeck, the nontoxic avenger. In this must-have book for the twenty-first- century home, this passionate, witty advocate of all things organic will teach you how to maintain every part of the home -- from living room to septic tank, kitchen floor to bathroom sink -- using safe, simple cleansers and quick preventative measures as well as the most effective organic products on the market to get the job done.

Learn time-saving, preventative housekeeping, such as taking thirty seconds to clean the shower while you shower. Take care of bathroom stains with baking soda and vinegar rather than commercial, toxic bathroom "bombs" peddled to you with such force by manufacturers. Need whiter whites? There is no bleaching power on earth stronger than the sun. Snow clean your fine rugs. Choose fruits and vegetables from the relatively pesticide residue-free list. Clean felt-tipped pen stains with vodka. Make furniture shine with olive oil and lemon. Your house will also smell as great as it looks.

The Black & Decker Complete Guide to Home Plumbing: Newly Expanded 3rd Edition (Black & Decker Complete Guide)

Editors of creative Publishing

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Creative Publishing international Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $9.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> General
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> General AAS
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Plumbing & Household Automation

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Almost too many photos 2 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

This book is chock full of photos; so much that it detracts from providing information. I was trying to use it to replace a leaking shower faucet, but couldn't find any useful info about my setup. All there was were pictures of valves that weren't mine. I would like to see more troubleshooting chapters, and more possible fitting/material variations outlined. For instance I would like to know how to go from plastic to copper to galvanized etc.

Still if you doing a new install and have access to the exact material they use then it is good for that.

Editorial Review:

The only plumbing book you'll ever need.

Do-it-yourself plumbing can save homeowners more money than almost any other type of home improvement. All it takes is the information and skills you can learn from this third edition of The Complete Guide to Home Plumbing. Virtually every type of plumbing repair and installation is included, from the very simple (stopping a leaky faucet) to the most complex (removing old plumbing pipes and installing a new system). Now with nearly 120 step-by-step projects, this is the only plumbing book you will ever need.

The Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement: With 300 Projects and 2,000 Photos (Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide)

Editors of creative Publishing

Amazon Price: $23.07 List Price: $34.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Creative Publishing international Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $10.80

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> General
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> General AAS
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Household Hints

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This revised and expanded edition of  The Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement is a comprehensive reference for planning and completing major remodeling projects. With nearly 300 projects, this book is indispensable for DIYers who have moved beyond basic home repair and are ready to tackle projects that make a big difference in quality of life-and in their savings accounts. DIYers who tackle their own major remodeling projects achieve exactly the results they want, and can easily save thousands of dollars over the cost of hiring contractors to do the work. Studio photography and the most detailed step-by-step information available make this book unique among books on remodeling. New in this latest edition are major chapters on kitchen planning, bathroom planning, and working with contractors for jobs that are big enough to require some help. Readers will also appreciate the focus on new building materials, including laminate flooring, steel framing, PEX plumbing tubing, and glass blocks.  A helpful reference appendix provides at-a-glance information essential for DIY remodelers.

Detail in Contemporary Residential Architecture: Includes CD-ROM

Virginia McLeod

Amazon Price: $40.00 List Price: $50.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Laurence King Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $26.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> General
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> General AAS
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Architecture -> Building Types & Styles -> Residential

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good, but kind of misses the point. 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

An account of the 2 hours I spent flipping through this book after it arrived at my door:

1. When I saw that the intricacy of the illustration on the cover is produced by overlapping several drawings, I thought, "uh-oh."

2. After looking through a few projects, I was a little disappointed with the haphazard organization of the "details." For example, full wall sections were more often than not excluded. Envelope details were presented as partial sections, thereby losing the context. The different lineweights were also practically indistinguishable.

3. I was impressed, however, with the comprehensive list of materials/components accompanying the drawings.

4. I was disappointed with the choice of photographs, in general, of the projects. Most projects had photos that basically show the same part of the building, but from a different angle, or slightly zoomed in.

5. More overlapping drawings. This bothers me quite a bit, since these are just page-fillers, and do not offer anything except examples of what not to do when presenting construction details.

6. One project was entirely devoted to the detailing of a window box, when that building had used a very interesting roofing material (handcrafted lead sheets), what appeared to be hidden gutters, and a very well integrated envelope from roof to grade. I flipped through this section repeatedly to check if I had missed some pages, then I grew a little angry that these very worthwhile details were forgone in favour of a single window.

7. After going through the entire book, I flipped through it quickly to see if there were any projects from South America since I didn't remember seeing any. I recalled only two projects from Central America. A quick look through the list of projects seem to indicate a coastal North America and Western European bias.

8. I wished I could afford a subscription to the German version of Detail.

I would not recommend this book for something that one expects from well-drafted construction documents. The method of reference and presentation is a little messy. Drawings seem to be organized by how well they fit together on a single page, rather than their as-built relationship. Given the precious lack of real-estate dedicated to photos, certain photographs could be omitted and replaced by more telling shots. Perhaps coordinate the details presented with a photo of the detail in situ and in context? A larger-scale foundation-to-roof envelope section can be a good organizational tool for subsequent details. Did I mention that overlapping drawings bother me?

What I find good is the abundance of projects, the organization by material, and the list of components used. While I have a lot to complain about in terms of the drawings, there is still quite a bit one can take away from them. It would be a good book to go to for initial ideas.

In short, this book is a coffee-table architectural book - a lot of pictures without definite purpose - disguised as a technical book. Sort of misses the point for a book that's about details.

Editorial Review:

Architectural detailing makes a building unique and an architect outstanding. This book provides analysis of both the technical and the aesthetic importance of details in the development of contemporary domestic architecture from 2000 to 2005. Featuring many of the world's most highly acclaimed architects, the book presents over 50 of the most recently completed and influential house designs. For each house there are color photographs, plans of every floor, sections and elevations, and numerous construction details. The book also features in-depth information for each project, including the size, the client, the architectural project team, main consultants, and contractors. With CD-ROM.

Little House on a Small Planet: Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient Possibilities

Shay Salomon

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: The Lyons Press Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $12.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Design & Construction
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Reference
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Small Homes & Cottages

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Don't judge a book by it's cover! 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I thought the book would be more contemporary. (supposedly published in 2006) The quality of the photographs throughout look like the 70's. If these pictures aren't thirty years old, then everyone included in this book is living is some kind of time warp. It's certainly more of an alternative lifestyle book, than in interesting architecture book. Think Mother Earth News not Dwell. Think people raising ducks and building aluminum can structures, not Tumbleweed homes with modern lifestyles in tiny spaces. Low quality, uninspired black and white photography. Eight pages of color photos in the center of the book, equally uninspired. It does include a lot of text to give you food for thought about what do we really need in a structure. Might be okay for some, but I was highly disappointed.

Excellent and Inspiring 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is totally well prepared. And if a person is looking to modify their life to lessen the effects of the "rat race", this book will suggest excellent options that will save a person YEARS of labor and savings and costs, which can then be devoted to ???? making a better life all around !
HikerBOB

Welder's Handbook

Richard Finch

List Price: $15.95 By: HP Trade Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $3.33

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Buildings & Construction
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Automotive -> Industry
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Construction -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

non-welder bought book to see if I could teach myself. 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I have only welded once before with no instruction. It seems extremely difficult. Now after reading this book I understand why it is difficult and I know a lot more. My goal of purchase and reading the book were completed yesterday, and now I have to ask my wife if I can buy another power tool and some steel to play with. I can't promise her, but I think I will have fun and maybe burn myself. This book seems adequate for a real welder also. I liked the format and level of explanation.

Kind of disappointed in this book 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Bought this book in part because I was hoping it would give some insight on plasma cutter selection, use, and other info.

However, in the plasma cutting section I find half a page of general info, and 12 pictures of people cutting stuff out with plasma cutters or things that have been cut with a plasma cutter. In other words, nothing useful.

The rest of the book looks like exactly the same stuff that's in his other welder's handbook. It is good info, but for something that's "Revised & Updated" it sure doesn't seem to me like it has much new info.

Editorial Review:

A newly-updated, state-of-the-art guide to MIG and TIG arc welding technology.

Written by a noted authority in the field, this revised edition of HP's bestselling automotive book-for over 20 years-is a detailed, instructional manual on the theory, technique, equipment, and proper procedures of metal inert gas (MIG) and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding.

Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar (Practice Makes Perfect)

Annie Heminway

Amazon Price: $10.36 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $6.21

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Buildings & Construction
Subjects -> Parenting & Families -> Special Needs -> Disabilities
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Construction -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Polish your French grammar skills and communicate with more savoir-faire

The only way to build your confidence in a second language is to practice, practice, practice. From present tense of regular verbs to direct object pronouns, this comprehensive guide and workbook covers all aspects of French grammar that you need to master.

Focusing on the practical aspects of French as it's really spoken, each unit of Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar features clear explanations, numerous realistic examples, and dozens of engaging exercises.

Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar makes mastering grammar easy with:

• Clear, down-to-earth, easy-to-follow explanations that make even the most complex principles easy to understand
• Example sentences that illustrate and clarify each grammatical point
• Dozens of exercises in formats suited to every learning style
• Practical and high-frequency vocabulary used throughout
• A detailed answer key for quick, easy progress checks

With help from this book, you can effortlessly use:
* Verbs ending in -oir * Infinitives * Relative pronouns * Gerunds * Pronominal verbs * Passé Composé * Expressions of time * Passive voice

The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling

Daniel D. Chiras

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chelsea Green Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $15.70

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Design & Construction
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Energy Efficient Design
Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> Energy Efficiency

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Passive solar heating and passive cooling—approaches known as natural conditioning—provide comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel. Yet while heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved.

Now Dan Chiras, author of the popular book "The Natural House," brings those principles up to date for a new generation of solar enthusiasts.

In "The Solar House," Chiras sets the record straight on the vast potential for passive heating and cooling. Acknowledging the good intentions of misguided solar designers in the past, he highlights certain egregious erros and shows how to avoid them. More importantly, Chiras explains in methodical detail how today’s home builders can succeed with solar designs.

Readers will learn:
- How to select a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly backup heating system.
- how to preserve indoor air quality in an airtight, energy-efficient home.
- ways of employing green building materials in a naturally conditioned home.