5 comments about Complete Basements (Stanley Complete).

1. I'm usually a fan of the Stanley Complete series, because of the detail they offer. However this one lacks a little in that department. It will provide a good overview of the tasks involved, but it does not provide enough detail to complete most of them. I've had to go to other books for things like framing, drywall, and electrical. The most helpful sections of this book deal with elements that are specific to basements like slabs and foundation walls.
   
   The following sections are pretty good, but vary in depth of coverage:
   Finishing Floors
   Installing a New Bathroom
   Finishing Walls and Ceilings
   Preparation and Demolition
   Plumbing
   Cabinets and Storage
   
   The following sections are lacking:
   Framing
   Wiring
   Lights and Heaters
   
   You might get some useful ideas for this book, but do not use it as your only guide.



2. This is better than many books I have looked at, but if you are moderately functional DIYer who is contemplating remodeling the basement (like me) I would recommend that this not be your sole source. They skip a lot of the little details and tips that you need to really do things properly. On the other hand, they do provide ideas and suggestions that I didn't find elsewhere. I bought this book along with "Remodeling a Basement (Build Like A Pro)" by Roger German. German's book is really great, lot's of detail and DIY tips. If I could only have one book, it would be German's.



3. I bought about 10 books off Amazon to plan for my basement remodeling. This was one of the top 2. Definately worth it.



4. This book is good for telling you how to do specific jobs in the basement, but it doesn't "fit all the pieces together" well as far as planning a whole remodeling project. Also, there is precious little included in this book on HVAC work- a crucial step to any basement remodeling project. Don't rely only on this book to take on your whole basement remodeling endeavor.
   
   I would recommend looking into Roger German's "Remodeling a Basement" for a book that gives a good overview of the whole remodeling experience. Then, you can buy books like this to drill down on specific tasks.



5. This book gives you explicit, detailed info on just about anything you want to improve about your basement. Very informative. Lists the supplies you'll need, and step-by-step instructions. Highly recommend!

1 comments about New Seaside Interiors.

1. The book is just great. The pictures in this book will take you to bomb-shell destinations around the world.All the pictures are innovative.Since there is side by side translation in French , you can take a free course in French too at no extra cost.
   
   Dr.Jayan Thomas
   Cannanore, Kerala, India.670001

5 comments about The New Southwest Home: Innovative Ideas for Every Room.

1. There are a lot of photos and ideas that are easy to duplicate. Enjoyed the book.



2. I have enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to others who are interested in the SW style.



3. The photo's are wonderful especially if you're looking for ideas to decorate your house in southwestern style. That's what I am doing and I actually got some great inspiration from many of the photo's. I'll be honest, I bought it for the great photos and decorating ideas and I haven't actually read any of the text!



4. Moving from Florida to New Mexico is a learning experience. Styles of homes and furnishings are very different as one might expect in leaving the tropics for the desert.
   This book gave me beautiful pictures to help in the transition and build a home with style. I highly recommend it for beautiful concepts in decorating and design and those who desire pictures to get creative juices flowing!



5. I love other people's homes because I get decorating tips, art suggestions, perhaps color ideas and room layout pointers for furniture. I also like other people's homes because I'm curious and I want to see where they live.
   
   Shortly after our departure from Minnesota for the long, cold winter and our arrival in Arizona for the balmy sunshine, The New Southwest Home by Suzanne Picket Martinson arrived for review. It couldn't have been a more fortuitous arrival since, after five years in our current home, we are considering a move.
   
   The New Southwest Home is a simply scrumptious book packed with room-by-room tours of stunning and uniquely innovative contemporary and traditional homes that marry style with environment. Whether you're looking for larger windows, unencumbered by coverings, to view the mountains, monastery front doors that signify strength and durability, or a traditional beehive fireplace for cozy warmth, there is something for everyone.
   
   And since the Southwest conjures up visions of warm, neutral earth and desert colors there are many ideas, using that color palette, for the reader to experiment with. From the entryway where guests are invited in, to the heart of the home, the kitchen, and all rooms in between, there is beauty, ideas galore and a sense that Southwest living is a collaboration of beauty and function. The photographs are exceptional and add to the flavor and enjoyment of paging through the book, just for fun or for ideas for your own home.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: The southwest style can be transported anywhere. It's not just for the southwest. Isn't that a fun thought?
   
   

No comments about Barclay Butera.

5 comments about Good Green Homes.

1. This is an excellent book for those seeking an introduction to environmentally sound home building. There are many good general points and examples of green homes. It is short on details for actual designers but good for home builders who need to read this information desperately and stop building mega-mansions with 5 bedrooms for families with one kid.



2. Doesn't give a detailed analysis of anything, but is a great tool for people wanting a basic understanding of green building, energy efficient techniques, etc.



3. This book no doubt makes a lovely addition to my coffee table. I feel so inspired and now.. how do I do it?? I was looking for more practical advice that addressed all my reasons for wanting to remodel green - protecting my family's health and our planet's natural resources and my financial savings. If the intention was to create a stunning, inspiring book - great job. If it was to really explain what green is and exactly how to do it, I think I'd look to books like "Green Remodeling" by Johnston and Master or read Environmental Building News....



4. "A recent poll revealed that an astounding 96% of consumers are willing to pay more for green features in a home, and 91% feel that energy-efficient features in a new home were extremely or very important."
   
   If you are planning to redecorate or remodel, Good Green Homes offers ideas, real-world advice and lots of inspiration. Jennifer Roberts is a freelance writer who specializes in sustainable building, energy efficiency and corporate social responsibility. She helps people make choices that encourage positive change in their living environments. She answers the following questions:
   
   How does having a "green" home actually save money?
   How can someone who rents their home make significant changes?
   What are some ways to protect and improve the quality of air inside our homes?
   What are "rapidly renewable sources?"
   How can you afford a green home on a limited budget?
   
   Jennifer is also a merchandising manager for the Marina Green stores and joys introducing consumers to the joys of stylish clothes made from organically grown cotton, healthy paints, energy-efficient light bulbs, tableware made from recycled materials and environmentally friendly alternatives to everyday household products.
   
   Featured Homes Include:
   
   A Delightful Cottage
   An Ecofriendly addition to a historic home
   A Trio of Healthy and Green City Homes
   An Artist's studio on a Wooded Island
   A Vacation Retreat in the Wine Country
   A Neighborhood of Homes
   A Remodeled Victorian Flat
   
   It is rather shocking to learn that the air inside our homes can be five times more polluted than the air outside. One look at your energy bill might convince you to read this book.
   
   These homes don't really look all that different, but there are features like skylights to save electricity or there is a home that is naturally cooled, heated and lit. Some homes have solar water-heating systems for the summer and a unique solar power system blended right in with a backyard trellis to generate electricity from the sun.
   
   The section on air quality was of interest to me because I am always moving my Austin air filter about the house.
   
   The "Wine Country Retreat" looked like a house I could live in because it even has a tower. Well, the pools also looked rather inviting.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



5. This book is a gift to the Earth and to so many of the people who inhabit it! Good Green Homes is educational and practical in an amazingly palatable way...that is to say, it is most enjoyable reading; and at the end one is so much wiser than when one began. It is a visual feast. The concept of environmentally sensitive choices in every aspect of the home is brought to the whole spectrum of the population, from new construction to renters to "what can I do with what I've got." This book is beautiful, user friendly and, above all, inspirational. I kept saying, "I can do that! I can take that action. I can make a difference, and I want to!" Bravo!

5 comments about Home by Design: Transforming Your House Into Home.

1. I had borrowed this book from the library and loved it for Susanka's creative ideas and beautiful photographs. So I ordered it on Amazon. Unfortunately, as I looked through my copy I noticed that the photos weren't quite as clear. Then I realized that the colors weren't as appealing. Some paint shades I had flagged in the library copy for their warm brown tones look positively green in my edition. Upon comparing the two books, I realized that my copy had been printed in the U.S., the library copy in Singapore. I wish I had known this before ordering--I'd have purchased the book at Border's instead.



2. This is the best book on home design available. It provides guidance on creative ways to use space, light, and order to create a house that really feels like home.
   
   I believe this is one of Susanka's best books, and in my opinion, one of the best introductions to "pop" architecture available. Susanka exposes us little people to the idea of design patterns in architecture, a concept first introduced by Christopher Alexander thirty to forty years ago. In fact, many of the patterns she explores were first uncovered in Alexander's work.
   
   Susanka isn't quite as nutty as Alexander was. She does a better job than Alexander of describing patterns. She demonstrates her patterns with beautiful photography, and describes them so well that you can almost imagine yourself occupying the room as she describes it. She has developed something of a cult following over the past few years, but this book is really worth reading.
   
   My wife and I are planning to build a house soon. We've worked with our designer to incorporate many of the patterns that Susanka describe in Home by Design: varied ceiling heights, lowered soffits, alcoves, light at the end of a tunnel, and more.
   
   Many have given this book a negative review because the houses used to illustrate the patterns are obviously big and/or expensive. That's a valid point. But there is no reason why the patterns can't be applied in smaller and more reasonably priced homes. There is also a lot of repetition in the "Not So Big" series, which includes Home by Design. Most of the books use the same examples, the same or similar photos, and describe the same patterns. If you only buy one Susanka book, this is the one.
   
   The bottom line: if you're building a new house, or remodeling an existing one, buy this book.



3. I have increased respect for Sarah Susanka after reading this book. It is well organized and clearly explains her concepts. But you have to remember when reading this book that the meat is in the text. Make no mistake, this is a beautiful book. Perhaps too much so that some of the reviewers here have mistaken it for a "browse through" book. This is very much a textbook for thinking about houses. The contents are written in plain, lay-person English, but that does not mean that your brain can take the back seat while reading it. You really have to concentrate to take it all in. Also, this is not a so-called "idea book". You will have to proactively use your imagination in order to apply any of the concepts explained in this book to your own house, whether you have lots of money or not. One of the most extravagant examples in this book is a poolhouse built for an obviously very rich client. Yet this spare-no-cost structure has art glass windows on one side of the fireplace and not the other. Also it has no windows in the bathroom. And Susanka takes the time to explain that these things were not oversights. Now, if rich people can do these things on purpose as design statements, there is no shame in a not-so-rich person adopting the ideas to save costs. But you really have to use your brains to do so. Otherwise you will end up saying (like some reviewers have) "This book is useless if you don't have lots of money".



4. GREAT ON UTILIZING SMALL SPACE /NATUAL LIGHT fRANK LLOYD 'S HOUSE'S RICH
   IN EXAMPLES OF SHELTER AROUND ACTIVITY OFTEN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT HEIGHTS NOT ONLY THINKS OF THE VIEW FROM WITHIN AND OUTSIDE /
   A SEQUENCE OF PLACES /ALL SPACES EVEN THOUGH SEPERATED SHOW THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY .
   SEQUENCE OF SPACE EVEN OUT SIDE DECKS THAT EXTEND INTO A LIVING SPACE
   i GIVE THIS BOOK A 5*****



5. This is a great book. Lots of great ideas with visuals to help you understand the effects of doing something one way or another. Lots of good ideas that can be used in any home. I open it up on a daily basis and keep finding more great ideas.

No comments about Designing a Quality Lighting Environment.

2 comments about The Complete Photo Guide to Slipcovers: Transform Your Furniture with Fitted or Casual Covers.

1. If you have a bit of sewing under your belt and are familiar with basic sewing vocabulary, this book is easy to follow. The photos are excellent and make helpful guides.
   
   Instructions are provided for making:
   Reversible Seat Covers
   Kitchen and Dining Chairs
   Parsons Chairs
   Ottomans
   Fitted Slipcovers for Upholstered Furniture
   Cushions and Pillows
   Wing Chairs
   Futon and Daybed Covers
   Director's Chairs
   Garden Chair
   Outdoor Chaise
   
   Each chapter has a section on what you'll need (supplies), what you'll need to know, fitting the pattern, cutting directions, and sewing instructions.
   
   If you're at all comfortable with a sewing machine, you'll have your tired furniture covered and looking like new in no time.



2. all the projects are quite easy to make exept maybe one
   grate book to buy.worths the money

No comments about New Restaurant Design.

5 comments about Signage and Wayfinding Design: A Complete Guide to Creating Environmental Graphic Design Systems.

1. I'm a graphic designer, and have recently been interested in environmental design. I bought this book a few weeks ago and have already gained a ton of information just by skimming through it. The process of creating environmental design is outlined, and everything from regulations to materials is outlined. Plenty of good images as well.



2. Calori covers industrial design specs to graphic design to project management to rapid prototyping signs to materials to testing to final deployment. A great primer into wayfinding and signage design.
   
   For the next update, it would be great to see more color photos. The full-color spread of third party signage examples contain a few serious design flaws. How about a critique of mediocre systems?



3. It is a brilliant book. A must read for all practitioners of Environmental Graphic Design.



4. 25 years ago John Follis published the last great book on environmental graphic design. This book is an update and improvement. The book starts with a clear and simple premise that underlies environmental graphics, a pyramid made of three parts (Graphics, hardware, information) The pyramid neatly divides the book into clear areas. Each section literally throws in the kitchen sink, with information on research, codes, guidelines and examples. Even more important are the picture examples. Many designers may come away disappointed if they are expecting a picture book, but the examples (A mix of B+W and color pictures) links closely to the text and lends weight to the content. This is a serious resource book for designers interested in reaching a higher level of design rigor.



5. A great up to date resource for everything having to do with environmental graphics. I see this as a valuable tool for design and architectural businesses as well as real estate developers. It is laid out like a step by step guide to take you through the entire process. The only thing that I found missing was how to come up with the great creative ideas that were featured in the color plates in the book - can we use them?