No comments about Dream Homes Country: 100 Inspirational Interiors.

3 comments about Kitchen Design for the 21st Century.

1. This is just another "pretty kitchen book" that discusses design, but doesn't show in floor plan and elevation format, how to design kitchens that work. Sure, prep sinks and cleanup sinks are fine, but it's the relationship overall of the appliances and plumbing fixtures between each other and the cabinetry that makes the difference and these authors just simply "blew it". A better publication is Kitchen Design with Cooking in Mind by Donald Silvers.



2. There were great pictures of kitchens that weren't outdated. Who cares if they didn't show floor plans like one person said. That isn't what the book is. It is an idea book to look at cabinetry ect.



3. This book first caught my eye at my local library. Just embarking on a kitchen remodel, I didn't want a design that reflected the 1990's. I wanted ideas that would be fresh, modern and truly incorporate the way we live. This book met those needs. It is absolutely on target with a focus on the kitchen as the center of the living space, and the ideas that more than one person usually needs a kitchen work space. In our house, the whole family participates in meal preps, yet we don't want to be crossing paths. We got some great ideas from this book. The designers and architects can figure out the floorplans. I just needed to see a "vision" that I could relay to them. Definitely worthwhile book for those just getting started with kitchen remodels.

No comments about Don't Sweat it... Hire It!: An A to Z Guide to Finding, Hiring & Managing Home Improvement Pros.

2 comments about Building a Log Home from Scratch or Kit (Second Edition).

1. i think this bok was the one of best books i ever got on log home it show you all differnt ways to build and there are some many really nice pic so you cane see what they are doing. i think this book is worth the money



2. This work is a well written primer to log home building, covers all major points of building, but does not go far into depth. Tends to strongly discourage owner-builders (although this may not be a bad thing. This is more difficult than a bird house.) This book is far from a step by step construction manual. For the curious may be a good pace to start.

No comments about New Living Spaces (Home Repair and Improvement (Updated Series)).

1 comments about Small Rooms for Kids (Design).

1. Don't let the title fool you - it is not at all about small rooms. It is about the efficient use of space combined with exciting colors shapes and forms. There are some really great ideas in this volume.

2 comments about Small Lofts.

1. I like to browse books such as this to find creative decorating ideas. I'm not a huge fan of minimalism but appreciate it when done well. There are key elements of Simplicity and Practicality in minimalist design that appeal to many. However, I often find minimalist design to be pretentious when it lacks these 2 elements. All that is left is starkness and coldness with no grace. Such empty minimalism often seems to be favored by people who think a shocking starkness is somehow intellectual. According to my too long social experience, these people often turn out to be boring pseudo-intellectuals desperately trying to make themselves appear interesting to others. Unfortunately, I found this whole book to be exactly that. I was looking forward to sitting down in a comfortable chair with a fresh cup of tea and enjoying at least some nice artistic photos. I was very disappointed to find no original creativity anywhere in this book. Some of the architectural ideas were nice but not especially attractive or original. At least, nothing jumped out at me, just your humble lover of beauty and creativity but not a trained architect. I keep a personal scrap/ memo book of creative design ideas and I got not even one out of here. I wish I could at least say the majority of the photos were enjoyable to view, but I can't. Many of the subjects were pretentious and vapid; some even crossed over into stupid. For example, there are a couple built-in baths featured that were designed by/for pretentious idiots IMHO. As a Californian who lived in Japan for years and is part Japanese, I have seen and bathed in more than my share of baths and hot tubs of all types, indoor and outdoor. I am sure Bajamon's owners ended up rarely using them. But my favorite subject in this book is a Brussels loft, the second set of photos in Bajamon's visually mundane book. It was the only high point in this book since it was the only loft that got any reaction from me at all, positive or negative. In it, I counted 3 modern art renderings of Mao, one big enough on which to have painted the Battle of Waterloo. The big Mao is in a vivid red. I guess this is to signify communism or possibly rivers of blood. I was intrigued and tried to delve into Mr. Bajamon's reasons for this choice and positioning near the beginning of the book. Was this a sophomoric attempt to make his book appear interesting and intellectual? Or was he trying to make a political statement to us readers by his choice of one of the most efficient mass murderers in history (tens of millions dead through starvation and execution seems efficient to me) as a fashionable interior decorating feature? Well it worked! However, I don't want to be an obvious plagiarist of this decorating device. In my head I reviewed other equivalent subjects from modern history such as Hitler and Stalin. I'm going with Hitler. I have some software that allows me to scan in photos and then alter them into artsy, Warhol-esque pictures a little like the Maoist ones in Bajamon's instructive photos. I think I will hang them in my dining room. Frame them in brown frames to signify the brown shirts. I hope my guests will appreciate the deep intellectual thought behind the choice. I'm sure the whole room's welcoming and fashionable milieu will be good for everyone's digestion. Wonder how many guests the owner of the Brussels loft will re-entertain if he changes his art from Mao to Hitler. Oh, that's right. It's illegal in buy Hitler art in Europe. You book authors, publishers and decorators out there better be sure to pick the right mass murderers for decorative purposes in the right countries at the right times in history. Frankly, it offends me that a publisher decided this book was worth the trees needed to print it. And that applies even if the Maoist fashion statement hadn't been included.



2. 
   I picked this book up because loft spaces are very similar to the inside of my home and I'm always interested in decorating ideas and what other people do with their own personal spaces.
   I looked through this book over and over again, read all the text, etc.....
   
   If you are the type of person that goes into a shop just to look around, you'll like this book... I thought the photography of all the spaces was awesome. But then again, I'm not a photographer so I'm not too judgemental when it comes to things like that. There are a lot of different styles in the book, although "everything" obviously isn't represented.
   
   With design books and remodeling books being as expensive as a lot of them get this book has a good price and a lot of ideas in it.

2 comments about Grand Manor Homes: 120 Distinguished Home Designs.

1. Grand Manor Homes proudly showcases 120 designs of truly great homes which range in their individual spaciousness from 2,200 to 6,300 square feet. Full color photographs of some of the houses wonderfully embellish the entries comprising the Homer Planners' edition of Grand Manor Homes. Featuring a meticulous and detailed layout plan of each home, Grand Manor Homes is especially suitable for assessing at a glance the many possible options available when a grand manor residence is built. An insightful descriptive commentary text rounds out this inherently fascinating architectural tour.



2. Sater designs are creative and beautiful. The use of space and light to encourage the feel of openness is unsurpassed. The photos in this book are gorgeous.
   
   However...
   
   There are just not enough DIFFERENT floor plans to fill a book of this size. The floor plans are often repeated, some exactly the same with a change in the facade. In others, one room's size is expanded or diminished, it's simply a reverse plan, or there's a three car garage instead of a two. That made going through the entire book frustrating and irritating for me. It's only a week after putting it down that I can now say what is there is wonderful but only count on a quarter or less in the number of different plans you'll see as compared to what it says you'll see.
   
   I still gave it three stars because as I said, what's there is very, very good and the photos are marvelous.

4 comments about The Complete Guide to Building Your Home for Less (Popular Woodworking).

1. Builder and author Michael Conroy has built many a home for only $43 per square foot: half the national average; and his secrets of construction point the way for similar savings for owner/builders in The Complete Guide To Building Your Home For Less. From choosing economical materials and simplifying floor plans to buying undervalued land and learning how to follow building codes, this book is the item of choice for any who would do some of the work themselves and understand where to trim costs without trimming quality.



2. I will say one thing about Michael Conroy -- he's not a believer in green building unless it's cost-effective, and he's not going to say otherwise. There's no pandering to environmentalists, he is straightforward about who he is and what he's about. If an item or system adds the $$ to his bottom line, he's all for it. That's it, that's the basis of the book. I expected this from the title, but I was still taken aback by the idea that nothing matters except resale value. I guess this is the wrong book for me -- I am looking to remodel for less, but through the use of innovative building materials and smarts gleaned from experts' experiences. Not cost-cutting shortcuts from a braggart interested only in the bottom line at resale time (read his intro).



3. This book is worth the time and money. The delivery time was great.



4. This book is how to build inexpensively and cheaply. He is all about the bottom line, and has no interest in building green, who might live in the house after him (he says as much), health concerns, building a lasting structure, or helping the environment. If you don't care about those things, this is a great book on how to cut most every corner. It is well written and concise. I think in the last two years material costs have probably totally changed his numbers, but a simple percentage add-on will likely cut it. Also, this book seems to mostly apply to suburban and rural building.

5 comments about From Sand Castles to Dream Houses: A Planner for Building or Remodeling Your Home.

1. This woman is organized. Not only were the timelines helpful for each sub-job, but she also included steps I would have overlooked. I also like the physical size of the book - it's small enough for the toolbox!

   - - Tom Kelly




2. This book is perfect for ANYONE who is building a home, looking to build a home, or remodel their current home. I have begun to recommend this book to all my clients, because it allows them to be informed of decisions and helps them to organize all of the important information needed when working on your home.

   Highly Recommended!




3. Working within the industry, it is painfully clear how difficult it is for people 'on the outside' to make informed decisions, know what they are getting into and understand what they should be getting out of products, contractors and procedures. This is a good compass for the journey of building or remodeling any project. It helps you get organized, think through the process before you begin and 'trains' you to remain in charge to the very end. Recommended to me by an architect who worked with homeowners who followed this book. It's beneficial for both sides of the process.



4. This book is a great overview of the process of deciding how to design and build your own house. Its charts, tables, glossary and very pointed writing style makes it an easy read. There are lots of great tips and has helped a lot as my family build our dream house



5. I am in the early design stages of my house ...and this book arrived none too early to help me through the rest of the process. It is a veritable primer in the process of building a house. Full of lists, tables, and all sorts of things to consider. Commentaries on product and services selection, design considerations, project management ...basically all the decisions in the design and construction process. I thought I knew a lot when I went into the process, and this book reinforced the good things I was doing. Happily, it also suggested a whole bunch of things I could be doing and thoughtful approaches to make the process go better.
   
   I usually consider 'how-to' books facile and almost silly. I purchased this book on an impulse on Amazon (along with a whole bunch of less useful picture books), and I was really shocked how valuable it is. It is a little treasure box of information. Dollar for dollar, I think this is probably the best investment I will make in my new house ...and I am sure that I am not alone.
   
   Why learn the hard (and expensive) way when this book will save you from mistakes? No exaggeration to say that this is a 'must have' book for people considering a new home or extensive renovation. Sure, buy your picture books for the coffee table ...but this is the real stuff you need to know.