2 comments about The Bathroom Book: The Ultimate Design Resource for the Home's Most Essential Space.

1. I am about to totally gut my master bathroom and increase the size by incorporating two adjacent closets. It will still be on the small side but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book covers the very small to the grandiose in size and style. The author discusses practical considerations when choosing each component of the bathroom and highlights common mistakes and misconceptions. There are lots of ideas and a selection of floor plans and whilst you cannot expect any of them to be tailor made for your house, they are a valuable resource to build upon. I would recommend this book if you are thinking of redesigning your bathroom.



2. I found just what I needed in this book. The photographs are splendid, and the ideas are inspirational. This book works for me.
   As far as resources are concerned however, you are just referred to the designer, so if you're doing some of the remodeling yourself, which I am, you can only use this book for ideas, not to track down the individual products photographed. That said, this book has helped me tremendously with my planning decisions.

5 comments about Bungalow Bathrooms (Bungalow Basics).

1. In the midst of planning for the remodeling of my bathroom in the Arts & Crafts style, I found this book filled with plenty of pictures and examples of bathrooms from that time period. Arts & Crafts magazines rarely show pictures of bathrooms. So it was great to have a book that was filled with such a variety of pictures as well as giving the history of this time period and tips for those who actually want to restore their bathrooms. Better money spent than trying to buy a huge amount of magazines hoping to get one picture here and there.



2. I've read other Jane Powell books and have always found them both entertaining and informative. In this book, she provides a history of bathrooms and bathroom fixtures and provides information about restoring older baths. She even includes advice about repairing old fixtures, broken tile etc. As in her other books she gives the readers advice about "Obsessive Restoration" and modern "Compromise Solutions" - all in keeping with the historic theme. The photographs in this book are wonderful; I was suprised by the wild colors of some of the bathrooms that were created in the 1920's and 1930's. This is a great book if you have an older house and are looking to create a period-appropriate bath.



3. Unfortunatley (or fortunately depending on the perspective), most of the images and information in the rather expensive book can now all be found on the internet.



4. Bungalow Bathrooms (Bungalow Basics)
   For anyone building a NEW bungalow style home or refurbishing an OLD one, this is a great source of accurate info on the materials and styles typically used and resources for obtaining materials. Powell's detailed explanations of original bungalow styles from the late 20's thru the early 50's include suggestions for "obsessive" and for "compromise" solutions and the list of resources is super. Her witty writing style and Svendson's wonderful photographs make this book as enjoyable as it is useful.



5. This book is another selection for a wedding gift. The recipients are restoring a Bungalow home. It was on thier gift wish list.

5 comments about The Japanese Bath.

1. This book helped me design my Japanese bath and provided a wonderful resource for my ofuro-Sea Otter Woodworks in Alaska. I love the book and my new bath.



2. Delight your every sense by checking out this book. The beautiful photography will help you design your relaxing bath space.



3. Beautiful pictures and instructional text. However, one wonders why the authors included some of the "Resources" they did. Some of these have no website or catalogue. Example: Soko Hardware in San Francisco. So, if you don't live in the Bay Area, including them was almost useless. I would have liked to have seen more sources with which one can view and buy items.



4. This is a beautiful book, but not very practical in terms of how to build your own japanese bath. Having spent some time in Japan, I don't think my relatives, or others in a public bath would appreciate having someone get into the tub BEFORE scubbing down - GROSS! Only rinsing off is not good enough, as the book instucts you to do. Please scrub and rinse before you enter the tub.



5. The book the Japanese bath gives the history and the culture of the Japanese bath. Fabulous pictures which show the peace and beauty of the Japanese bath. A must-see and read for anyone contemplating building a bathroom.

2 comments about Dream Windows: Historical Perspectives, Classic Designs, Contemporary Creations.

1. This is a wonderful book, the author assists you with questions to ask yourself, and gives you many options. A book you will use again and again when considering window treatments. I bought another book, 1001 and one ideas for windows, and it didn't compare at all to this book.



2. This is a wonderful book with beautiful photographs! It has many fantastic design ideas for window treatments. This is a must have for any window treatment or design professional. Also, if you are thinking about decorating, this book will give you some great ideas!

5 comments about Bungalow Kitchens.

1. I can't even count the number of times I've reread this book or just leafed through and admired the fabulous pictures. As the owner of a 1920 foursquare, nothing makes me sadder than to see an old house that's been "improved" by someone with no sense of history or vintage style. This book celebrates vintage kitchens in painstaking detail, describing the form and function of every single surface, nook and cranny. If you're using this book as a "how to" guide, the authors are realistic enough to give you several levels of authenticity from which to choose -- for instance, are you going to go all the way and have a vintage icebox? Can you not live without a microwave and dishwasher? What kind of screws should you use on your cabinet hinges if you want to be "period authentic?" The companion bathroom book is great, too, but this book is my very favorite and inspired me to replace my brand new (but characterless) gas stove with a yellow and green 1920's model with shapely long legs!



2. I've been toying for years with plans to fix up the kitchen in our 1923 American Foursquare house, but last year when both my nonagenarian grandmothers moved into Assisted Living Facilities, I found myself clearing out their kitchens. When I brought some of their vintage kitchen equipment into my own kitchen, it suddenly came clear that my own kitchen re-do simply had to honor the history of my house and more importantly, the histories of my grandmothers' kitchens.
   
   I am in no way interested in obsessive restoration, but I really needed to see what kitchens of my grandmothers' childhoods and young married lives would look like. What might my own kitchen have looked like when it was first built? There are charming Craftsman details elsewhere in my home... under the barn-red paint and 1970's "country primitive" wallpaper, what was the feel of this room?
   
   This book is like a stroll through a neighborhood-full of kitchens from this era, wonderfully photographed and clearly explained. While my kitchen renovation will be a relatively simple project, I am thrilled to have such a lovely resource on which to base my search for the kitchen that lies beneath all that paint!



3. If you want to be historically accurate, this book is for you. The author gives examples of "Obsessive Restoration" and a "Compromise Solution" for each element of restoring a bungalow kitchen. However, even the compromise was too obsessive for me. In addition, the author wasted way too many pages discussing the history of kitchens, which is irrelevant to me. Her companion book, "Bungalow Bathrooms" is much of the same. I just built a new Craftsman home, and my goal was to build a new home with historic influences, so what I was hoping for were suggestions on how to incorporate modern materials and modern conveniences to achieve a bungalow look. Obviously that was not the author's goal -- she's all about keeping the historical accuracy. For me, "The New Bungalow Kitchen" by Peter LaBau was much more useful. It shows how you can bring bungalow style to your home without it looking outdated and old. And the photos are gorgeous.



4. Being on the extremely limited budget, the idea of restoring our 1923 craftsman kitchen to the obsessive original is not even an option. This fabulous book gives you numerous ideas/ paths as to what a $100,000 restoration would encompass, and then provides compromises that the 'normal' home owner can accomplish with great results. It definitely made me re-contemplate several ideas that we had already set in stone, and I think ultimately will save us investment money. My favorite aspect of this book? Unlike several bungalow magazines (which will go unnamed) that feel the need to pretentiously describe the 'color of fumed oak' and ten million other things that the average home owner will never afford or see, Jane Powell is down to earth and able to 'talk' to you like your neighbor next door.



5. When I was getting ready to restore the kitchen in my 1922 California Bungalow I had no clue where to start. The previous owners had gutted the original kitchen for commerical property use and had put in Pay N Pak cabinets and almond color formica to sell the house. After 13 years living with the new kitchen I decided to put in a period kitchen. Jane's book gave me the courage, inspiration and most important, the clues on where to begin.
   
   My contractor had met Jane at a workshop and respected her expertise. I was able to contact her through her business website. She was so excited and supportive for my project. She is a wonderful person with a great sense of humor as well as history of how our bungalow homes can help us live more healthy and fulfilling lives. And Linda's photos are marvelous.
   One in particular helped me decide to use the six black glass cabinet knobs I found left in the basement. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves their old bungalow. For those building a new bungalow you will find the bones in this book and you might think twice about corian or granite countertops.

5 comments about Remodel Plumbing (For Pros by Pros).

1. I am not a professional plumber and am in the midst of a forced renovation. I have read other plumbing books but none addressed retrofit plumbing as this one does. The way he described procedures, such as installing new shut-off valves gave me the confidence to at least undertake such a project. I am better able to see the whole picture of how a repair fits into or affects the overall system. His coverage of Pex pipe made it possible for me to consider replacing the feed to a second storey bathtub; the current copper climbs the wall at a 5 to 10 degree angle making it impossible to correctly fit the faucets to the wall.



2. I bought this book because it is part of the really useful "For Pros by Pros" series. I had high expectations for this book before it arrived and I was not disappointed.
   
   The book covers plumbing in great detail, and gives enough information to let you really understand what is going on. The writing style is relaxed and pleasurable to read.
   
   I would highly recommend both this book, and the whole "For Pros by Pros" series.



3. The book is an easy read, great diagrams and pictures. The author is a pro and his writing is easy to understand. A lot of information on how to do things the right way, often times better than codes or needs require.
   A very handy resource.



4. This has to be the first 5 star review I've ever done. It covers the things that every other plumbing book doesn't cover; except text books for use in trade colleges.
   This is not a book for changing a faucet or unclogging a drain (there are plenty of other books that cover those topics). This is for the guy who's ripping out a tub or shower, adding a toilet, tapping into a supply line or a DWV line, or redoing all the plumbing.
   
   I'm a big fan of This Old House and many times, the plumbers gloss over things or move too quickly. This is the book to look up to see what they did: not everything they do, but much of it.
   The tool guide is great too - especially the part about right angle drills.



5. I give 3 stars because this book has several tips but missing the whole picture. I read all the good reviews and bought the book but I'm a little disappointed.

1 comments about In the Hands of a Chef: The Professional Chef's Guide to Essential Kitchen Tools (Culinary Institute of America).

1. I bought the book for my son who is a student of the CIA, he loved the book!

5 comments about The Bathroom Idea Book (Idea Books).

1. Being in the home improvement business, I felt odd needing ideas when it came time to upgrade the bathrooms in my own home. Perhaps making a living building the bathroom of everyone elses dreams helped to fog the picture of what I wanted my own to be. Taunton Publishing puts out a trade magazine that I swear by. So when I decided to purchase a book on bathrooms I thought I couldnt go wrong with this one. How wrong I was.
   This book is little more than a collection of photographs of high end and ultra high end bathrooms. Here in my neck of the woods a complete bath renovation ranges in cost from between ten and fifteen thousand dollars for an average bath. Very few of the rooms displayed in this book would make that budget.
   Aside from the introduction there is almost no text to assist the "reader" in understanding requirements or even necessaties pryor to planning a bath remodel. Perhaps the fact that I am in this line of work colors my opinion of the book, but if photos qualify as ideas, Id recomend picking up a few magazines on bath remodeling and get a fuller picture.



2. That's why there are only two stars!

   First idea, the shape of a single cupboard. The second idea, a way to add counter space over a toilet. That's it. I guess I could have gotten both from any other magazine on the shelf for a lot less than I paid for this silly picture book filled with pictures of _pieces_ of bathrooms. A more appropriate title would have been:

   Bathroom Parts Picture Book
   A guide to bathrooms for those who can't read.

   The most I'll get from this book is the enjoyment my children will receive from cutting out the pictures for their paper dolls.




3. This text has many wonderful photos to inspire the professional. It is also full of basic info homeowners can use. It is not too technical, but covers most of the features needed in a bathroom.



4. An incredible amount of information with beautiful pictures of how to plan a new bath / shower OR how to update / remodel an existing bath....Hundreds of illustrations that can be incorporated into any bath depending on budget and desire...



5. I enjoyed this book and felt it did provide good information, contrary to other comments and I felt it was well worth the money.
   
   My mother is remodeling her bathroom and it gave us good ideas of what she liked and didn't like. I do agree with another writer that many of the most beautiful bathroom photographs were of "high-end" bathrooms, but I believe most anything can be modified to fit within a budget. The book was useful in providing the bones from which to work. I mean if marble is too expensive or is not your thing, then maybe travertine would be a less expensive option. I thought the book provided good info on things like sink placement, vanity and cabinet styles, flooring and even toilet options and shower head choices.
   
   The only slight negative, is that the book I read was published in 1999 and did include some older style bathrooms, but I would expect that in a book that was six years old, so I didn't count off for that...just because I'm late in reading it. :-)
   
   There were lots of informative sections in the book. On page 80, it talks about some of the differences in fiberglass vs acrylic showers/tubs. On page 95, there is some discussion about low flush toilets.
   
   To me, the book title indicates exactly what this book provides "Bathroom Ideas", and I think the author delivered.
   
   Even though most of the pictures don't have much detail about how to construct a particular type of bathroom or what foundation needs to already be in place, this book is not called Bathroom Construction and Remodeling. I think this book does a great job at explaining what you are looking at and includes corresponding numbering on the text and pictures. I found this book very useful and it provided just what I was looking for....ideas.

5 comments about Curb Appeal.

1. I was so excited when I flipped through this book that I bought 4 for gifts. Generally I only browse through magazines, where I can clip great ideas and toss the rest. Most books on this topic have a few good ideas and the rest is noninspirational.
   
   Page after page. I was inspired and excited. I almost wanted to go buy a fixer-upper so I could utilize some of the fantastic ideas. This book is a keeper for sure.



2. Nothing new here and the pictures are not really that good.



3. This books uses before and after photos to show what improvements were made and why they were made. The homes appear to be moderate-sized homes mostly built 1920-1940. It shows how to add character. It will give you ideas that you can try a project here and another later, if your budget doesn't allow a full-scale project now. Many styles of homes are featured in the book. I found this book better than Megan Connelly's book: Design Ideas for Curb Appeal by Creative Homeowner, in which the homes featured don't show before and after photos. Instead most of the houses Ms. Connelly featured had to be 6,000 sq feet or larger. Many were newly-built obviously by people who had a lot of money. The sunset book, on the other hand, illustrates ideas on a less expensive scale. I watch all of the HGTV design shows, including Curb Appeal. But prior to this Sunset book, I wasn't sure where to start. I now have the confidence to take on Curb Appeal because "I get it".



4. I was left wanting more how-to and less 'here are some pictures'. What I really want is a book that illustrates an idea, and then gives you details about the hardscape, construction, plant species, etc. to execute that landscape project. This book is about 80% pictures and ideas, 20% improvement how-tos that don't really seem to have anything to do with the first 4/5s of the book and look like they were cut out of sections of three other books and pasted into this one. For a relatively inexpensive book that might give you some ideas, it is okay, but if you get ideas from this book, you are on your own to figure out how to actually execute them.



5. What i realyy wanted to know before I purchase the book, was did it have a little section of how too created more less some of the gardens that werein the book. The pictures were great and it does help, you do look at your landscape in a whole different way. I have been abel to take different landscape fronm the books I order too start lanscaping my from lawn.

5 comments about Tile Idea Book.

1. The Tile Idea Book by Andrew Wormer is my favorite book to show to my customers when they're struggling with what they want to do design-wise for their next tile job. We flip through the pages and get great ideas for kitchens, bathrooms -- just about any space where tile is the answer. This book was a very good investment. Grout Girl



2. This was the BEST book for Tile ideas; there are tons of photos for inspirations. There are ideas for every area of the home and yard. Highky recommend for someone looking for inspiration.



3. Hs a lot og great ideas for retiling bathroom nd other areas of the house.



4. I enjoy that there are several pictures that give ideas of the different directions you can go into with a tiling project. I've purchased several of the Idea Books and I haven't been disappointed yet. Each one is referenced often while I'm working on my condo redo. This is a great series for anyone who is a DIY guru or anyone working with a contractor (I've been doing both).



5. The book has a lots of great ideas. There are many examples of traditional and innovative uses for tile.